Tag Archives: Yeshua

Our Resurrection in Christ as seen in Exodus 15:22-27

Passover and the Cup of Wrath

All of us believe that Christ died for our sin and that He was crucified for our iniquities. He is our Passover Sacrifice as mentioned by Paul in 1Cor 5:7. It is rare for a Christian to think about the suffering He went through, and not feel his or her eyes tear up. But looking past the physical torture He endured, I wondered why Mark mentions Pilate marvelling about Yeshua dying so soon. Was the pains of crucifixion not enough? I believe that the agony of the cross was only the tip of the iceberg.

God’s Fury and Wrath
A Holy and Just God cannot let sin go unpunished as the Apostle Paul says in Romans 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness”. His Wrath is equated to a cup in many passages that He would let those who dwell in iniquity, drink.

Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Jer 25:15 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
Job 21:20 His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
Psa 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.
Isa 51:17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.
Rev 14:9,10 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

Yeshua and the Cup
If all who dwell in iniquity would need to drink of the Cup of Wrath/Fury of the LORD, should we also not drink from the same? But it says that Christ bore our grief, carried our sorrows, that he was wounded for our transgressions, and was bruised for our iniquities. He was chastised to bring us “Shalom”(Isa 53:4,5). Then it is a simple fact that He would have had to drink the Wine of Wrath and Fury which proceeded from the Father, in our stead. In fact we see the “Cup” playing a significant part in His Death on Passover.

Yeshua asked that the Cup pass from Him if it is the Fathers Will
Christ in His human form, struggles with having to drink the Cup of Wrath which was rightfully ours, but bows to the Father’s Will.
Mat 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Mat 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

Yeshua said that He will surely drink of the Cup that God has given Him
By the time He gives himself to the band of men headed by Judas, He is firm in His decision of Drinking the Cup that the Father has handed over to the Son.
Joh 18:11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

Yeshua did not drink of the vinegar that would numb the pain
Christ refuses to drink the wine which would help with the pain as given below.
Mat 27:34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
Mar 15:23 And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.

But why did He then take the Vinegar at the Moment of Death?
Joh 19:28-30 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

As we see above Yeshua knows that He has exhausted the Wrath of God on the Cross, and knowing this He receives the Vinegar just before He breathes His last breath proclaiming “IT IS FINISHED”!

What is Finished?
The words “It is Finished” being said after He tastes the bitter Vinegar, in my mind brings us back to the Cup of Wrath which the Father had handed the Son, the Cup that He had set out to drink, and was His ultimate goal on this earth. He had drunk it to the last drop… the last drop that was meant for me and for you – We are surely alive, because “It – the Cup of Wrath/Fury is Finished”.

Golgotha the place of Atonement

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The place of Crucifixion mentioned by all 4 Gospel Writers may look like another fact in the Life and Death of our Messiah, but in this post I will attempt to show that there is Great Significance in Christ being put to death at this exact place

A Ransom for our Souls
In Exodus, God mentions the need for a Ransom/Atonement to be made for the souls of each house – the exact payment being Half a Silver Shekel which was used to make the sockets of the Sanctuary. This payment commanded by God was to be exacted when a census (Numbering – פקד – Pakhad) was taken.
Exo 30:12-14 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number(פקד – Pakhad), then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest(פקד – Pakhad) them. This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered(פקד – Pakhad), half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD. Every one that passeth among them that are numbered(פקד – Pakhad), from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
Exo 38:25-26 And the silver of them that were numbered(פקד – Pakhad) of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered(פקד – Pakhad), from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.

The Census of David
Almost everyone knows of the event where David takes a Census and is punished by God, but also receives revelation of where God had chosen as the Place where He would place His Name forever.
2Sam 24:9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number (מפקד – Miphkhad) of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
1Chr 21:5 And Joab gave the sum of the number(מפקד – Miphkhad) of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.

A Place of Census in the period of the Temple?
In the Writings of Nehemiah and Ezekiel the Census (Miphkhad) is also mentioned as a place, pointing us towards the possibility of the Census being collected at a special place.
Neh 3:31 After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith’s son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad(מפקד – Miphkhad), and to the going up of the corner.
Eze 43:21 Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place(מפקד – Miphkhad) of the house, without the sanctuary.

The special piece of information in Ezekiel is that the Bullock of the Sin Offering was to be burnt at the “Appointed Place” (מפקד – Miphkhad) which means the census as seen above.

The Place of Census – (מפקד – Miphkhad) – The Clean Place outside the Sanctuary
We see the place where the Bullock of the Sin Offering was to be burnt mentioned before in Scriptures.
Exo 29:14 But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering.
Lev 4:12 Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt.

The above place could also be the place of offering the Red Heifer mentioned in Number 19. What is this special place outside the Camp? We see some clues in the same chapters of David’s Census.

David buys “The Place” and “The Threshing Floor”
In 2Samuels 24 and 1Chronicles 21 David buys two pieces of property for two different amounts of silver/gold from a Jebusite called Ornan/Araunah.
2Sam 24:22-25 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood. All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee. And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
1Chr 21:24-27 And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost. So David gave to Ornan for the place (HaMaqom) six hundred shekels of gold by weight. And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.

Image from www.templeinstitute.org — Image from http://www.templeinstitute.org

As we know the above property becomes the place of the Temple built on the Mountain range of Moriah, where Abraham offered Isaac (Gen 22:2 / 2Chr 3:1). Could these 2 places be the Temple Mount and the Clean place outside the Camp. The Clean place would have been situated to the East of the Temple as the Red Heifer was sacrificed at a place where the blood could have been sprinkled before the Tabernacle as mentioned in Number 19:3,4. The Mount towards the East of Mount Zion where the Temple was situated is a place where Christ frequented often (Luke 22:39) – namely Mount of Olives. My suggestion is that this would have been the place of Yeshua’s Death – the place of the Threshing Floor which David bought and also the place of the Census (Miphkhad).

Golgotha and the Place of Counting Heads/Skulls
All of the Gospel writers mention the place of Yeshua’s Death mentioning that it was called Golgotha which means “Skull”. Various people have thought that the place itself looked like a skull or that a skull of a famous individual such as Adam was buried here. But it is clear that “Golgotha” speaks of the place of Census.
Mt 27:33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
Mk 15:22 And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.
Luk 23:33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary (Latin for Skull derived from Kraneon where we get Cranium/skull), there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
John 19:17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

Golgotha in Hebrew is “Gulgoleth” which means skull and is used most often with the Census/Numbering of people.
Exo 38:26 A bekah for every man (Gulgoleth-Head/Skull), that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.
Num 1:2 Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls(Gulgoleth-Head/Skull);
Num 1:18 And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls(Gulgoleth-Head/Skull).
Num 1:20 And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls(Gulgoleth-Head/Skull), every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

So it maybe more accurate to say that all of the Gospel writers are pointing to the fact that the place Christ was crucified was the place of Numbering/Census where the heads/skulls were counted.

Golgotha – in direct view of Temple and near a Garden
The place where He died was also in direct-view of the Temple as the Centurion sees the veil tearing in the Temple. Golgotha being situated on Mt Olives is most probable as it is of higher altitude than Mt Zion. This and the fact that John mentions that there was a garden where He was crucified makes this theory even stronger. Mt of Olives is where Yeshua spent His last hours before being captured, where He was crucified, where He resurrected, where He ascended to Heaven and to which place He would return as well(Acts 1:10-12).

Lk 23:44-47 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
John 19:41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.

Yeshua and the payment of Atonement/Ransom for our souls
We see that no mere man can make a payment for the redemption of another’s soul. But more than once does the New Testament mention that He came for that exact reason.

Psa 47:8,9 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
Mt 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
1Pet 1:18,19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Tim 2:5,6 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

The piece of money in the mouth of the fish
Yeshua also speaks of this exact Half Shekel payment in the below account recorded by Matthew. In it He says that the sons of the King are free of making this payment.
Mt 17:24-27 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute (Didrachmon – Double Drachma which is equal to two Half Shekels) money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute (Kensos – Census)? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

Is it also a coincidence that Yeshua says that the money will be found inside the mouth of a fish – the same sign He gave to those who asked a sign of Him in Mat 12:39 – The Sign of Jonah.

Conclusion
Golgotha which means Skull is connected with the counting of “Gulgoleth”(heads/skulls) in the Census mentioned in Exodus 30&38. This census which is taken as Ransom for the souls of God’s people is later connected to a special place known as “Miphkhad” which is likely the second property (other than Temple Mount) bought by King David. The Gospel writers are pointing out that Yeshua’s death on a cross was done at a specific place where the Ransom for His people was exacted – the Miphkhad (Place of Census). He is not simply our Atonement, His Atoning work was done in a place chosen by the father – as the author of Hebrews says “Heb 13:11,12 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.” The offering, the date and the place was chosen by God. In it we see a work of Atonement which is complete to the very minute detail.

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Studying The Tabernacle for a greater understanding of Creation – Comparing Genesis 1:1 – 2:3 and Exodus 25:1 – 31:18

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The whole of the Creation account – maybe one of the greatest Miracles of all time, second only to Salvation through Yeshua our Messiah has a total of 2 chapters separated for it. So much happens within a few verses of Genesis that we are hardly given any information of what, how or why anything really happened. In this post, I hope to point out that even though God has said so little about the creation in Genesis 1, He does give us a lot more information in the Tabernacle account in the chapters of Exodus 25 – 31.

This study is not complete and is meant as a helpful guide for all who are interested in understanding what God hoped from creating the Tabernacle as well as understanding more about the Creation. I believe studying the Creation account sheds light on the Tabernacle and that studying the tabernacle helps us understand the Creation. Hope this helps you all in your self-study.

Creation and putting things in Order
If you do a basic study of the Creation Account, it is evident that God has a clear plan and a order of doing things. The first 3 days are days of Separation, while the next three days are days of furnishing.
Day 1 – God Separates Light from Darkness
Day 2 – God Separates Waters above from Waters below
Day 3 – God Separates Seas from Land and creates Greenery
Day 4 – God Fills what was separated on the first day with the Lights of Heaven
Day 5 – God Fills what was separated on the second day – Air with Birds and Waters with fish
Day 6 – God Fills what was separated on the third day – the land with Beast and Man
Day 7 – The Sabbath is separated from all of the preceding 6 days as it is the goal of Creation – God Resting upon His creation

The Tabernacle and putting things in order
At first glance, Exodus 25 -31 can look like a hodgepodge of “make this”, “do this” in no particular order. But God being God, nothing is out of place and nothing is communicated haphazardly. The Order of what is revealed through Moses follows the Order of Creation and just as God dwelled with His Creation at the End of the Creation account, He dwelled with His people at the end of the Creation of the Tabernacle (Mishkan – Dwelling Place).

Comparing Creation and the Tabernacle accounts
The Tabernacle accounts which run from Exodus 25:1-31:18, can be broken down into two main sections. The first Section is from Exodus 25:1 – 29:42 and the next from 29:43 to 31:18. These 2 sections run parallel to each other and follows the Creation Account. A helpful graphic is given below, for your ease.

Exodus 25:1-9 – Precreation
Just as God knew what He was going to create and what it would cost for Him to create the world (the death of His Son – Rev 13:8), we see God commanding what materials would be needed in the Creation of the Tabernacle.
Exodus 29:43-46 – Precreation
Just as God created all things with His people in mind (Eph 1:4) He speaks of looking forward to His promises being fulfilled, where He dwells with His people and becomes their God, and them His people.

Exodus 25:10-40 – The First Day
In Genesis 1:1-5 there are 3 main entities mentioned – The Heavens, The Earth and the “Light” in that exact order. In Exodus, God starts by instructing Moses to create The Ark of the Covenant – which is the seat of God, where He Dwells and no man other than the High Priest would visit once a year. The Table, where God has Communion with Man is next in line which can be compared to the Earth. This becomes more apparent when we compare Gen 1:15, Exo 25:37 & 26:35. The Menorah was to give light towards the Table of Shewbread. Next in line is Light which matches up with The Lampstand. (Note that the Lampstand is not lit at this point, just as Light becomes visible on the 4th day with the creation of the Lights such as Sun and Moon.
Exodus 30:1-10 – The First Day
Just as the first 3 instruments (Ark, Table, Lampstand) were all made of Gold, so is the Altar of Incense which runs parallel to the first Day. The Altar of Incense is what connects Heaven and Earth and is an instrument which brings the prayers of His people to God’s Ears. There maybe much more to figure out here, and I hope all of you share your ideas with me, so that I can fine-tune this study.

Exodus 26:1-37 – The Second Day
Just as this section speaks of the curtains that separate the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place and making of space, Genesis 1:6-8 speaks of waters being divided and space being created in the middle of these waters/curtains.
Exodus 30:11-16 – The Second Day
The Half Shekel runs parallel to the Second Day where God Separates waters (used throughout scripture for people) from waters. The Half Shekel shows how there is a price for Redemption and separation as His people comes from the price of Silver pointing towards Yeshua.

Exodus 27:1-19 – The Third Day
The Third day which saw the Seas separate from Land which bore fruit resembles the Bronze Altar and the Outer court with it’s Bronze Implements. Bronze, just like the Land is a metal that turns Green with time.
Exodus 30:17-21 – The Third Day
Just as the Bronze Altar and the court signifies the Land, the Bronze Laver mentioned in this section signifies the Seas which separated from the Land on the Third Day. Just as all the Instruments of the first day are Gold, all the instruments of the third day are Bronze.

Exodus 27:20-21 – The Fourth Day
Just as the Menorah matched with the light made on the first day, and the light became visible on the 4th Day with the creation of the lights in the Heavens, The Oil of the Menorah goes side by side with the fourth day. Without the Oil, The Menorah will not give the light, just as the light would be of no use if there were no lights in the heavens to cast the light of creation on the earth.
Exodus 30:22-33 – The Fourth Day
Just as the 4th day had a greater light and a lesser light, so does these parallel sections in Exodus have a Greater oil and a Lesser oil. The Anointing Oil parallels the 4th day in this manner.

Exodus 28:1-43 – The Fifth Day
Just as the Fifth Day saw the Waters below (separated on the third day) being filled with fish, we see the spaces made with the curtains on the third day being filled with the clothing of Aaron and his sons. Moses is told that Aaron would be consecrated in Exodus 28:41 (Malay Yad in Hebrew, which means Hands filled). The same word “malay” is used in Gen 1:22 where fish would fill the waters.
Exodus 30:34-38 – The Fifth Day
The Air was filled on the Fifth day with Birds in the account of creation, while this section speaks of the Sweet Incense which would fill the skies.

Exodus 29:1-29 – The Sixth Day
Just as the Sixth Day saw God creating man for the Service/Plant(Avodah) and Guarding/Keep(Shomer) of His creation, do we see Aaron and sons are also anointed to carry out the task.
Exodus 31:1-11 – The Sixth Day
Man who was made in God’s image parallels Bezalel and Oholiab who were imbued with the Wisdom of God to act in God’s place. These two individuals can even be compared to Adam and Eve who by coming together would be creating the next generation.

Exodus 29:30-42 – The Seventh Day
The Seventh day Sabbath which can be compared to eternity, seven itself being an idea of completion, parallels this section where we see Aaron and his sons consecrated for the offerings at the tabernacle to be made continually.
Exodus 31:12-18 – The Seventh Day
This section speaks directly about the Sabbath and it’s importance matching up to Gen 2:1-3.

Parallels after the Creation and Tabernacle accounts
Just as we see a parallel between these sections as highlighted above, Genesis 3 can be compared to Exodus 32 – The Fall of Adam and the Fall of Israel. Gen 2:25 uses the word Bu’ush (ashamed) just as we see the same word used in Exo 32:1 where Israel saw Moses Bu’ush (delayed). In Genesis we see Eve giving the fruit to Adam just as we see Israel giving the gold for the molten calf to Aaron. Just as Adam and Eve became naked before God, so did Aaron and Israel corrupt themselves before God. Just as Adam condemned Eve, so did Aaron condemn Israel.

Conclusion
I believe the information above should provoke us to study the Tabernacle a little more closer, as we maybe able to understand both the Creation and God’s plans for this creation through it. God is sovereign and His Word is written in a specific manner for a reason. There is nothing mentioned randomly, no information given without reason. Each of the measurements in the Tabernacle have some significance. For instance, the Holy of Holies is a perfect Cube, which we see at the end of Revelations where the Heavenly Jerusalem descends from heaven being itself a perfect Cube (Rev 21:16). My hope is that this inspires you to study the Tabernacle closer and share with all of us what His Holy Spirit reveals to you.

Can a Hardened Fisherman drown?

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Out of the fishermen Christ chose as His disciples, Peter is seen as one of the most experienced out of the lot, “casting himself into the sea to swim to the shore, so that he could meet their master before anyone else in John 21:7. It is seen that Peter had no fear of the sea. It is then hard to believe that such a person could drown. But in Matthew’s Gospel we find an instance where Peter seeks Yeshua‘s help inside the atmosphere he is most comfortable in – the Sea. Which leads to my question – “Can a hardened fisherman drown? I believe Matthew is writing something which truly happened, but is much deeper (excuse my pun) than what we see on the surface.

Let’s take a second look at this event and see whether Matthew is showing us a story “inside” the story.

Mat 14:22-33 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Walking on water or walking on the sea?
It is commonly said that Christ walked on water, but we see that this is not what Matthew tells us. But isn’t it the same? The sea is, at the end-of-the-day made out of water. In the Bible, water is equaled to “life”(Joh 4:14), “teaching”(Deut 32:2), the Word/Law of God”(Psa 1:2,3). The Sea in contrast, is equaled to something much more ominous – Death. We see hints of this in the Red Sea Crossing, when God parts the sea and let’s His people pass unharmed while the Egyptians receive the full power of the sea – Death. In fact, if you read the Exodus 14 account, you will always see the Egyptians going to the “midst of the sea” while the Israelites walk on “dry land”. The Flood account in Gen 7&8 also has the same connotation of great waters bringing death upon the earth. We see another hint of this in the book of Revelation.
Rev 20:13,14 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
The Sea gives up the dead in it and after death is removed, we see there is no more sea. So it is safe to equate the sea to death in this regard, as a metaphor.

Walking on the Sea and Walking on Death
If the sea is equaled to death, then the symbolism in Matthew’s account start to show. Yeshua is walking on Death, while the disciples are adrift with no way out. Peter, with the master’s consent tries to walk on the Sea/Death by his own strength and his faith, but starts to drown. If it was the sea that he was familiar with, Peter would have been able to swim back to the Boat.

Lord Save me – Hoshiana!
The cry for the Messiah seen in Psalms 118:25,26 – “Hosanna” is heard here, as Peter cries to Yeshua as he drowns in the Sea/Death. Hosanna or Hoshiana are actually 2 words in Hebrew “Hoshia” meaning “Save” and “Na” meaning please. The same cry which would be heard later when Yeshua enters Jerusalem. The significance of the cry is that Peter points at Yeshua as being the one who can stop him from drowning in death. And we see that with the Messiah’s help Peter is saved from drowning in the sea of death.

Conclusion
The story of Christ walking on the Sea has a story hidden inside the story, being a parable in itself. The disciples are lost in the sea of death, while Yeshua walks on death as the sea has no power over Him. Peter believes he can also walk on death as a disciple of His master, but he soon finds out that none of us can conquer death – and that only the hands of Yeshua can lift us up from drowning in death. However much we think we can swim to shore and save ourselves with our ability and strength, this story shows us that death overcomes the most hardened fisherman. Thus we say “Hosanna” to our saviour, the Son of God by whom we can also walk on the sea of death and reach to safety!

The Passover and the Parable of the Sower

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Christ speaks of only one parable in this way – “Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?” (Mar 4:13) – The Parable of the Sower, then surely is one of the most important parables to understand among all the parables our Saviour spoke of. Not only is the form of the Kingdom explained in this parable, I believe there is an underlying connection even to the Passover, in it.

The Parable
Mat 13:3-8 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

The Explanation
Mat 13:18-23 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Even though this parable is known as the parable of the sower, it would be apt to call it the Parable of the four soils.
The Sower = The Son of Man
The Seed = The Word of God/The Word of the Kingdom of God
The Way side = Hears the Word, but has no effect to it
The Stony place = Springs up, but falls away as the Word does not take root
The Thorny place = Unfruitful as they are choked by the cares of this world
The Good Soil = Fruitful in different degrees

Even though only one soil / group of people become fruitful, there are two other kinds of soils that appear to be part of the harvest. The parable immediately following this is about the wheat and the tares, and gives us further details on this parable. There are people who appear to be part of the Kingdom of God, but will eventually are revealed to be just Tares or according to this parable – seed fallen on the stony or thorny ground.

But what do these four groups of Soil/People have to do with the Passover?

Who can join in for the Passover
Exo 12:43-49 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger (Nekar) eat thereof: But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. A foreigner (Toshav) and an hired servant (Sakeer) shall not eat thereof. In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. And when a stranger (Ger) shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. One law shall be to him that is homeborn (Ezrach), and unto the stranger (Ger) that sojourneth among you.

On Passover, the nation of Israel left Egypt with God’s Salvation on full display. And among this group were 4 types of people as shown below

The Nekar – is a stranger / a person who is unknown by God
The Toshav – is a visitor who comes and goes but has no reason to stay
The Sakeer – is there for some incentive
The Ger – is a person who sojourns or wants to become part of the people even though he/she is not homeborn (Ezrach) the Ger and Ezrach are considered the same with God’s Law governing both of them.

The Connection between the Four Soil Types and the 4 people groups
Just comparing these 4 types of people can shed light on who and what they are ; what their attitudes towards God are and who they are in relation to God’s Kingdom.

Seed by the way side : Those who hear the word of the kingdom, does not understand and the wicked one catches it away from the heart. They can be equaled to the Nekar / Stranger a person who is unknown by God. A good Example would be Pharaoh who had no need for the message of the Kingdom. The Word did not take root in his heart and all of Egypt who did not join Israel.

Seed in the stony places : Those who hear the word of the kingdom, receives it with joy, has no root, endures for a while but falls away because of tribulation and persecution. They can be equaled to the Toshav / Lodger who is a visitor who comes and goes but has no reason to stay. For Example, people who fell along the way to the Promised Land, because of their troubles such as Korah. They received the Word but had no root as they did not know God or His wishes. People such as Korah rebelled because of the troubles along the way as they rejected Moses.

Seed among the thorns : Those who hear the word of the kingdom, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and they become unfruitful. They can be equaled to The Sakeer / Hired servant who is there for some incentive. These unlike the Stony soil, endure for longer and appear to be a plant, but has no fruit. These could be equaled to Achan for example. They appear to be entering the promised land but finally is found to be Tares among the Wheat just like the plants among stony soil as the thorns or the cares of the world had more bearing on them than the Word of the Kingdom.

Seed into the good ground : Those who hear the word of the kingdom, understands it, bears fruit and brings forth hundredfold, sixty, thirty. These can be equaled to the The Ger / Sojourner, who is a person who sojourns or wants to become part of the people even though he/she is not homeborn (Ezrach) the Ger and Ezrach are considered the same with God’s Law governing both of them. The Ger and Ezrach are the only ones considered part of the fruitful harvest and are not looked at as separate harvests but one in the same. Whether you were Jew or Gentile the Good Ground was prepared by the Sower and would ultimately be fruitful because of the Seed which was planted. A good Example is seen of these 2 groups that are considered one under God, in Caleb and Joshua – One from Judah and one from Ephraim – the Two Houses of Israel. One may have been dispersed among the Gentiles and one exist still in the Land – but both would be one stick in the Hand of God, when His Kingdom is Established under Prince – The King of David – Our Messiah.

Conclusion
As Christ proclaimed, the secrets of the Kingdom exist inside the Parable of the Sower / Four Soils. The Kingdom has wheat that will be collected into the Barn and Tares that cannot be distinguished from the wheat, which will be burned. So do we see that one soil brings a crop while two other soils appear to be creating a crop but are found out to be tares. The same categories can be applied to the story of the exodus and the participants of the Passover – some appear to have received salvation, but are tares that would be burned. The other part is the Word which fell on the Good Soil – Like Joshua and Caleb will inherit the Promised Kingdom whether Homeborn or Sojourner ; Jew or Gentile.

Understanding the Parable of the Treasure hidden in the Field – The Gospel in a single Verse

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Christ speaks many Parables in Matthew Chapter 13. One of these short, single verse parables really caught my attention recently. A simple but misunderstood parable, that I believe speaks of the whole Gospel in one verse.

“I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” – Mat 15:24

Mat 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Some have thought of this parable to be speaking of a person who finds Salvation and let’s go of everything he/she has to acquire the treasure of Salvation. But I believe, looking at the details given by Yeshua in this chapter makes it a much clearer picture of Love.

Let’s look at the details of this simple Parable:
Mat 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

THE FIELD & THE MAN
The field is called the world in Mat 13:38. This means that there is a treasure which is hidden in the World. The earlier parable in chapter 13 mentions a sower who is in the field, and is introduced as the Son of Man in Mat 13:37, which may hint that the man is again Christ (The Son of Man). So what can be the treasure which is hidden in the world which Christ finds?

THE TREASURE
Only one entity is called a treasure (Segulah) in the Word of God. And it is His people – Israel.

Exo 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure (Segulah) unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
Psalms 135:4 For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure (Segulah).
Deut 7:6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special (Segulah) people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
Deut 14:2 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
Deut 26:18 And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar (Segulah) people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;
Mal 3:17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels (Segulah); and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

SELLING ALL HE HAS TO BUY THE FIELD
So Christ comes to the world and finds “His Treasure / His People / His Bride”. But what does He do to acquire this treasure? He sells all that He has – meaning gives the ultimate price of His Life and buys the fallen creation along with His Bride.

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
The Kingdom of Heaven which is also called the Millennial reign is summarised in this short parable of how the Creator redeems His creation by paying the ultimate price – His Life.

CONCLUSION
The apostle Paul explains the Gospel, and in a manner, this short parable in his letter to Titus in the following manner:

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Are you part of His treasure? for which He sold all that He has and bought which He valued most? Oh what Love He has shown towards us!

Have you heard the Parable of “Unwashed Hands”?

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Many a Christian turn to Matthew 15 as a proof text to show that we can eat anything that we like. But did you know that this Chapter contains a Parable? And may I suggest that it is one of the most misunderstood Parables of Christ?

So let’s look at the context before we look at the Parable.

An argument about eating with unwashed hands / transgressing the traditions of the Elders
Mat 15:1,2 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
At the onset, we must note that the argument between the Pharisees and Yeshua, is about the Traditions of the Elders and not about the Word of God. Actually in the next few verses, we see Christ distinguishing the Commandments of God from the Traditions of the Elders.

Commandments of God vs Traditions of Men
Mat 15:3-6 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
We see that Yeshua takes one instance that the Traditions of the Elders (Oral Law) breaks God’s Commandments, thus showing the inconsistency of the Traditions of Men with the Commands of God.

Isaiah 29:13 and Doctrines of Men
Mat 15:7-9 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Yeshua quotes Isaiah 29:13 as a proof-text for Traditions which are taught by men being adhered to with the hopes of honouring God, but falling short.

A Misunderstood Parable
Mat 15:10-11 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
All of us have read the above verses and thought “Does that mean, we can eat whatever we like?”. But note what Yeshua told the Multitude… Hear and understand! But what evidence is there to say that the above is a Parable, and what is its meaning, if it is a Parable?

The Disciples have questions
Mat 15:12-15 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
We see that the words of Christ hit a sore spot with the Pharisees, which was communicated to Him by the disciples. Yeshua’s reply to the conflict was quite harsh. But whatever caused the Pharisees to be offended was not understood properly by Peter (and most probably, the other disciples) who asked the meaning of the “Parable”. This proves the point that “It is not what goes into the mouth that makes a person unclean, It is what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean” is a Parable. It is not to be understood on face value. It has a deeper meaning which the Pharisees understood while the disciples didn’t.

The Explanation of the Parable
Mat 15:16-20 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
The Master explains the parable to be comparing the “Command of God” vs the “Traditions of Men”. The Command of God shows us to guard our Heart where all evil thoughts come from (Gen 6:5, 8:21). Sin surely defiles a man, while the traditions of men such as eating with unwashed hands, while having the outward appearance of Holiness does nothing to make a man holy before God, as it is at the end just vain worship commanded by man. Christ speaks nothing about food or the commandments of God about clean/unclean meats given in Leviticus 11, in Matthew chapter 15 or it’s parallel in Mark 7. The Pharisees were offended at this parable as they would have surely understood that Yeshua spoke of them and their hypocrisy.

Conclusion
Matthew 15:15 and Mark 7:17 prove that Christ spoke a parable about the Traditions of Men and the Commands of God which most Christians have taken out of context by reading the surface material while missing the explanation which shows we are to obey the Commands of God to keep ourselves from defilement of Sin while rejecting traditions given by blind human guides.

When you have no argument, name-calling and silencing becomes the only way to deal with those who have opposing views

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“Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name?” asked the High Priest from Peter. As a community of believers that were going against the mainstream, the Messiah had already warned the disciples about being rejected saying “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.” The words of Yeshua ring true today, as it did then – “It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?”.

In an age that “every person does that which is right in their own eyes”, there can be no absolute Truth – only “my personal truth”. Truth in itself cannot be something that changes. If today’s truth changes tomorrow, that means it was not true at all. This is why Paul can say “let God be true, but every man a liar”. God does not change. As Malachi proclaims “The sons of Jacob are not consumed because YHVH does not change”. Just ponder on the thought that God changed His Mind on Israel and chose a new community called Christians – replacement theology – as it is known, calls to question the sovereignty of God and His Omniscience. He first chose Israel, then rejected Israel and chose a new community? (which disagrees with so many of the Prophets and even Paul) What’s next? Maybe He will reject “Christians” today and take a new community tomorrow? This is possible only if He changes. This is why He proclaimed Himself as “I am that I am”.

The Righteous Creator and our Loving Father is “Truth”. As James says “with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning”. But what does the Mainstream believe today? if someone looks at it critically, they will have to conclude that they believe in a God that has changed in some ways. Which is antithetical to what we read in His Word.

So now we are being commanded to proclaim only the version of God that the authorities deem correct. In a world that disseminates most of our information online, the authorities have the power to silence any message that is not agreeable and label it as “Abusive content”. I can guarantee that their is no abusive content, or at least a word of abuse in the comments on this site, but for some reason it has been labeled as such. As a dear Sister, Ruth Meyers informed me, it says “Your message couldn’t be sent because it includes content that other people on Facebook have reported as abusive.”

Paul spoke of times such as this, when he wrote to Timothy saying “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” When you pronounce “The Truth” – which is the complete Word of God – not a jot or tittle less, we end up at the council having to defend ourselves against the authorities that are arbiters of the truth of the day. Our answer today is the same as what it was at Peter’s time “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye”.

I am not sure whether this is the case for everyone, but let them do what they can to report, defame and block God’s Word; We will keep proclaiming it to “all who have ears to hear”.

Obedience and Unleavened Bread

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As we enter the season of Passover and our redemption from slavery to sin (John 8:34) through the blood of the spotless lamb of God (1Pet 1:19), Yeshua – our Savior who died on Passover, we step into the days of Unleavened Bread. 7 days of not eating anything that has Leaven (Yeast) in it, reminds us of purifying ourselves from all things that should not be in our lives as born-again believers. A life which is not puffed up with pride or any other foreign organisms.

Leaven is equated to a lot of things in the Bible

1Co 5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Luk 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Mat 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

While Paul equates Unleavened Bread to Sincerity and Truth, which is the antithesis of a sinful life, we can also see an interesting connection between Commandments of God and Unleavened Bread when we look at the Hebrew Language.

In Hebrew, a Command is called a “Mitzvah” and the Plural form of it, which is “Mitzvot”. Unleavened in Hebrew is “Matzah”, and it’s plural form is “Matzot”. As we see above, both words carry the same consonants, other than the vowels that change the pronunciation of the two words. So what can we glean from this connection in the Hebrew? The Commands lead to an Unleavened Life! This idea actually agrees with what John says in 1John 3:4 “for sin is the transgression of the law.” If sin is transgression of the Law, Keeping the Law would be a life void of sin. Keeping “Mitzvot” would lead to a life that is “Matzot”. As we celebrate Passover and our Salvation from sin and death, we enter into the week of Unleavened Bread, which depicts an unleavened life void of sin and immersed in obedience to God. A life which is “Holy” after receiving the righteousness of God, as we see many times in the New Testament

2Co 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Rom 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
1Th 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

And that is how a sinless life is connected to walking according to the instructions of God, and Unleavened Bread is connected to Obedience! Shalom!

Bible things in Bible ways

LORD or YHVH? Jesus or Yeshua? Sunday or Sabbath? Church or Synagogue? Gentile or Israel? Clean or Unclean? Law or Grace? 2000 years after the Messiah, wherever we live, whether it's Sri Lanka or any other part of the world, all of us require to learn how to do Bible things in Bible ways.