Passover and the Limping Messiah…

As we prepare our hearts for the Passover, recall that the Hebrew verb “pasach” (פָּסַח) can mean not only “to pass over,” but also “to limp,” suggesting the heel of Messiah that was “bruised” in the battle for our salvation (Gen. 3:15). As it is written, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (חַיֵּי עוֹלָם). For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:14-17). Humanity as a whole has been “bitten by the snake” and needs to be delivered from its deadly venom. Just as the image made in the likeness of the destroying snake was lifted up for Israel’s healing, so the One made in the likeness of sinful flesh was to be lifted up as the Healer of the world (Rom. 8:3). All we need to do is look up and believe…

Some people might object that the verb pasach (פָּסַח) alludes to the wounded Savior, our great Passover “Lamb who was slain” (John 1:29; 1 Pet. 1:19-20; Rev. 5:12; 13:8); however, it is evident that the Hebrew root can mean “to limp” as a result of a wound. Indeed the Hebrew participle pise’ach (פִּסֵחַ) means “lame” or “crippled” (for example, see Lev. 21:18; Deut. 15:21; 2 Sam. 9:13, etc.). Furthermore, there are several uses of the verb pasach that explicitly mean to “limp” or “be lame.” For example, in 2 Sam. 4:4 it says: “and he (Mephibosheth) fell and ‘became lame” (וַיִּפָּסֵחַ); in 1 Kings 18:21, we read: “how long will you limp (פּסְחִים) between two opinions?” and in 1 Kings 18:26 it is written: “and they (the priests of Baal) ‘limped upon the altar” (וַיְפַסְּחוּ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ) in a pagan ritual dance. In other words there is clearly a connection between Passover and becoming wounded, and this alludes to the Suffering Servant, the Messiah, whose heel was bruised in the battle for our deliverance (Gen. 3:15). Those who wish to argue that pasach cannot refer to the “limping” of the Messiah, the Passover “Lamb of God” who was slain for our sins in the battle against the serpent, therefore have the burden to explain the meaning and usage of the verb pasach in these other verses of the Hebrew Scriptures.

 

Hebrew Lesson:

 

The Way of Truth…

A delusion is essentially a belief that does not correspond to reality which is held without rational warrant and is therefore immune from any possibility of falsification. Webster’s Dictionary defines it as, “a persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the contrary.” An example of a delusion is the theory of macro evolution, or the idea that the universe is an eternally self-existent, closed system of cause and effect. Another example would be the belief that value, meaning, purpose, logical inference, morality, beauty, truth, love, and so on, can exist in a universe apart from God.

On the other hand, there is rational, intuitive, and empirical evidence to believe that the universe was created in time by a transcendental power that is the source of all value, meaning, purpose, and so on. Martin Heidegger asked, “Why is there something rather than nothing,” which is not a question about a possible cause for an observed effect, but is a question about the underlying cause of any possible existence at all. The Scriptures reply: “For God’s invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature from the creation of the world, have been clearly perceived, because they are understood through what has been made, so people are without excuse” (Rom 1:20).

 

Hebrew Lesson:

 

Since sound logic is “truth preserving,” if you begin with false premises, the conclusion will therefore be false as well. Thus those who begin their reasoning from humanistic assumptions are in error, even if they should stumble upon the truth. If the LORD alone is the One true God, then that changes absolutely everything, and nothing is unaffected by this all-pervasive truth. As Abraham Heschel once said, “God is of no importance unless He is of supreme importance,” and this is eminently true because “in Him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Since reality turns on God, reasoning from another set of assumptions is really a form of delusional thinking that ultimately leads to insanity, that is, unsoundness of mind derived from folly or unreasonableness. The fool has said “in his heart” there is no God (Psalm 14:1). “The wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek Him; all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God'” (Psalm 10:3-4). The suppression of the truth necessarily implies an exchange for the lie, and with the lie comes deranged reasoning, slavery, darkness, and fear….

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Teshuvah of Passover…

We must be careful not to worship an idol, that is, a false concept of God! It is possible to study the Bible, to attend a church or synagogue, and yet worship a pagan god. How so? By not knowing the heart of the Father; by not honoring the One who passionately seeks our healing. We know the Father by the Son, that is, in “the language of Son” (ἐν υἱῷ) and in the truth of his passion (Heb. 1:2; Luke 10:21-24). Our heavenly Father is eager to forgive and embrace all of his children (John 3:16-17). In Yeshua’s famous parable of the “prodigal son,” the father saw his wayward child a “long way off” and ran to embrace and kiss him – no questions asked, no explanations needed about his past. When the son nevertheless began reciting his carefully prepared speech of regret and repentance, the father barely listened, and in his overwhelming joy instructed his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found’ (see Luke 15:20-25).

Know the heart of the Father… God sees you while you are still “a long way off” (Rom. 5:8). He runs to you with affection when you first begin to turn your heart toward Him. Indeed, God’s compassion is so great that He willingly embraces the shame of your sins and then adorns you with “a fine robe, a ring, and sandals.” Your Heavenly Father even slaughters the “fattened calf” (Yeshua) so that a meal that celebrates your life may be served.

It is never too late to turn to God… The prophet Jeremiah spoke in the Name of the LORD: “Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am kind (כי־חסיד אני), declares the LORD” (Jer. 3:12). When the people drew back in shame, however, God encouraged them by saying “Come back, O lost children; I will heal your faithlessness. “Behold, we come to you, for you are the LORD our God” (Jer. 3:22).

 

Hebrew Lesson:

 

 

The Reason for Passover…

“This is the thing that the LORD commanded you to do, so that the glory of the LORD may appear to you: Draw near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself” (Lev. 9:6-7). Have you considered why you were born into this world? What is your purpose, destiny, and end? The Torah states that you were personally created by Almighty God, who breathed out the breath of life (נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים) into you, and then redeemed your life so you could know the glory of God and spiritual reality. As it is written: “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your desire they existed and were created” (Rev. 4:11). God creates all things for his glory and purposes, which indeed is the first blessing recited over the bride and groom in a traditional Jewish wedding: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלם שֶׁהַכּל בָּרָא לִכְבוֹדו / “Blessed are you Lord our God king of the universe, who has created all things for his glory.” The purpose of life is to know and love God, to walk in His light and truth, and to glorify his compassion and grace forever…

At a traditional Jewish wedding the groom places the ring on his bride’s finger and says: Harei, at mekudeshet li (הרי את מקודשׁת לי): “Behold, you are sacred to me.” Love and holiness are interconnected, since the beloved is set apart as sacred and treasured. May God help us see the wonder of His love for our lives: “Do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:14-16).

 

Hebrew Lesson:

 

The Passover Vigil….

Although Passover is traditionally recognized as an eight-day holiday, technically speaking it refers to the first night of the sacrifice of the lamb of God and the first day of the Exodus from Egypt (i.e., Nisan 15). The following week the people ate unleavened bread as they journeyed out Egypt and finally crossed the sea on the eighth day. Of particular importance, however, is the Passover night, which the Lord commanded Israel to observe forever as a vigil in memory of their great deliverance from Egypt.

“At the end of 430 years, on that very day (i.e., Nisan 15), all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt” (Exod. 12:41). Immediately after stating this, the Torah refers to Passover as leil shimurim (ליל שמורים), a “night to be guarded” (from the verb shamar, which means “to watch” or “to guard”). “It is a night that is guarded (leil shimurim) to the LORD for bringing them [Israel] out of Egypt; this night remains a night to be guarded (שִׁמֻּרִים) by the people of Israel throughout their generations” (Exod. 12:42). Since “this night” – ha-lailah hazeh (הלילה הזה) – was guarded by God from the beginning to be the time of redemption, Israel must therefore “guard this night” (i.e., keep a vigil) by means of the Passover Seder (Exod. 13:10; Deut. 16:1), recalling and celebrating God’s faithfulness and redemptive love.

Read more “The Passover Vigil….”

Leviticus and the Lamb…

The Book of Leviticus (ספר ויקרא) is the third of the Torah, representing another stage in our spiritual journey. Genesis reveals both our divine origin but also our tragic fallenness, and the book ends with our need for deliverance from bondage to Egypt. Exodus reveals that we are liberated from slavery by trusting in the provision of God demonstrated by the sacrifice of the Passover lamb, and the book ends with the climax of the revelation of Torah given at Sinai, namely, the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) where the the need for blood atonement was enshrined. Indeed blood atonement is the central theme of the central book of Torah, i.e., Leviticus, where we are called to draw near to God through sacrificial rites, the foremost of which was the ongoing offering (i.e., korban tamid: קרבן תמיד) of a defect-free male lamb, together with unleavened bread and wine. The LORD called this “My offering, My bread” (Num. 28:1-8). In other words, the center of the Torah is the altar that constantly prefigured the Lamb of God who would be offered up to secure our eternal redemption (John 1:29; Heb. 9:11-12).

Though God instructed each household to select its own defect-free lamb for the family Passover, the Torah refers to “the” Lamb of God, as if there was only one: “You shall keep it [i.e., the Passover lamb] until the fourteenth day of this month, and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slaughter him (אתוֹ) at twilight (Exod. 12:6). Indeed there is only one great Lamb of God “slain from the foundation of the world,” namely, the One given in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:21), sacrificed in place of Isaac during the Akedah, selected for the Passover from Egypt (and later commemorated as korban tamid (the daily offering) at the Temple (Num. 28:1-8)), later incarnated as our Savior, the great Lamb of God who offered Himself upon the cross for our sins (John 1:29), and who ascended to eternal victory to be seated upon the very Throne of God’s Glory (Rev. 5:12-13; Rev. 22:1). Amen, the Torah centers on the Great Passover Lamb of God….

 

 

The Bread of God…

Our Master said: “For the bread of God (לֶחֶם אֱלהִים) is the One who comes down from heaven to give life to the world” (John 6:33). This is the Bread of Presence, literally, the “Bread of [his] Face” (לֶחֶם פָּנִים) that was prefigured in the manna that fell in the desert and in the rituals of the Tabernacle (Exod. 25:30). It was in the Holy Place, in the light of the Menorah, that the “bread of his face” was to be eaten… At his last Passover Seder with his students, Yeshua said “this is my body” (τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου), and made analogy between physical and the spiritual. We metaphorically “eat his flesh and drink his blood,” by seeing Him as our altar, our bridge before the Father. Just as the heart is the means by which blood is distributed to the body, so with the love of God expressed in our Lord Yeshua. He is the Divine Center of all of life: the true Tabernacle, the Word made flesh. He is the true Bread of Life (לחֶם הַחַיִּים), and we receive spiritual strength when we abide in his Torah (תּוֹרָה) and his life (John 15:5).

 

Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 18:28 Hebrew reading:

 

Mystery of Knowing God…

I had mentioned the other day that the letter Aleph (א) at the end of the word vayikra (“and he called”) is written smaller than the other letters in the word, which the sages say represents the humility of God – both in his condescension to be known by human beings, but also in his willingness to be “sacrificed” by making room for us within the creation. Just as the Cloud of Glory so overwhelmed the Mishkan (Tabernacle) so that Moses himself was unable to enter (Exod. 40:35), so all of reality is filled with God’s glory, and thankfully God has made a place for you by means of his sacrifice… This idea is sometimes called “tzitzum” in Jewish theology, which means God had to contract or “empty” himself in order to make space for the created universe.

 

 

There is a fundamental ambivalence regarding how we may relate to God. On the one hand, drawing close to God is a dangerous prospect. When Moses first encountered the LORD at the burning bush, for example, he was afraid to look upon God and was told not to draw near because the place was holy (Exod. 3:5).  Moses was afraid because God was transcendent, holy, unapproachable, incomprehensibly powerful and unutterably glorious. This unease or dread is called yirat Adonai (יראת ה), or the “fear of the LORD.” On the other hand, drawing close to God is the heart’s greatest desire (and need), and blessedness is found as we learn to trust in Him and know Him in all our ways. This is called devakut (דבקות), or “cleaving” to the LORD in communion and surrender to his grace (Deut. 10:20). The existential ambivalence arises because the Scriptures teach that we should both fear and love the Lord — contradictory and antithetical passions within the soul (Deut. 10:12; Psalm 2:11; Heb. 10:31).

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Centrality of the Lamb…

The goal of the great Sinai revelation was not to simply impart a set of moral or social laws, but rather to “accommodate” the Divine Presence in the midst of the people. This is not to suggest that the various laws and decrees given to Israel were unimportant, of course, since they reflect the holy character and moral will of God. Nonetheless, the climax of the revelation of the Torah – its goal or purpose or “end” – was the revelation of the altar which prefigured the sacrificial work of the Lamb of God. Indeed, the central sacrifice upon this altar was the daily sacrifice (i.e., korban tamid: קָרְבַּן תָּמִיד) of a defect-free male lamb with unleavened bread and wine. The LORD calls this “My offering, My bread…” (see Num. 28:1-8). In other words, the service and ministry of the Mishkan (i.e., Tabernacle) constantly foreshadowed the coming Lamb of God who would be offered upon the altar “made without hands” to secure our eternal redemption (Heb. 9:11-12). The sacrifice of the lamb is therefore central to the meaning and purpose of the Torah.

The Talmud says “All the world was created for the Messiah” (Sanhedrin 98b). The Apostle Paul had earlier said the same thing: “All things were created by Him (i.e., Yeshua), and for Him” and in Him all things consist (συνεστηκεν, lit. “stick together”) (Col. 1:16-17). Indeed, all of creation is being constantly upheld by the word of the Messiah’s power (Heb. 1:3). Creation begins and ends with the redemptive love of God as manifested in the Person of Yeshua our LORD… The Messiah is the Center of Creation – its beginning and end. As it is written: אָנכִי אָלֶף וְתָו רִאשׁוֹן וְאַחֲרוֹן ראשׁ וָסוֹף / “I am the ‘Aleph’ and the ‘Tav,’ the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Rev. 22:13). “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36). In everything Yeshua has the preeminence (Col. 1:18), and his “work” is of first importance (1 Cor. 2:2, 1 Cor. 15:3-4). Yeshua our Messiah is called מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים / Melech Malchei Hamelachim: The “King of kings of kings.” He is LORD of all possible worlds — from the highest celestial glory to the dust of death upon a cross. Yehi shem Adonai mevorakh: “Let the Name of the LORD be blessed” forever and ever (Psalm 113:2). So while we can agree with the Talmud’s general statement that the world was created for the Messiah, we would insist that the Messiah is none other than Yeshua, God’s Son, and indeed, the Messiah could be no other…

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“Small Aleph” Revelation…

The first verse of the Book of Leviticus is usually translated: “And the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him,” where the subject of the verb vayikra (וַיִּקְרָא), “and he called,” has an implied antecedent, which if expressed would read: “And the LORD called to Moses and the LORD spoke to him…”

 

The Hebrew text of the Torah scroll is written with a small Aleph (א) at the end of the verb vayikra, however, indicating something of textual and grammatical interest. Note that the Hebrew letter Aleph is constructed from two Yods (each that represent a yad, or “hand”) joined by a diagonal Vav (that represents a man). One Yod (י) reaches upward while the other reaches downward, and both extend from the “fallen” Vav (ו), picturing Yeshua, the humble One who was “wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities” as our Mediator between heaven and earth (Isa. 53:5; 1 Tim. 2:5). The implied subject, then, of vayikra can be seen to be the “small Aleph,” the Humble One who calls out from the Tent of Meeting…

 

Aleph is the first letter of the first word of the first commandment of God: anokhi (אָנכִי): “I AM” (Exod. 20:2), which also designates the Name ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה) first revealed to Moses (Exod. 3:14). The numerical value of Aleph is one, indicating its preeminence, and it is a silent letter, alluding to the ineffable mystery of God’s sovereign will (the related word aluph (אַלּוּף) means “Master” or “Champion”).  In the Hebrew script used for writing Torah scrolls (ketav Ashurit), Aleph is constructed from two Yods (that represent “hands”) joined by a diagonal Vav (that represents man).  One Yod (י) reaches upward while the other reaches downward, and both extend from the “fallen” Vav (ו), picturing a “wounded Man” or Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5). In the Hebrew numbering system (i.e., gematria), Yod = 10 and Vav = 6, so adding up the three parts of Aleph yields 26, the same value as the Name of the LORD: YHVH (יהוה). The very first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, then, pictures the three-in-one LORD who mediates all of life for our salvation.  And just as there are three parts to Aleph, but Aleph is One (echad: אֶחָד), so there are three Persons to the Godhead, yet God is absolutely One.  Indeed, the gematria of the word Aleph (אָלֶף) is 111 (Aleph=1, Lamed=30, and Pey=80).  As Yeshua said, every “jot and tittle” of Scripture is significant…

“And he called” is written anonymously, but once you understand that this is the Word of the LORD speaking, you will turn back to the Creator and then YHVH will speak to you from within the Tent of Meeting…