Exodus 30:11-34:35
“Adonai said to Moshe, ‘When you take a census of the people of Isra’el and register them, each upon registration, is to pay a ransom for his life to Adonai, to avoid any breakout of plague among them during the time of census’” (Exodus 30:11-12).
Excerpt:
The Chosen Craftsmen
Adonai chose B’tzal’el from the Tribe of Judah as the lead craftsman. Adonai filled him with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge concerning every kind of artistry. He was a master of design in gold, silver, bronze, cutting precious stones, woodcarving, and every other craft.
Betzal’el has the Hebrew root of tzalem which means ‘image’ and el meaning ‘God.’ In Hebrew Betzal’el means in ‘the image of Elohim.’ Adonai gave him the Ruach haKodesh so that he could divinely build His dwelling place. His name is an allusion to the coming mediator between Adonai and mankind –– Yeshua.
Adonai gave Betzal’el a helper named Oholi’av from the Tribe of Dan. Oholi in Hebrew means ‘tent’ and av means ‘father.’ Oholi’av means ‘tent of the father.’ The ‘tent of the father’ (Tabernacle) is the helper of Isra’el to see the ‘image of Elohim.’ The ‘tent of the father’ alludes to the Word who became flesh and ‘tabernacled’ among us –– Yeshua.
Hebrew Word Pictures
Betzalel or B’tzal’el – צלם – tsade, lamed, mem
– pull toward and urge forward the mighty
Oholiab or Oholi’av – אהליאב – alef, hey, lamed, yod, alef, bet
– first strength revealed, urging forward the finished work of the first house
All the craftsmen who worked with Betzal’el and Oholi’av were given the wisdom needed to make the Altars, the Laver, the Table, the utensils, the incense, the anointing oil, and the garments for the high priests and Levitical priesthood. Specifically, they were anointed to make the Menorah HaTahor or the ‘Pure Menorah.’ Though some translations call the lampstand the ‘golden Menorah,’ the original Hebrew uses ‘pure’ as it was the only object in the Tabernacle that Adonai actually showed Moshe on the mountain. Its purity is unique from the golden articles made for the rest of the Tabernacle.
The Ketubah
A ketubah is a written marriage contract similar to the marriage vows two people make to one another, only the ketubah is legally binding. The husband and wife have individual responsibilities in the marriage covenant that are outlined in the ketubah. One ketubah that I found listed hundreds of responsibilities for the wife while the husband was only required to provide shoes for the children. Though it seems one-sided, putting shoes on a child meant that the father worked hard providing every need for his family –– even to covering his children’s feet!
On the mountain, Adonai presents His marriage ketubah to Isra’el in the form of His commandments. He writes out His part of the ketubah called Torah on tablets of stone. Moshe is commanded to write down the terms for Isra’el, Adonai’s wife (Jeremiah 31:32). When Isra’el responded, “Everything Adonai says we will do,” the ketubah legally went into effect.
Yeshua and Sardis
Revelation 3:1-6
Yeshua reveals himself to Sardis as the one who “has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars.” The seven stars are the seven angels watching over the congregations, and with these words, he proves that he is the one sending the message. The sevenfold Ruach Elohim is “the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and power, the Spirit of knowledge and fearing Adonai – he will be inspired by fearing Adonai” (Isaiah 11:1-2).
Sardis was an important city in the Persian Empire, modern-day Iraq located on the major highway leading from the interior of the Aegean coast to the plains of Mesopotamia. It was known for its strong military presence.
The congregation in Sardis has a reputation of being alive, but is really dead. Yeshua tells them to strengthen what little they still have or it will die too. The Ruach haKodesh is what gives life to a believer and it that’s what they are missing (John 6:63).
Yeshua emphatically tells Sardis, “Wake Up!” The believers in Sardis are sleep-walking and unaware of their complacency. If they don’t wake up, Yeshua will come like a thief and they will miss the moment….
For a complete copy of this Torah portion, the readings from the Prophets, gospels, letters, and study questions, please purchase Open My Eyes: Wonders of Torah.
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