The plans and intentions of God for the people of Israel have been clear from the beginning. From the moment that God first called Abraham to leave his country and his ancestors, God told Abraham that a great nation would come forth from him and that this nation would possess the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:1-7). And according to God’s word, 400 years after the time of Abraham, the nation of Israel came out of Egypt and started to journey toward the Promised Land (Gen. 15:13-14). 

God used His servant Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt and to meet with the LORD at Mount Sinai where we read of God’s heart and plans for His people:

Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” – Ex. 19:3-6 

God spoke tenderly to the children of Israel and invited them to be His unique people on this earth. The relationship between God and Israel was to be sealed by a covenant and the children of Israel were to keep their part of the covenant through obedience to God’s word.

The covenant that God made with the nation of Israel was based on the ordinances and commandments which God gave to the nation through Moses. The vast list of commandments and ordinances found in the Torah are represented by the well-known Ten Commandments which were given at Mount Sinai (Ex. 34:27-28). The LORD God is holy and He demands that His people be holy as well. The laws and commandments which God gave to His people include laws regarding the food which they were to eat, the clothing which they were to wear, how and when to do business, their actions and words toward one another, their worship of God, and many other commandments. The rules and regulations in the Torah touch every area of life. 

Worship Of God At The Tabernacle

In this week’s Torah Portion we read some of the details concerning the function of the Tabernacle and the priests who were to minister in the Tabernacle. The first couple of verses in this week’s reading provide instructions for the lighting of the menorah:

You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually. In the tent of meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout their generations for the sons of Israel. – Ex. 27:20-21

The oil for the menorah lamp, which was located inside the Tabernacle, was to be kept burning continually. The people of Israel were to provide pure olive oil for the lamp while the priests were responsible for keeping it burning. 

The remaining chapters and verses of this week’s Torah Portion focus on the pattern and design of the holy clothing for the priests (Ex. 28), the consecration of the priests (Ex. 29:1-37), instructions for the daily offerings (Ex. 29:38-46), and instructions for the altar of incense (Ex. 30:1-10). Every detail of the Tabernacle structure as well as specific instructions for how the priests were to operate in the Tabernacle were given by God to Moses for the children of Israel.

The meticulous detail in the Torah regarding all of the laws and commandments for the nation of Israel can seem overwhelming. Was it really necessary to give so many specific details regarding the food they ate, the clothes they wore, etc…? What was the purpose of it all? What was the end result of the detailed Law which God gave to the Israelites?

We know that God wanted the Israelites to be a people who were separate from the nations around them and to be a holy people (Ex. 19:3-6). In order for the nation of Israel to meet God’s standard of holiness, He gave them strict laws which they were to observe. We also know from this week’s reading that the LORD had a very clear desired outcome for the Law which He had given them. The LORD made this desired outcome known in the context of the continual burnt offering, the lambs which were continually sacrificed morning and evening (Ex. 29:38-41). 

The Outcome Of Obedience

Immediately after the instructions for the continual burnt offering, the LORD gave a promise to the children of Israel as they fulfilled His commandments:

It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the doorway of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. I will meet there with the sons of Israel, and it shall be consecrated by My glory. I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to minister as priests to Me. I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. They shall know that I am the LORD their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the LORD their God. – Ex. 29:42-46

It was a promise of relationship. God said that He would dwell among the people, meet with the people, and speak to them at the place of the Tabernacle and by means of the continual burnt offering.

When we read God’s word in context, we see that God did not give arbitrary rules and regulations to the Israelites just to occupy their time, but rather, to keep them focused on Him. Ultimately, we see that God’s desire was to dwell in the midst of His people, to speak to His people, and to have relationship with His people. This was only possible as they kept His covenant which was achieved through obedience to His word. Although we are no longer under obligation to keep the covenant given at Mount Sinai (The Old Covenant), God’s desire for his people is still the same: to dwell in our midst, to speak to us, and to have relationship with us. 

The New Covenant

Just as God’s relationship with His people in the days of Moses was based on the continual sacrifice of the Old Covenant, God’s relationship with His people today is based on the perfect sacrifice of Yeshua in the New Covenant:

By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Yeshua the Messiah once for all. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. – Hebrews 10:10-14

Yeshua’s sacrifice was superior to the sacrifices at the Tabernacle and later the Temple because He is the Son of God. He was not just an innocent being who was killed to atone for sin but He is God who became man and took our place. That is why His sacrifice was perfect and complete for all time!

When you Yeshua was sitting with His disciples at the Passover table on the very night that He established the New Covenant, He spoke the following words: “…If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” (John 14:23) The desire of God for His people today is the same as it was in the days of Moses; to dwell in our midst and to have relationship with us. God also wants to continually speak to us through His word and by His Spirit just as He did in the days of the Tabernacle (Ex. 29:42).

Hearing God’s Voice

When an individual comes to faith in Yeshua as the Messiah today, it is often with the understanding of forgiveness of sin by Yeshua’s perfect sacrifice, however, the spiritual relationship with God that is now available to the new believer is not always realized and sometimes never utilized. While Yeshua was on this earth, He taught the following truth: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;” (John 10:27). One of the blessings of being part of the family of God is the privilege of entering into relationship with God and the joy of hearing His voice. How does one hear God’s voice today? 

There are various teachings and views on this subject in the believing communities around the world regarding if and how God speaks to us. Among these various teachings there are some that I totally do not agree with and that I personally believe are not valid. Just to be clear, I believe that the Bible as we have it today (both the Old and New Testaments) is God’s completed written word to us. Anything that anyone receives today by prophetic utterance must be in agreement with God’s word. At the same time, according to the Scriptures, we need to allow for God’s Spirit to work in our midst:

Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. – 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22

While giving the Holy Spirit opportunity to speak to us today, we need to be diligent to test what it being shared and determine whether what is being heard is really from God or not. This is the role of spiritual leaders in our midst today. We can hear God’s voice and receive direction from Him in our lives or it can be something for the general community as well. Generally God speaks to His body of believers to build them up and to bring glory to His Name (1 Corinthians 14).  I will conclude with one simple example of how God speaks to us today from the life of my mother.

Mom’s Testimony

My mother was a godly woman who strived to share the truth of Yeshua with others, however because she found it difficult to stop working and enter into full retirement in her latter years, this generally happened through contacts at her job. After my mother was diagnosed with cancer in January of 2018 she quit her job, moved to be near my sister, and made the most of her latter days. 

In the two years before my mother passed away she became an active member with a believing community who purposely set out once or twice a month to do something called “treasure hunting.” They would meet at a certain location, spend time praying together, and then each one would ask God for certain specifics regarding the people with whom that would encounter that day. For example, someone could say that they believe that God wants them to share with a person who is recently unemployed, who is wearing a blue shirt, and who is in need of the knowledge of salvation in Yeshua. They would then go out in pairs and talk to people to see how God would lead them to certain individuals. 

My mother had joined this group several times to participate in a spiritual “treasure hunt” and one time in particular she shared with me how God answered her prayers and had spoken to her in a very pointed way. The group had met at a certain shopping district and spent time praying and asking God to guide them. My mother prayed and believed that the Lord wanted her to talk with someone who would be sitting in a cafe, who was wearing a red shirt, who would be sucking on a lollipop, and who needed to know about Yeshua’s love and salvation. After praying they went out in pairs and God give my mother the opportunity to share with three women who were sitting together at a cafe and one of them fit the exact description of what my mother had prayed for and heard from the Lord. The three women were very open to dialogue and to hear about the love of God and forgiveness of sin through Yeshua as they engaged in this God-appointed conversation.

Shortly after that spiritual treasure hunt, my mother shared with me exactly how God had directed her and how He had spoken to her in such an amazing way. Although my mother had come to faith several years before this experience and was an active believer, she had never really asked God for anything so specific nor had she seen such a direct answer to her prayers, however, through this step of faith she saw how God still hears and speaks to us today in our daily walk of life.

Expecting To Hear God’s Voice

There is no one way that God speaks to us today. God’s word and His Spirit are the main vehicles but He also speaks to us through everyday circumstances, through other believers, and through specific answers to prayer. Just as God promised the children of Israel 3,500 years ago to dwell in their midst and to speak to them, so it is today. God longs to come and abide in us through His Holy Spirit and to speak to us. Often we just need to take the time to stop, to listen, to trust Him, and to give Him an opportunity to speak. God still speaks!

Shabbat Shalom!

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*All Scripture take from NASB Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

**The Hebrew name “Yeshua” is used in the biblical quotations in place of the English name “Jesus” to give emphasis to the meaning of this name, salvation. The word “Messiah” is also used in place of the word “Christ” to bring clarity to the office of Yeshua. 

Torah Portion: Ex. 27:20 – 30:10

Haftara: Ezekiel 43:10-27

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