The Shadow of the Law – Ki Tisa – March 7

A beautiful aspect to the Hebrew language is the meaning of each and every name. In this week’s Torah Portion we are introduced to “Bezalel” (Ex. 31:2). Bezalel is the chosen man of God to lead the project for building the Tabernacle and all of the furnishings therein. Everything to do with the Tabernacle was to be made under the guidance and instruction of Bezalel together with his companion, Oholiab (Ex. 31:1-11).

The “Shadow” of a Name

The name “Bezalel” literally means “in the shadow of God.” What a powerful name! Can you imagine naming your child “In the shadow of God” in our day and age? As we read this in English it is so much more than a name (more than a single word) but rather a statement of standing, a phrase with significant meaning. He was called Bezalel – in the shadow of God!

The significance of his name totally complements what he would accomplish at the height of his career. Bezalel was called and chosen by God to make the Tent of Meeting (the Tabernacle) with all of its furnishings. God chose him, filled him with His Spirit, and gave him wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to complete the task that God had given him (Ex. 31:2-3). The Tabernacle, with all of the sacrificial worship, was not an end to itself by rather a shadow of the things to come. We read in the letter to the Hebrews:

“For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.” – Hebrews 10:1

The man Bezalel (“in the shadow of God”) would build the Tent of Meeting of God on earth which was a shadow of the provision of God in the future through His Son, the perfect sacrifice of God to cleanse man once and for all from sin and provide a place of continual meeting with God (Hebrews 10:19-22). It is also interesting to note that Oholiab’s name means “tent of his father” or “my tent the father.” God had called and appointed Bezalel and Oholiab to build the tent of God the Father which would be a shadow of a greater and perfect redemption through the Messiah, the Son of God.

In order to fully understand one’s faith in Yeshua as the Messiah, it is necessary to understand the details of the Bible from the beginning. In order to really the grasp the power of the New Testament it behooves us to be good students of the Old Testament. As we continue to go through this week’s Torah Portion we will see a great deal of fulfillment in the New Testament from the shadow of the Old Testament.

The Shadow of the Sabbath

Immediately after the appointing of Bezalel, God commanded once again that the children of Israel keep His sabbaths. God stated that the sabbath “is sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you” (Ex. 31:13). The Sabbath is a weekly sign between God and man. It is a continual reminder that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. God also stated in this verse that by observing a weekly day of rest His people would know that it is He, the LORD, who sanctifies them. We take a weekly day of rest to remember and know that it is God who gives us strength and makes us holy. We are ever dependent on God. Weekly rest is a sign of obedience and trust.

Many Christians today struggle to understand this principle and teaching of the Sabbath. Colossians chapter two teaches us that the Sabbath is a shadow of the things to come (Col. 2:16-17 ). However, does this mean that we as humans no longer need a weekly day of rest? Is the Sabbath still for today?

A few years ago, when I was still in the process of writing my book on the Sabbath, Practicing the Sabbath with Community, I was having lunch with a family in my home state of New Jersey (USA). This meeting took place on a Sunday. I was visiting the States, having moved to Israel a couple of years prior.

During our discussion over lunch the father of the family asked me how I’m spending my time in Israel. I explained to him that I’m living on a kibbutz, learning Hebrew, and writing a book on the subject of the Sabbath in my spare time. When I mentioned the Sabbath the man’s face changed from a friendly manner to quite defensive. He quickly responded that he doesn’t believe in the Sabbath. He then continued and said to me; “I have worked all week, I worked yesterday (Saturday), and after lunch I’m planning to work the rest of the day. What do you think of that?” I responded to him and said, “Great, you’re free to work if you want. The Sabbath is a weekly gift from God for us to set work aside, enjoy a full day with family and friends, and to enter into focused worship time with God. So you can either accept this weekly gift or reject it and work seven days a week. The choice is totally yours!”

The man quickly realized that in his freedom to choose to work seven days a week he was really rejecting God’s gift to him and his family for a weekly day of rest. What he thought was freedom from the “Law of the Sabbath” made him a slave to work. How do we reconcile the “shadow of the Sabbath?”

The point of Colossians chapter two, as mentioned above, and the rest of the New Testament which speak of the Law being fulfilled in the Messiah, is not to throw out the Law but to realize the intent of the Law. The Law was only intended to lead us into relationship with God by recognizing the need for a perfect sacrifice and depending on God daily. The Sabbath, along with the other Ten Commandments, is a principle of life that brings life as we imitate our Creator (Ex. 31:17).

We don’t worship the day of the Sabbath but rather we worship the LORD and rest in His ability to restore us and make us holy (Ex. 31:13). The teaching in Colossians chapter two was not intended to keep believers in the Messiah from resting one day a week but rather to bring them back to the central object of all that we do through faith in the Messiah (Col. 2:17). The substance of our faith is not in “keeping the law” but relationship with the living God (Romans 14:5-8).

The Sabbath is a shadow and the true intent is communion with God!

What does weekly Sabbath rest look like in your life? Is there a day that is different from the other days of the week or is everyday just like the other? I am not a Seventh Day Adventist. I don’t believe that everyone around the world needs to rest only on the seventh day, on Saturday. However, a weekly sabbath day of rest is part of creation and we are made to stop one day a week and rest as God did. Is this a reality in your life?

The Shadow of the Messiah

After the great sin of the people of Israel with the golden calf, Moses pleaded to God for the people and was ready to give his own life for the whole community (Ex. 32:30-35). We see the heart of God in Moses’ willingness to give up his own life for the sake of the children of Israel. Moses was a type of Messiah for the people. We know that Moses prophesied that a prophet like him would one day arise (Deut. 18:18). This prophet is Yeshua the Messiah (Acts 3:19-24). Moses was willing to be a sacrifice or atonement for the sake of the people.

Yeshua taught that the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep and that He was willing to lay down His life for the sheep (John 10:11-18). Moses was a shadow of the Messiah, the prophet, who would one day come and literally lay down His life for not only the sake of the Jews but for the sins of the whole world (John 3:16).

The Shadow of Worship

We also read in this week’s Torah Portion that Moses would pitch a tent outside of the camp and go to this tent to meet with God. This seems to be a separate tent from the Tabernacle. Whoever wanted to seek the LORD would go out to this tent of meeting. Even after Moses would depart from the tent and return to the camp Joshua would not leave the tent of meeting (Ex. 33:7-11). We see in the life of Joshua a zeal and desire to be in God’s presence. Joshua’s life is a shadow of what God intends for all of creation, to worship Him.

We see a similar example of this passion for God in the New Testament in the life of Anna who spent most of her life at the Temple in fasting and prayer (Luke 2:36-38). She was a woman given to God in complete worship. This is the heart of God, that people everywhere would live their lives for Him and worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).

The Shadow of God’s Presence

Moses sought God’s presence to go with him as he was uncertain about the future. God promised that His face (presence) would go with Moses and that He would give him rest (Ex. 33:12-16). Moses yearned for the nearness and presence of God.

Before Yeshua was about to be taken away from His disciples, Yeshua told them what would happen to Him and they became afraid (John 13:31-35). Yeshua comforted His disciples and told them not to be troubled by His leaving (John 14:1). Yeshua then promised that He would never abandon His Disciples but that He would send the Holy Spirit to them (John 14:16-26). Yeshua also promised to give His peace to His disciples (John 14:27). The presence of God through His Holy Spirit is a continual comfort and source of peace to all who believe in Yeshua today.

The Shadow of the Covenant & Miracles

God said that He was going to make a covenant which would be accompanied by great miracles on the earth (Ex. 34:10).

Yeshua performed many great miracles while on earth (John 14:10-12) and when He sealed the New Covenant with His blood and death on the cross, great miracles were witnessed on earth (Matt. 27:51-54). When Yeshua died the veil of the Temple was split in two from top to bottom. Tombs of the dead were opened and many saints were raised to life accompanied by a great earthquake. Both the Old and New Covenants were accompanied by tremendous miracles on earth.

The Shadow of the Sacrifice

In conjunction to the Old Covenant are the sacrifices, especially the sacrifice of Passover. We also read in this week’s Torah Portion, “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread, nor is the sacrifice of the Feast of Passover to be left over until morning” (Ex. 34:25).

Yeshua offered Himself with unleavened bread during the celebration of Passover (Matt. 26:26). He Himself was the Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). Yeshua was also buried on the evening that He was killed so that His body was not left hanging on the cross until morning (Matt. 27:57-60). Yeshua fulfilled the Law in every way (Matt. 5:17).

The Shadow of the Temple

We saw earlier how God had instructed Bezalel to make the Tabernacle and all of its furnishings. The majority of the furnishing of the Tabernacle were to be made of pure gold (Ex. 31:7-8), God also instructed Bezalel to make the anointing oil and the incense for the Tabernacle (Ex. 31:11). The anointing oil was to be made of a blend of spices including myrrh (Ex. 30:22-33). The incense was also to be a blend of spices made with pure frankincense (Ex. 30:34-38). Was there a reason that God was so specific about the elements and spices to be used in the construction and sanctifying of the Tabernacle?

In the New Testament we read of the birth of the Messiah. At some point after the Messiah’s birth we read of Magi, wisemen from the east, who followed the star, found the child who was to be born, and worshipped Him. When they came they brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matt. 2:1-11). We see the shadow of the Tabernacle literally fulfilled in the life of Yeshua through the gifts that were brought to Him. It was as if God were saying through the gifts of the Magi, “The essence of the Tabernacle (Temple) will now be fulfilled in My Son!”

The Bible is an amazing book that contains many details. The details are there for a reason. They are there for us to gain a fuller understanding of the heart of God and His love for us. They are their to guide us to the truth and to help us see that the details in Yeshua’s life didn’t just occur by chance but were in keeping with God’s bigger plan. Yeshua literally fulfilled the Law with His life and took the “shadow of the Law” and made it a reality.

Shabbat Shalom!

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Torah Portion: Ex. 30:11 – Ex. 34:35

Hafatara: 1 Kings 18:1-39

Maftir Reading for “Para:” Numbers 19:1-22

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