The Bible is an incredibly rich resource that combines creation, history, wisdom, miracles, and prophecy that is unparalleled by any other book ever written.  The detail and accuracy which are depicted in its pages continually amaze me and confirm to me over and over again that the Spirit of God guided the hands of men to give us His story, i.e., God’s story, the Bible.  This week’s Torah Portion provides another excellent example of the precision and authority of God’s Word.

Mount Sinai

The journey of the Israelites brought them to the wilderness (or desert) of the Sinai.  We read in the Bible that the Israelites camped in front of the mountain of God (Ex. 19:2) and we are even given the date when they arrived there:

In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. – Ex. 19:1

It was the third month as dated from the Passover and the Exodus from Egypt.  God had told Moses that the month of the Passover was to be the first month for the children of Israel (Ex. 12:1-2).  The children of Israel came out of Egypt on the 15th of the first month, the month of Nisan.  It was now a month and a half later, on the first day of the third month, the month Sivan.

The Significance of “The Day”

In providing the date when the children of Israel arrived at the foot of the mountain in the Sinai, it is emphasized that it happened “on that very day,” which could refer to a couple of different possibilities.  It could refer to the first day of the third month or, more specifically, a particular day which had certain value for something that was about to occur.  Since we know that the LORD was about to give the covenant of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai, we can assume that the emphasis of “the day” related to the timing of the giving of the Law.

Passover and the Feast of Weeks 

Jewish tradition, combined with biblical clues, teaches that the Ten Commandments (The Law) were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai on the 6th of Sivan, the third month and five days after arriving at Mount Sinai.  There is a natural flow of events in Exodus 19 that give credence to this dating.  The significance of the 6th of Sivan is that it is exactly fifty days after the Passover according to the Hebrew calendar.  Fifty days after the Passover is the Jewish rendering of the Feast of Weeks (“Shavuot” in Hebrew or “Pentecost” in Greek). Putting all of these pieces together, it seems obvious that God’s timing was purposeful in giving the Law to His people on “that very day” of the year that He would give His Holy Spirit some 1500 years later (Acts 2:1-4).  God has a way of shaping history according to His plan, down to the very day. I mentioned above that it is “Jewish tradition” that teaches us that the dating of the biblical holiday of the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost) occurs on the 6th of Sivan because this date is never directly stated in the Bible.  The Feast of Weeks is always dependent on how Passover falls on different days of the week from year to year.  The Feast of Weeks is actually calculated from the Sabbath after the Passover.  For a more thorough study on this subject, I recommend an article under our “Jewish Culture & Religion” section entitled: Resurrection Power – Shavuot

The Day the LORD Descended

After the Israelites arrived at the wilderness of Sinai, Moses went up to the mountain and the LORD spoke with him there (Ex. 19:3-6).  Moses went up and down the mountain two or three times during these days in order to relay God’s message to the children of Israel and to give their response to God (Ex. 19:7-9).  Then the LORD gave Moses specific instructions in order to prepare the people for a special event:

The LORD also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments; and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. – Ex. 19:10-11

The LORD Himself was going to descend upon Mt. Sinai and the LORD told Moses that the people needed to prepare themselves for His arrival.  The people needed to consecrate themselves, clean their garments, and be ready because the LORD was coming on the THIRD DAY!

Why did God choose to come to the people on the third day? 

Why not on the 2nd day, the 4th day, or the 8th day? 

There is a reason for everything that God does, including the days which He chooses for certain events to occur.  The third day has a prominent place throughout the Bible.  Let’s examine together several major occurrences of the “third day” in the Bible.

The Third Day

One of the first significant occurrences of the phrase “third day” in the Bible appears in the story of Abraham and Isaac.  God had commanded Abraham to take his beloved son Isaac to the land of Moriah for the purpose of offering up his son as a burnt-offering on one of the mountains which God would communicate to Abraham (Gen. 22:1-2).

Abraham and Isaac

Abraham rose early the next day and took Isaac, a donkey, and two of his young men and started out on the journey.  They arrived to the place that God had indicated on the third day as the Scriptures tell us: “On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance” (Gen. 22:4). God had revealed the place to Abraham only on the third day and it was on this same day that Abraham acted in obedience to God’s command.  The LORD then appeared to Abraham and prevented him from sacrificing his own son.  Abraham then found a ram caught in the thicket and offered up the ram in place of his son Isaac.  The third day was a day of revelation and salvation for Abraham and Isaac.

Joseph and Pharaoh’s Servants

Joseph interpreted the dreams of the cupbearer and the baker of Pharaoh while they were all in prison.  Joseph told them both that their dreams would come to pass three days later and it was so:

Thus it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand; but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. – Gen. 40:20-22

God used dreams to communicate a message through Joseph to Pharaoh’s officials.  The interpretation of the dreams were fulfilled on the third day.

Joseph and His Brothers 

When Joseph’s brothers came to buy grain in Egypt, Joseph put them into prison for three days and then spoke to them on the third day: “Now Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God” (Gen. 42:18).  Joseph released all of his brothers but one on the third day and made them a proposition for proving who they really were.  Joseph received wisdom with how to proceed with his brothers on the third day.

Israel and Benjamin

During the days of the judges, the tribes of Israel gathered against the one tribe of Benjamin to bring judgment upon it because of the sin of the people.  Israel lost in battle against Benjamin the first two days, however, God told them to go out to battle again on the third day:

So Israel set men in ambush around Gibeah. The sons of Israel went up against the sons of Benjamin on the third day and arrayed themselves against Gibeah as at other times… And the LORD struck Benjamin before Israel, so that the sons of Israel destroyed 25,100 men of Benjamin that day, all who draw the sword. – Judges 20:30, 35

The LORD gave Israel a great victory on the third day.

David and Jonathan

When David feared for his life from King Saul, David and Jonathan made an agreement to wait until the third day to see how Saul would react to David’s absence at the table (1 Samuel 20:5).  Saul’s desire to kill David was revealed during this time and Jonathan came to David on the third day to alert David regarding the threat on his life (1 Samuel 20:35).

David and Jerusalem

After David had sinned against the LORD by taking a census of the people, the LORD sent a pestilence amongst the people for three days and 70,000 people were killed.  The angel of the LORD was then ready to destroy Jerusalem, however, the LORD stopped the angel.  The LORD told the prophet Gad to command David to build an altar on the site of the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.  David built an altar and offered sacrifices to the LORD and the LORD answered him with fire from heaven which came upon the altar (1 Chronicles 21). It was on the third day that David sacrificed to the LORD and that the LORD answered him with fire from heaven.  Salvation and deliverance came to David and the people of Jerusalem on the third day.

Isaiah and Hezekiah

Isaiah had been sent to Hezekiah to tell him that he should set his house in order because he was going to die.  Hezekiah prayed to God and asked God to remember how he walked before God doing good.  God then responded with the following message:

Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. – 2 Kings 20:4-5

God had heard the petition of Hezekiah and answered it immediately, however, God told him that he would be healed only on the third day.

Esther and Mordecai

In the book of Esther we read about how Mordecai explained to Esther the evil plan of Haman and how Haman had influenced the king to make a decree for the annihilation of the Jewish people.  Mordecai then petitioned Esther to go before the king and make request for her people. At first Esther refused because she was afraid but then she told Mordecai to go and to proclaim a fast for her with all the Jews of Susa for three days and that she and her maids would do the same.  Esther then spoke these famous words: “And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). Esther knew that her choice to go before the king without being summoned was a matter of life or death.  She asked her relative Mordecai and all of the Jews of Susa to fast and pray for her regarding this situation and they did according to her request.  The story continues with these words:

Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace. – Esther 5:1

It was on the third day that Esther went in before the king, at the risk of her own life, and began to make request for her people through the revelation that she received during the three days of fasting and prayer.  The third day was the turning point for the salvation of the Jewish people in the days of Queen Esther.

Jonah and the Whale

When Jonah disobeyed the command of the LORD, a great storm nearly sank the ship that he was sailing on.  He knew that the storm was a result of his disobedience to God and he asked the men of the ship to throw him overboard.  They acted according to his request, as they saw no other option, and the result was a different sort of journey by sea for Jonah: “And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:17). It was on the third day that Jonah prayed to the LORD and the LORD had the fish spit Jonah out on dry ground (Jonah 2).  The third day was a day of revelation, petition, and salvation for Jonah.

The Significance of the Third Day

In each of the examples detailed above we read of Providential intervention on the third day.  God consistently showed up on the third day, provided revelation on the third day, granted victory on the third day, provided salvation on the third day, granted healing on the third day, and revealed Himself on the third day. Getting back to our original story, the LORD had told Moses to command the Israelites to prepare themselves to meet Him on the third day because on the third day the LORD was going to come down on the mountain.  The LORD wanted to give the people time to wash their clothes, keep themselves pure, and prepare for His coming, however, I believe God was also communicating something more. The third day is a day of revelation, healing, victory, and salvation.  God gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelites by the prophet Moses on the third day, however, there was so much more that God wanted to give them.  I believe God was also communicating to the Israelites the significance of the third day.

The Mystery of the Third Day 

This week’s corresponding section from the prophets is from the book of Isaiah (Is. 6:1 – Is. 7:6. Is. 9:6-7).  The last two verses of the selected verses contain the prophecy of the “Child:”

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;

And the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,

On the throne of David and over his kingdom,

To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness

From then on and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. – Isaiah 9:6-7

When Yeshua came to earth in fulfillment of this prophecy no one could understand how He would fulfill all of these complex roles (Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace) and also rule on the throne of David. Yeshua came as a child, according to the promise, however, when He was crucified on the cross and buried in the grave His disciples thought that it was all finished.  All their hopes and dreams, together with the Messianic prophecies, were buried with Yeshua in the grave.

Yeshua & The Third Day

The disciples should have known the principle of the “third day” from the Old Testament Scriptures from Abraham to Esther, however if that wasn’t clear enough, they should have remembered the words of Yeshua Himself:

• “for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” – Matt. 12:40
• “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.” – Mark 8:31
• “For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.” – Mark 9:31
• “They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.” – Mark 10:34
• “Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’” – John 2:19

Yeshua also taught the principle of the third day to others.  We see this clearly illustrated in a conversation He had with some Pharisees:

Just at that time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, “Go away, leave here, for Herod wants to kill You.” And He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal.’ – Luke 13:31-32

The consistency of the third day as being a time of revelation and fulfillment are emphasized again and again throughout Scripture and particularly in Yeshua’s teachings.   According to Yeshua’s own words and in agreement with the Scriptures, it was on the third day that He was raised from the dead and appeared to His disciples:

So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, “Peace be with you.” And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. – John 20:19-20

The third day was the key that unlocked the doors of disbelief.  The third day brought joy, victory, healing, salvation, and revelation from God to the disciples of Yeshua.  Just as the LORD descended on the third day to meet His people on Mt. Sinai, even so the Lord Yeshua arose on the third day to meet with His people and share with them the victory over the grave!  For a more thorough explanation of the timing of Yeshua’s death on the cross, burial, and resurrection three days later, I recommend the following article: Three Days & Three Nights

The Promise of the Third Day 

As we have seen many times over, the Bible is filled with verses that indicate the spiritual significance of the Third Day.  The consistency of the Third Day as used in Scripture is a reminder to us of the faithfulness of God to fulfill all of His Word in His perfect timing.  The Third Day was the day that our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, rose from the dead, conquered sin and death, and illustrated for us the hope of resurrection and eternal life with the LORD. The prophet Hosea summed up well the significance of the Third Day:

Come, let us return to the LORD.

For He has torn us, but He will heal us;

He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.

He will revive us after two days;

He will raise us up on the third day,

That we may live before Him. – Hosea 6:1-2

The LORD is faithful and His Word is consistent from beginning to end.  Come and let us return to the LORD and believe in all of the promises recorded in His Word.

Shabbat Shalom!

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Torah Portion: Ex. 18:1 – Ex. 20:26

Hafatara: Isaiah 6:1 – Isaiah 7:6. Isaiah 9:6-7

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