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TORAH PORTIONS
WITH Jason
Parashat Terumah JOURNEY THROUGH EXODUS
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This Week’s Torah Portion EXODUS 25:1-27:19
Terumah / ומ ה רתIn this week’s guide…
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OVERVIEW This week’s Torah portion, called Terumah, enumerates
in great detail, almost agonizingly so, all the aspects of the
building of the Tabernacle (Mishkan in Hebrew). But why so much
attention to detail? And what is even more strange about this fact
is that the Tabernacle was only a temporary house for God.
The book of Exodus is the story of the birth of Israel as a
nation. Why then interrupt the flow of this story to describe the
building of the Tabernacle? We can find a clue when we consider how
Israel responded to Moses and miraculous works of God. What did
they primarily due? Grumble and murmur.
The Lord responded to their drama with an unexpected command:
let them work together as one to build a house for me. During the
building of the Mishkan, we don’t read about any complaining! God’s
command to build the Tabernacle changed them. This experience
teaches us that transformation begins with the redeeming work that
God does in our lives, but lasting change is the result of what we
do for Him. Maturity and growth occur in our lives as we are graced
to partner with Yeshua in building the Kingdom on both a communal
and personal level. God was calling Israel to grow up. He did not
want to just live in a state of dependency -- this would not be
healthy. They needed to rise up and take responsibility by way of
obedient action through building the Tabernacle. The obedient act
of building begins to move us away from being self-centered,
critical, spoiled children who throw temper tantrums when we don’t
get our way. When Israel had nothing to do, they complained; but
when they built the Tabernacle for God, they were changed! We all
need to be with God and build for Him to experience the fullness of
His transforming work in our lives.
COMMENTARY #1 considers what is actually happening when, like
the children of Israel, we give our offerings to God. Many times
our perspective is too small – focused on a particular ministry or
even what blessings we may see in return. Rabbi Jason reveals a
fresh perspective on giving and generosity that will enrich your
life.
COMMENTARY #2 examines one of the most iconic aspects of the Ark
of the Covenant: the two golden cherubim whose wings cover the
Mercy Seat. Why are they there? The glories they cover up will
surely bless and encourage you in your faith.
In the NEW TESTAMENT TIE-IN you will discover an example of the
rich symbolism that is to be found in the Tabernacle and its
furnishings. It’s ironic that what often appear to be tedious
details, actually unlock the most profound insights. Yeshua-Jesus
and His Church are waiting for you in the Tabernacle…
BY THE NUMBERS unleashes a staggering network of truth that all
comes back to the numerical value of the Hebrew word for
“Tabernacle.” We pray that your heart will burn within you as you
see God’s determination to rescue you from sin and take up
permanent residence in your life!
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FUSION GLOBAL WITH RABBI JASON Weekly Torah Portion – Parashat
Terumah
Exodus 25:1-27:19 COMMENTARY #1 by Rabbi Jason Sobel
“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of
Israel, that they bring me an offering (teruma). From everyone who
gives it willingly with his heart you shall take my offering.’” -
Exodus 25:1-2
Midrash Tanchuma answers this question as follows: “Speak to the
children of Israel, and you will have them take a teruma offering
for me.” Anytime the blessed Holy One uses the expression li [“to
me”], it is in effect both in this world and the world to come.” In
what way? “The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is
mine belongs to me [li] (Leviticus 25:2),” in this world and in the
World to Come. “For every firstborn belongs to me [li] (Numbers
3:13),” in this world and in the World to Come. “The Levites shall
belong to me [li] (Numbers 8:14),” in this world and in the World
to Come. And it is written of Israel, “And you shall be to me [li]
a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus19:6),” in this world
and in the World to Come. “You will have them take a teruma
offering for me [li] (Exodus 25:1),” in this world and in the world
to come.
From this midrash, we learn two things. First, the teruma
offering is not something that is limited to this world. Even in
the days of Messiah, God will still ask his people to give freely
with a generous heart in recognition and appreciation of this
kindness toward us.
Second, God will bless those who honor Him by giving to His
purposes, not only in this world but also in the next. In reality,
all we have is from God, and ultimately, everything belongs to God.
It is very foolish not to use our God-given wealth to support God’s
work and help those in need because the only lasting investment is
the one we make in God’s Kingdom.
Hillel assembled his students in a large lecture hall and asked
them, “If an individual has a thousand dinars and gives three
hundred for tzedaqa (charity), how much money will that person have
left?” His students confident of their answer shouted in unison,
“Seven hundred dinars.” Hillel slowly shook his head. “No, you are
all wrong. For if a person has three hundred dinars engraved in
God’s annals, the reminder of the seven hundred is not left to the
individual. Such a person cannot take that money to the grave,
robbers may take it from him, fire may consume it and all that it
can purchase. Therefore, a person cannot count the money left in
one’s pocket to be permanent. It is only the money distributed
toward tzedaqa – to feed the poor, or to clothe the poor, or to
provide drinks to the thirsty – only this money has lasting eternal
value. The correct answer to my question then is that there will be
no money left. The only money that a person really has is the money
he or she gives away on behalf of God to help others.”
The word “me” (li in Hebrew) seems to be unnecessary. Would it
not have been sufficientto simply say, “Take an offering?” What
does this teach us?
(The concept of being a cheerful, generous giver has been a
command for hundreds of years)
1- Avot de-Rabbi Natan
Hillel’s statement is very astute. Consider how similar it is to
the teaching of Messiah Yeshua in the Besorot: “Yeshua said to him,
‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the
poor and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me’”
(Matthew 19:21). The wise person freely and generously sets aside a
portion of his or her wealth for God’s work, as Israel did in this
week’s Torah portion, so that they might be blessed in this world
and in the world in the World to Come.
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One was on Mount Sinai, where angels delivered the Torah (Acts
7:53), and the tablets werea clear testimony of that. But the
second revelation was more concealed (more sheltered so to speak).
This second instance was when the Messiah came into this world in
the form of a baby. The choir of angels announced his birth, and He
was visible only to the elect. Yeshua-Jesus was the Torah
incarnate, the bread from heaven, the High Priest in the order of
Melchizedek – realities to which the contents of the Ark pointed.
He was protected from Herod’s evil decree just as Moses was from
Pharaoh’s. And just like people were inspired to bring gifts to
construct the Tabernacle, so were the magi from the East inspired
to brings gifts to the newborn King.
COMMENTARY #2 by Dima Birman
(A visual of what the Arc of Covenant looked like)
One is, of course, Noah’s Ark. However, the Hebrew name for the
Noah’s Ark (teva) is different from that used for the Ark of the
Covenant (aron). Both objects share similarities in that they are
wooden from the inside but overlaid, one with pitch and the other
with gold. And both protect something: Noah’s Ark protects the
survivors. There is another instance, however, when an “ark”
appeared – the case of the baby Moses. He was placed in a teva
overlaid with pitch and was committed to the waters of the river.
Moses’ ark covered with pitch also protected his life, most
(People were compelled to bring gifts to the birth of Jesus)
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The Cherubim on the cover of the Ark of the Covenant covered its
cover under their wings. Why does one cover something in such a
manner? To protect... like a mother bird covers her young under her
wings. But why protect the cover of the Ark? From who? Based on the
incident when the Philistines captured the Ark and suffered some
plagues (or based on the Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost
Ark, whichever you prefer), it seems like the Ark could protect
itself quite well. Nevertheless, we find the image of finding
refuge under the shelter of God’s wings in multiple places in
Scripture.
immediately from the waters of the Nile but, more importantly,
from the Pharaoh’s evil decree. So, what is there to protect in the
Ark of the Covenant? The gathered symbols that comprise testimony
of God’s revelation? Perhaps, but the protection of the golden
angels is also symbolic, they are not real, they are golden. It is
a symbol and a shadow of the ultimate reality, just like the
Tabernacle on earth is a shadow of the Tabernacle in heaven. There
were two revelations.
It is not surprising at all that the Ark’s contents point us to
the revelation of the Messiah since all Scripture testifies about
the Messiah. The cherubim of the Mercy Seat form a symbolic
protective covering over his crib, but does such imagery point
beyond His infancy into adulthood? The Hebrew word for aron comes
from the root-word arah, which means “to gather” – since the Ark
was essentially a memory chest into which some things were
gathered. It says in Song 5:1 (elaborations are mine and inspired
by the sages):
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NEW TESTAMENT TIE-IN What if a seemingly tedious itemized list
of ancient religious artifacts was a gateway into a deeper and
richer appreciation for our Savior? This week’s Torah portion kicks
off with talk of “gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple and
scarlet cloth; fine linen and goat hair; ram skins dyed red,
sealskins, acacia wood” (Exodus 25:3-5). Much like last week’s
reading, it appears as though we’ve left that epic plot which led
us to the daunting smoke of Mount Sinai and jumped into a rather
eclectic “To Do” list.
One of Israel’s assignments was to “make a menorah (lampstand)
of pure gold” (Exodus 25:31). The details of this golden lampstand
are bizarre – lots of almond buds and blossoms – but they’re also
beautiful types and shadows pointing to the life and work of
Yeshua-Jesus. We see the most apparent connection between Yeshua
and this lampstand in His declaration: “I am the light of the
world. The one who follows Me will no longer walk in darkness, but
will have the light of life” (John 8:12). And like the pure gold
required for the lampstand, the Lord “was like a pure and perfect
lamb” (1 Peter 1:19/NCV, emphasis added).
This golden lampstand was not cast in a mold but was “a single
hammered work of pure gold” (Exodus 25:36). This detail (hammered)
specifically points to the suffering our Lord endured at the hands
of Pilate’s cohort in the Praetorium when they “spat on Him, and
they took the staff and beat Him over and over on the head”
(Matthew 27:30, emphasis added). Of course, these things are tied
together by the prophecy which declared,
“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our pains. Yet we
esteemed Him stricken, struck by God, and afflicted.” - Isaiah
53:4
As much as our instincts may lead us to avoid suffering, it is
an inescapable part of life in this Age. This fear is why
Yeshua-Jesus entered into suffering, taking all of it up into
Himself and transforming it. The physical agony He experienced on
Good Friday was preceded by psychological anguish in Gethsemane the
night before.
(Myrrh resin has been used throughout history as a perfume,
incense, and medicine. Myrrh is also listed as an ingredient in the
holy anointing oil used to anoint the tabernacle, high priests and
kings)
I came to my garden (of Eden guarded by the cherubim angels), my
sister, my bride (the ecclesia of Jews and Gentiles), I gathered
(ariti) my myrrh with my spice (the gifts to the newborn king), I
ate my honeycomb with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk. Eat
(the priests from the offerings of the altar), friends (I don’t
call you servants, like the angels, I call you friends) drink (the
wine of libations), and be drunk (with the Holy Spirit) with love
(for God and for one another)!
The angels guarded the return to Eden, to eternal life. If we
are not ready, if our lives are not poured out as a drink offering,
we will not enter the Kingdom. They cherubim guard the way until it
is time. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir
up or awaken love until it pleases (Song 8:4).
(A closer look at the details built in the golden menorah)
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Gethsemane (Γεθσημανί) means “the olive press.” Note that the
oil used in the lampstand was “pure olive oil beaten for the light,
to cause a lamp to burn continually” (Exodus 27:20, emphasis
added). Both the outer form and the inner contents of the golden
lampstand were pure and beaten, like Yeshua. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
described our Lord as “the one who [went] to the cross, whose whole
life is described in the Apostles’ Creed with the one word
‘suffered.’”1 This golden lampstand points us to the Light of the
world, the pure Lamb of God, beaten for us. By His stripes, we are
healed.
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BY THE NUMBERS
“Have them make a Sanctuary (ִמ ְק ָּד ש) for Me, so that I may
dwell among them.”- Exodus 25:8/TLV
In this week’s Torah portion, God tells Moses that the children
of Israel are to build a Tabernacle, the Mikdash (ִמ ְק ָּד ׁש in
Hebrew) for Him to dwell. Mikdash (Tabernacle) has a numerical
value of 444. This detail relates to the covenant the Lord made
with Israel in last week’s Torah portion. In Exodus 24:16, it says,
“The glory of Adonai settled upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud
covered it for six days. Then on the seventh day He called to Moses
out of the midst of the cloud.” The numerical value of the Hebrew
phrase,
“The glory of Adonai settled/dwelt” (֙ .vaiyishkon kevovd YHVH)
adds up to 444 / וַּיְִׁש ּ֤כ ןֹ ְּכבֹוד־ יְהוָה
But what is the connection between Sinai and the Tabernacle? The
Lord intended the Mikdash (Tabernacle) to be a portable version of
Mount Sinai. God’s glorious Presence was not a one-time experience.
At Sinai, Israel experienced a fantastic visitation, but the Lord
wanted more. He wanted habitation and not just a visitation! God
not only wanted to encounter His people, but He wanted to dwell
among them as He did in the Garden of Eden. The Tabernacle was both
a portable Mount Sinai as well as a partial return to Eden, that
place where God walked in their midst.
The building of the Tabernacle and the Lord’s habitation of it
prophetically pointed to the Incarnation. The Incarnation of
Yeshua-Jesus was the embodiment of God in flesh and blood. I find
it astounding that the NT Greek phrase “flesh and blood” (σὰρξ καὶ
αἷμα / sarx kai aima) in 1 Corinthians 15:50 has the numerical
value of 444. In Hebrew Mashiach Elohim ( ַָּמ ִׁש יח ִהים;ֱא /
“Messiah of God”) also equals 444. The glory that dwelled in the
Mikdash (Tabernacle) pointed to the glory that would dwell
permanently in the person of Yeshua-Jesus.
1 Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Discipleship. Edited by Geffrey B. Kelly
and Martin Kuske. Vol. 4 (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress
Press, 2001), 60.
(Pure olive oil, known in Hebrew as sheman zayit zach,* is the
first drop of oil when the olive is first squeezed or pressed)
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One last, brief thought: this lampstand has six branches. You
might recall that “6” is the number of man (created on the sixth
day). Not only is Yeshua the “Son of Man,” but He is the vine, and
we are the branches (John 15:5). We’re connected to the Light of
the world because “in Messiah God was reconciling the world to
Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). We’re also connected to one another:
“if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another…” (1 John 1:7). This connection is why
the Lord says to us, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew
5:14).
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What was the heart of worship in the Tabernacle? It was the
offering of sacrifices. Leviticus 17 tells us the priests were to
shed the blood of all animals offered at the entrance of the
Tabernacle and that without the shedding of blood, there is no
remission of sin. The Hebrew phrase “shed blood” ( @ָ֔פָׁש םָּ֣ד /
dam shafach) adds up to...444!
The sacrifices offered in the Mikdash (Tabernacle) pointed to
the need for the ultimate sacrifice for sin that would come through
Messiah Yeshua. We can clearly observe this fact in the full
spelling of the Hebrew phrase “upon the tree,” which equals 444
(Deuteronomy 21:23). The Messiah hung “upon the tree” for us,
providing a greater atonement than those animal sacrifices. His
blood has redeemed us once and for all from the curse of sin and
death.
Yeshua-Jesus connected this idea of sacrifice to the reality of
love when he said, “God so loved the world that He gave us only
begotten son” (John 3:16) and “No one has greater love than this:
that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Now
consider that 444 is connected to love in both the Hebrew Bible and
Greek New Testament. “Perfect love” (τελεία ἀγά πη / teleiaagape)
adds up to 444 in Greek. And in Hebrew, “I love the Lord” (ohavti
YHVH) also equals 444. Yeshua demonstrated His perfect love for His
Father and us when He laid down His life forour salvation.
To what does the sacrificial death of Messiah lead us? First and
foremost, it leads to life! The Hebrew word for “life” ( הָּיַח /
chayah) adds up to 444 in its full spelling. In Hebrew, the term“He
carried away captive/exile” ( תו֣;ְגַה ) also adds up to 444. What
is this meant to teach us?
Messiah came in flesh and blood (444)... and hung “upon the
tree” (444)... to demonstrate God’s “perfect love” (444)... to
bring us “life” (444)... so that we would be set free from
“captivity” and “exile” (444)... and make us His Mikdash/Tabernacle
(444) – His dwelling place!
(Yeshua-Jesus sacrficing his own life to redeem an undeserving
mankind was a demonstration of God's perfect and unfailing love for
His children )
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Hebrew & Greek are “alphanumeric”
THOUGHTS for REFLECTION Take some time this week to prayerfully
consider and discuss with friends: § Is generosity a struggle for
you? Is it a battle to give your money or your time
to the Lord’s work or someone in need? Ask the Spirit to show
youunexpected opportunities to give your treasure away this week—as
unto theLord!
§ “444” – because Yeshua-Jesus became flesh and “tabernacled”
with us, ourlife in the flesh has been transformed. Take a few
quiet minutes alone toreflect on times when you felt the glory of
God resting within your tabernacleand thank Him for that grace. Ask
the Holy Spirit for a new sensitivity to Hisindwelling presence
within you.
letters = numbers
Tabernacle = 444 “The Glory of Adonai dwelt” = 444 “flesh and
blood” = 444 “Messiah of God” = 444 "Shed Blood" = 444 “upon the
tree” = 444 “perfect love” = 444 “I love the Lord” = 444 “life” =
444 “He carried away captive/exile” = 444
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JOURNEYT1�EX?DUS
firaJkri r!M"q/v NEXT WEEK’S READINGS
TORAH
Sunday: 27:20-28:12
Monday: 28:13-30
Tuesday: 28:31-43
Wednesday: 29:1-18
PROPHETS
NEW COVENANT
Thursday: 29:19-37
Friday: 29:38-46
Saturday: 30:1-10
Ezekiel 43:10-27
Matthew 5:13-20
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