Watch And Be Ready

Keep watch and be ready

for you know not

the hour your Lord comes.

Matthew 24:42-51; Mark 13:34-37; Luke 12:35-48.

Many times Yeshua/Jesus told His disciples/talmidim to be ready. He is saying the same today to all of us, His warning has not changed. Events around the globe are in constant flux and moving at an alarming pace, quite unprecedented in previous generations. These changes are also reflected in the physical earth and its weather phenomena and also cosmic events taking place in our solar system.

Messiah used parables like the familiar one about the 10 virgins and the wedding feast. He warned of the days of Noah being similar to the acharit ha-yamim אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים / end days. Although the parables He used may seem unfamiliar to our present generation, the ways of the world, the sin, violence, idolatry and ungodliness are blatantly obvious. These should be a resounding wake up call in our spiritual ears……that we are without a doubt in the acharith ha-yamim.

Strongs #319: אַחֲרִית acharith —

End, latter time, future, outcome, posterity.

Derived from the root אָחַר (achar), meaning:

“to be behind” or “to come after.”

Some 2000+ years on, we are most definitely closer to the summation of all things than they were then. Our redemption is closer now than when we first believed. Romans 13:11-12.

Luke 21:28 informs us that when we

see all these things happening at the same time,

as in events in quick succession,

one after another,

then look up for your redemption draws close.

So are we truly ready for His return?

Whether we are convinced that we are in the last moments of the final hour or not, are we also ready to answer Him when He calls to us?

Personally today may be our last day before we meet Him face to face!

Are we even ready to hear Him calling to us?

Do we give opportunity and time to even listen for His voice?

Our hearts and spirits should be tuned to His Spirit of Holiness at all times, so we can hear and obey.

This readiness is not just a physical posture, but a preparedness of spirit and soul and like Moses in Ex 3:4 who…

When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said,

“Here I am.”

and young Samuel also replied quickly to the Lords voice.

God spoke to Samuel for the first time in 1Samuel 3:114:

One night, Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of the Covenant. He was woken up by a voice calling him.

 And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” 1Sam.3:9.

Samuel’s response demonstrated humility and readiness to serve, qualities essential for a prophet. It is also noteworthy that he was sleeping near the ark of the covenant. Such a close proximity to the ark was usually forbidden to all but the High Priest when He entered the inner sanctuary holy of holies on one day a year, Yom Kippur.

 Among others, these two examples are models for our own response to our Father’s call. We should be ready and willing to serve when He speaks to us. This is absolutely the readiness our Heavenly Father wants from us.

However when our Father speaks, when Messiah calls and His Spirit of Holiness prompts us; many of us are like people in a fog, and we give no answer because our spiritual senses have become dull and insensitive. Both Moses and Samuel’s reply revealed that:

they knew where they were, and, were ready.

In 2Tim 4:2 The verse says preach the word be ready in season and out of season.

Because the season does not refer to time it refers to us, many of us suffer from the unbalanced tendency to be ready only out of season.

In other words we should be ready whether we feel like it or not. If we do only what we feel inclined to do some of us would never do anything at all; and because of this there are some people who are totally unemployable in the spiritual realm. They have become spiritually feeble and weak and refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired.

The proof that our relationship is right with our Heavenly Father is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.

One of the worst traps a believer in Messiah/christian worker or minister can fall into is, to become obsessed with their own exceptional moments of inspiration. When the spirit of God gives us a time of inspiration and insight we tend to say. ‘Now that I’ve experienced this amazing time my life will always be like this for God.’ Sadly that is not what will happen because our Heavenly Father will make sure of it. We are not able to give those times to ourselves when we choose to, as those times are entirely His gift to us and we can’t make them happen by ourselves.

If we say we’ll only be at our best as we were during those exceptional times, we actually become a kind of burden on Him; and  consequently we’ll never do anything unless our Heavenly Father keeps us consciously aware of His inspiration to us at all times. If we make a god out of our best moments, we’ll find that the presence of the Lord will fade out of our lives; never to return until we are obedient in the work He has placed closest to us. We will find that this will remain so until we have learned not to be obsessed with those exceptional moments He has given us in the past.

Readiness means, having a right relationship with our Heavenly Father and with Messiah; and having knowledge of where we truly are spiritually. Not where we think we are, or would like to be; or where we would like to go, be and do. It is the individual who is ready for the Lords call and the work He has for each of us, that receives the blessing when He calls.

Sometimes we are also guilty of wanting and thinking that some great opportunity will come our way, and if and when it does, then we are quick to respond saying, ‘Here I am’. We mistakenly think that some great task given by Messiah and His Father is worthy of our response; yet we are not ready for what we deem as the insignificant, menial duties of an obscure and simple task.

Our response to the Lord means that we are willing and prepared to do both the largest and the smallest things He asks of us, and to us it makes no difference which of them it is. This means ultimately we have no choice in what we want to do, but that whatever our Heavenly Father’s plans are – we are there and ready. 

It’s our duty, just as it was for Yeshua/Jesus, that whenever the Lord calls, we hear His voice just as Yeshua/Jesus did, and we are ready with our total commitment because of our love for Him.

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. John 5:19. 

None of this should be a hardship considering He is the only one who would die for us. Messiah expects to be able to do with us, just as His Father did with Him, whether it’s what we consider pleasant or menial tasks; because our union with His Father is the same as His union with His Father – we are one. John 17:22.

Our life is not our own

and

we should stop living like it is.

Our life has been bought with a price –

the precious Blood of Messiah.

1Cor. 6:19-20.

We should be ready for surprise visits of the Father, because a ready person never needs to get ready… they are ready…and we won’t have time to get ready after the call, or we will miss the day of our visitation.

Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes;

Luke 12:35-38 & Matthew 25:1-13.

Moses turned aside from what he was doing and went towards the burning bush, and then he was enveloped with the Fathers presence. For us, it is a picture symbolizing everything that surrounds the person who is ready and willing; one who has made a choice to turn towards the Father and His Messiah, one who is on fire with the presence of the Lord God Himself. Let’s continue to encourage each other to keep watch and be ready…….. 

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim and mishpachah!

Peace to friends and family.

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.

Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are very precious in His sight.

Not sure ..you can be…

SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,

SAY IT RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.

Pesach – Passover And YHVH’s 4 Verbs of Redemption

As this is the season of

Pesach/Passover

and

Chag HaMatzot (חַג הַמַּצּוֹת) – Feast of Unleavened Bread: 

and the Israelites were required to eat unleavened bread for seven days, beginning on the 14th, first day of Passover, and Nisan 15 through Nisan 22.

Let’s look and see if there’s a connection we may have missed with the Divine Name YHVH and Pesach.

The matstsah: Unleavened bread…

In Hebrew is: מַצָּה
Transliteration: matstsah
Pronunciation: mahts-tsaw’
Phonetic Spelling: mats-tsaw’
Meaning: sweetness, sweet, an unfermented cake, loaf, the festival of Passover

From the root verb מָצַץ matsats,

meaning: to drain or to suck out.

Corresponding Greek G106 (ἄζυμος, azymos): Referring to unleavened bread, used in the New Testament in the context of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. e.g., Matthew 26:17, Mark 14:1.

The term matstsah refers to unleavened bread, which is bread made without yeast. In the Hebrew Bible, it is primarily associated with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a significant observance in Jewish tradition. The unleavened bread symbolizes purity and the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt, as they did not have time to let their bread rise. In ancient Israelite culture, unleavened bread was a staple during the Passover festival. The Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasts seven days, begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, immediately following Passover. This festival commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, when the Israelites were commanded to eat unleavened bread for seven days as a reminder of their swift departure and God’s deliverance. The absence of leaven (yeast) is symbolic of removing sin and corruption, as leaven is often used metaphorically in the Bible to represent sin.

The noun מצה massa, from matstsah literally describes something “drained/liquid” and specifically denotes unleavened bread. Leaven is a fungus that creates bubbles in bread and beer and unleavened bread is bread without spirit. The word for leaven, שאר – se’or, literally means: remnant, and anything unleavened was either made in such haste that the residual starter batch of leaven had had no time to spread through the rest of the dough, or otherwise, the baker had had no access to a properly cultivated culture mentioned in 1 Samuel 28:24.

Unleavened bread מצה, massa came in the form of לחם lehem, which is general bread, חלה halla, possibly a donut or pretzel, and רקיק raqiq, a thin wafer. All three are mentioned in Exodus 29:2.

There is a symbolic meaning with this unleavened bread. Anything leavened was called: חמץ – hames, which is probably closely related to the verb חמץ – hamas, meaning: to violate violence, or push into the wrong direction. The word for bread is לחם – lehem, whereas the highly similar verb לחם – laham means: to fight or do battle. The noun מצה – massa, in turn, is closely similar to the noun מצוה – miswa, meaning: commandment.

It is significant to remember that the plagues that befell Egypt were sent in order for Pharaoh to release the children of Israel so they could worship YHVH. We know it as the Exodus which is annually remembered as the Lord commanded in Exodus 12:14

‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. NKJV

‘Now this day shall be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. NAS

It is one of the 3 The Three Pilgrimage Festivals,

In Hebrew: shalosh regalim,

which are: Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot,

to these three, all males are required to attend in Jerusalem.

רגלים   שלוש  in Hebrew: shalosh regalim

During the Passover meal/Pesach seder, as

the Haggadah is read,

a drop of wine is spilled at the mention of each plague since the suffering of the Egyptians lessens the joy of the participants.

Haggadah in Hebrew: הַגָּדָה, means:

the”telling”;

plural: Haggadot;

is a foundational Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder.

An interesting note in the Exodus scriptures is that before the Lord sent the plague of insects, He instructed Moses to tell Pharaoh that the plague would not affect the region of Goshen but it would strike the rest of Egypt:

that you may know that I am the lord in the midst of the earth.

By means of the plague the Lord would make a distinction between the Israelites and the Egyptians.

The Lord was forewarning once again, that Israels status of

His firstborn

was not to be disregarded, even at the risk of imperiling the firstborn sons of Egypt.

The word pedut comes from the root padah

meaning: to ransom or redeem

and from which is derived

pidyon ha ben, the ransom of the first born.

Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Israel is My son, My firstborn.

So I said to you, ‘Let My son go so that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I am going to kill your son, your firstborn. Ex. 4:22-23.

Despite hearing the warnings and witnessing these miracles however, Pharaoh remained proud and unmoved. After Pharaoh still failed to relent the Lord God of Israel further hardened Pharaoh’s heart, setting the stage for the final plagues upon the people and the great Exodus from Egypt that was to follow.

The destruction that came and pidyon ha ben /redeeming the firstborn, were on the 14th Nisan.

Pedut from root padah: to ransom or redeem.

Strong’s Hebrew: 6304.

פְּדוּת (peduth) — ransom

Transliteration: peduth

Phonetic Spelling: ped-ooth’

Definition: ransom

Word Origin from padah 

Definition ransom NASB Translation division (1 ), ransom (1 ), redemption (2 ) . Brown-Driver-Briggs מְּדוּת …

Strong’s Hebrew: 6302b.

peduyim — a ransom

Transliteration: peduyim

Definition: a ransom

Word Origin from padah 

Definition: a ransom NASB Translation ransom 

Strong’s Hebrew: 6302a.

paduy — that are to be that were redeemed

Transliteration: paduy

Definition: that are to be that were redeemed, NAS

Word Origin pass. part. of padah ,

from the root padah

Strong’s Hebrew: 6299. פָּדָה (padah) — to ransom

Original Word: פָדָה

Part of Speech: Verb

Transliteration: padah

Phonetic Spelling: paw-daw’

Definition: to ransom

6299 padah: To redeem, ransom, rescue

Original Word: פָדָה
Part of SpeechVerb
Transliteration: padah
Pronunciation: pah-DAH
Phonetic Spelling: paw-daw’
Definition: To redeem, ransom, rescue
Meaning: to sever, ransom, gener, to release, preserve

Corresponding Greek G3084 (λυτρόω, lutroō): To release on receipt of ransom, to redeem

– G629 (ἀπολύτρωσις, apolytrōsis):Redemption, deliverance.

The Hebrew verb padah, primarily means: to redeem or ransom. It conveys the idea of delivering or rescuing someone or something from a state of bondage or danger, often through the payment of a price. In the Old Testament, padah is frequently used in the context of God’s deliverance of His people, whether from physical captivity or spiritual bondage.

In ancient Israel, the concept of redemption was deeply embedded in the social and religious fabric. Redemption often involved a kinsman-redeemer (go’el), who had the responsibility to redeem a relative in distress, whether by buying back land, freeing them from slavery, or avenging blood. This practice is clearly recorded in the book of Ruth.

Strongs #1350 gaal: Redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, ransom, deliver.

This cultural practice is reflected in the spiritual context of God’s redemptive work for Israel, particularly in the Exodus narrative, where God redeems His people from slavery in Egypt.

From this comes pidyon ha ben – the ransom of the 1st born.

It is customary for a firstborn male (whose father or mother are not a Kohen or Levi) to undergo Pidyon HaBen, meaning “Redemption of the (firstborn) son.” The ceremony of redeeming the firstborn occurs on the 31st day after birth Ex 13:13 and Num. 18:16 with 5 silver/shekalim, given to the Kohen/priest. It symbolically relieves the child from service in the priesthood referring back to Num. 3:12-14.

Strong’s Hebrew: 6306b. pidyon — a ransom

Transliteration: pidyon

Definition: a ransom NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin from padah 

Also:

Strong’s Hebrew: 6306a. pidyom —

ransom, that were redeemed, redemption

Transliteration: pidyom

Definition: ransom, that were redeemed, redemption

Word Origin another reading for padah , q.v., and peduyim , q.v.

Israel is YHVH/God’s first born son and

He declared His warning to Egypt in Exodus 4:22,23.

bekor: Firstborn

Original Word: בְּכוֹר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: bkowr
Pronunciation: beh-kor
Phonetic Spelling: bek-ore’
Definition: Firstborn
Meaning: firstborn, chief

Derived from the root בָּכַר bakar,

meaning: to be born first or to bear early fruit.

Corresponding Greek G4416 (πρωτότοκος, prototokos):

Used in the New Testament to refer to Yeshua/Jesus as the

firstborn over all creation. Colossians 1:15

and the firstborn from the dead. Revelation 1:5.

The term bekor refers to the firstborn son in a family. In the Hebrew Bible, the firstborn held a place of special significance, often associated with inheritance rights and familial leadership. The firstborn son traditionally received a double portion of the inheritance and was expected to assume the role of family head upon the father’s death. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the firstborn son was often seen as the primary heir and successor to the family lineage. This concept is deeply embedded in the biblical narrative, where the firstborn’s rights and responsibilities are both a matter of legal and spiritual importance. The firstborn was also significant in religious practices, as we have seen in the Passover narrative where the firstborn of Egypt were struck down, and the firstborn of Israel were consecrated to YHVH, Exodus 13:2.

How is this connected to the Divine Name?

The divine name known as Ab is JA or YA,

but before the Exodus and

all the miracles and

the Passover itself,

they only knew Him as

el shaddai – Almighty God,

which is evident in Ex. 6:2,3,8.

I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as

El-Shaddai – ‘God Almighty’ –

but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them.

 “And God spoke.”

Exodus 6:2 The announcement “I am the Lord ”

( Heb “Yahweh”)

and this draws in the preceding revelation in Exod. 3:15.

15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord,[a] the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

Maybe we should take note of that!

Two important statements have just been made:

Exodus 3:14.

The first was our Heavenly Father’s description of Himself,

to be used as His name: e’heyeh aser’ e’heyeh  

This means “I am Who I am.”

The second used similar language to instruct Moses to tell the people of Israel that he had been sent by I am.

Both imply a being Who must exist.

Unlike all created things, our Heavenly Father is not the product of anything else. John 1:1–3. He simply “IS.”

Here, scripture continues with a third statement from YHVH regarding His name. Moses is to specify that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had sent him to the Israelites. The I AM, Who now speaks to Moses is the same ONE who appeared to Abraham in Genesis 12:1–3.

God refers to Himself using the word Lord, spelled YHWH in Hebrew letters. This is related to the root verb hayah, earlier translated as I am. Exodus 3:14. God is the I am, the self-existent one, and the Lord of Abraham and his descendants. Many believe the term was initially pronounced as YAH-way, often spelled in modern contexts as Yahweh.

It is sometimes transliterated as Jehovah. The name Yahweh would be known as the unique name of Israel’s God throughout Jewish history. Later, the name YHWH was considered so holy that readers would not pronounce it. Instead, they substituted another word for Lord – Adonai. This was intended to keep Jews from accidentally breaking the commandment regarding using the Lord’s name in vain, Exodus 20:7.

 As a name, our Heavenly Father uses the phrase I AM, indicating His eternal, uncreated, necessary, absolute existence. This connects to the Hebrew term YHWH, most often seen as Lord, Yahweh, or sometimes translated as Jehovah. Messiah Yeshua/Jesus used this same phrasing in the New Testament.

I and my Father are One in John 10:30,

In that place where God called Moses

in Exodus 6:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

Verse 2 Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, “I am Yahweh. Jehoveh

Verse 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob (Israel) as God Almighty [El Shaddai], but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them [in acts and great miracles]. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I did not reveal My name Yahweh to them.

6 Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.

7 Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who redeemed you and brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

This passage and the accompanying revelation of YHVH ‘s 4 verbs of redemption describes what He was about to do as YHVH for HIs Firstborn…

I will free – deliver – redeem – take you.

All because of His covenant stated in verse 4, I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers.

It is intended to indicate that the direct experience of YHVH’s power and glory was not fully understood or experienced by the forefathers of Israel. What He was about to do would change their lives forever as the promises made to Abraham were now being fulfilled.

The 4 verbs of redemption declared by YHVH.

I will free – deliver – redeem – take you to Myself, are not confined to Passover alone because they are a reality in the life of a born again from above, Holy Spirit filled child of YHVH.

Jesus/Yeshua has fulfilled these Passover promises, He has

made us free from the law of sin and death and

we are delivered from the bondage of this worlds system and

we are redeemed by the shed blood of the Passover Lamb Messiah

and He has promised to take us to Himself forever.

He is Yeshua, Jesus, Messiah, the Passover Lamb, the broken bread, the poured out wine, YHVH, Yahweh, Jehoveh, Yehoveh, Avinu, Av/Ab, Abba, Yah, and God Almighty, El Shaddai and so much more…. He is I Am Who I Am, e’heyeh aser’ e’heyeh, He is Our Redeemer Who has Redeemed Us.

Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family

and cheverim/friends!

It’s all about Life and Relationship,

NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.

A Place Called Gethsemane

A place called Gethsemane

appears in the gospels,

(Matthew 26:36,38 and Luke 22:39-71),

immediately after Passover meal, and

right before Messiahs arrest and subsequent crucifixion.

The Hebrew word for Passover

comes from the Hebrew verb

פָּסַח – pasach,

meaning: to pass over or to spare.

The Greek equivalent used in the New Testament to refer to the Passover is

G3957 – πάσχα – pascha

If you are new to this term pesach/Passover, it refers to the 1st of 7 Biblical Appointed Times given by the Lord to be celebrated annually.

(Posts on the 7 Feasts can be found listed on homepage.)

Pesach/Passover commemorates the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The account can be found in Exodus 12 and tells of the sacrificial lamb that was killed and the meal that followed. This is where Adonai instructed the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb and mark their doorposts and lintel with its blood.

This act was to protect them from the final plague that struck Egypt, the death of the firstborn. The festival is celebrated on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan usually in the months of March and April in the Gregorian calendar. (In 2025 it is today April 12th).

This celebration marks the beginning of the week long annual Appointed Time of Unleavened Bread. It is a time of remembrance and gratitude for the Lords’ salvation and faithfulness, symbolizing redemption and deliverance. Messiah was the prophetic fulfillment of this appointed time, and in Hebrew they are called Moedim. He was the Passover/pesach lamb.

During this Passover/Pesach  פָּ֫סַח season

our attention is once again drawn to the places

where Messiah spent His last hours.

One very well known location is

a place called Gethsemane.

 

The name Gethsemane

stems from an Aramaic phrase often translated

oil press;

highlighting that the area functioned as an olive orchard, where oil was extracted from olives.

The word is of Aramaic origin, from

גת שמנא – gath shemanim, meaning: oil press,

and the Hebrew equivalent is

גת שמנאgath shemanim,

which directly translates to

oil press, gath and shemen.

Strongs# 1660 gath: Winepress

Original Word: גַּת
Transliteration: gath
Pronunciation: gath
Phonetic Spelling: gath
Meaning: a wine-press. From an unused root meaning to tread out grapes.

The Greek word G3025 (ληνός, lenos): 

 and refers to a winepress in the New Testament, used in contexts such as the parable of the wicked tenants in Matthew 21:33.

The Hebrew word gath refers to a winepress, which was a structure or device used for extracting juice from grapes during the winemaking process. In biblical times, winepresses were often hewn out of rock or constructed from stone.

Vineyards and wine production played a crucial role in the agricultural, economic and daily life of ancient Israel. The winepress was a symbol of abundance and blessing, as wine and was a staple in the diet and used in religious rituals. The process of treading grapes in a winepress was labor-intensive and often a communal activity. Winepresses are frequently mentioned in the Bible as metaphors for judgment and blessing, reflecting their dual role in both providing physical sustenance and spiritual symbolism.

The four cups of wine in the Passover Seder reflect the Lords four actions of redemption, as described in Exodus 6:6-7.

They stand for each of the four promises the Lord makes to His people.

The Cup of Sanctification

I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

The Cup of Deliverance

I will rescue you from their bondage.

The Cup of Redemption

I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.

The Cup of Praise

I will take you as My people.

(Described in more detail later in this post).

Strongs #8081 shemen: Oil

Original Word: שֶׁמֶן
Transliterationshemen
Pronunciation: SHEH-men
Phonetic Spelling: (sheh’-men)
Definition: Oil, grease, liquid, richness, which is derived from an unused root meaning to shine or be oily. from shamen fat, oil.
NASB Translation
choice (1), fatness (2), fertile (2), fertile* (1), lavish (1), oil (176), oils (3), ointment (1), olive (6), wild* (1).

Corresponding Greek #1637 (elaion): Olive oil, used in similar contexts as shemen, for anointing and as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Also #5548 (chriō): To anoint, often used in the New Testament to describe the anointing of Yeshua/Jesus and believers with the Holy Spirit/Ruach haKodesh.

The Hebrew word shemen primarily refers to oil, particularly olive oil, which was also a staple in ancient Israelite culture. It was and still is used in various contexts, including anointing, cooking, lighting lamps, and as a symbol of abundance and blessing. In the religious context, oil was used for anointing priests, kings, and sacred objects, signifying consecration and the presence of the Holy Spirit. In ancient Israel, olive oil was a valuable commodity, essential for daily life and religious practices. It was used in offerings and as a base for anointing oils and perfumes. Because olive oil production was a significant agricultural activity, and its abundance was often seen as a sign of the Heavenly Father’s blessing. The process of extracting oil from olives involved crushing and pressing, which is metaphorically significant in many biblical texts.

Rather than ‘a garden’ as we would imagine, the name Gethsemane reflects its more likely use as an olive press, indicating its connection to olive groves and because olive oil was a staple in the Mediterranean diet and economy, olive presses were common in areas with olive groves.

The Mount of Olives, where Gethsemane is located, was a significant site in Jewish tradition and prophecy.

The garden’s setting provided a secluded place for prayer and reflection, away from the bustling city of Jerusalem

and

we are told in Acts 1:12.

was a

“Sabbath day’s walk from the city.” 

 

The pressing of grapes and olives correlates symbolically with the pressure Yeshua/Jesus felt the night before His crucifixion.

Many interpreters have pointed out the powerful parallel between the crushing and pressing of olives to produce oil,

the crushing and pressing of grapes to produce wine;

and Messiah experiencing

the crushing and pressing of intense sorrow and grief

before His ultimate sacrifice.

John notes in 18:1 that Jesus “went out with His disciples across the Kidron Valley” and entered a garden familiar to them.

This place of olive trees and oil press was known as a garden being located across the Kidron Valley on the

Mount of Olives (Hebrew Har ha-Zetim).

This was a ridge paralleling the eastern part of Jerusalem, and in reality is an olive orchard at the foot of the Mount of Olives.

In Matthew 26:38, Messiah reveals that His soul is

“consumed with sorrow to the point of death.”

This extreme pressure reflects how He willingly stepped into the role of the sacrificial Lamb, bearing the weight of humanity’s sins, John 1:29.

The prayerful agony in Gethsemane highlights His full humanity experiencing that stress and grief, while also highlighting His resolve to complete the Fathers plan of redemption.

In Luke 22:44 we are told that His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground, a profound picture that some modern medical experts link to extreme stress. This condition, known as hematidrosis, and although rare, it has been documented in medical literature, further showing both the historical and physiological reliability of the Gospel accounts.

        

Without doubt we can never fully comprehend Messiah’s agony in that garden but neither should we set it to the side; because it is the agony of the One True God and Man at the same time, coming face to face with sin. It was the event of the ages, which was Holiness meeting with that which is evil and out of harmony with everything that He is. We cannot learn about Gethsemane through personal experience. Gethsemane and Calvary represent something totally unique, they are the gateway the doorway into life for us. The door, the dalith, Whom Yeshua/Jesus said He was.

The door, the dalet/dalith, for the sheep.

Strong’s Hebrew: 1808. דָּלִיּוֹת (dalith) —

Door, Doorpost. Derived from the root דָּלַל (dalal),

which means “to hang” or “to be low.”

In John 10:9-16 Yeshua tells us that He is not only the shepherd of His sheep, but also the door of the sheep. In doing so, He is inviting us to be part of His sheepfold.

Because He had stated very clearly in John 18:37, that He came with the express purpose to die. So, it was not just the death He was about to endure on the cross that Yeshua/Jesus agonized over in Gethsemane. He knew He was the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, just as John the Baptist knew and declared it publicly as recorded in John 1:29.

Is it possible that His concern was that He might not get through this struggle as the incarnate son, understanding the human flesh side of His nature and physical being? He was surely confident of getting through it as the only begotten Son of God, satan could not reach Him spiritually, there He was untouchable. However satans assault was that Messiah would come through for us on His own as the son in His humanity. If Yeshua /Jesus had done that He could not have been our Savior. In Hebrews 9:11-15 we can read the record of His agony in light of his earlier wilderness temptations. In Luke 4:13, The devil departed for a more opportune time/season and in Gethsemane, satan came back with his temptations and accusations, but he was overthrown once again. It would seem that the final assault against the humanity of Yeshua/Jesus was in

a place called Gethsemane.

The agony in Gethsemane was the agony in fulfilling His destiny as the Savior of the world. The biblical accounts reveal all that it cost Him to make it possible for us to become sons of God; and the simplicity of our salvation was won on the foundation of His indescribable agony which should make us think more deeply into its meaning!

The cross of Messiah/Christ was a triumph for Him, both as the son of man and the son of God. It was not only a sign that He had triumphed but that he had triumphed to save the human race. Because of what He went through, every human being has been provided with a way of access into the very presence of the Heavenly Father.

The cross of Messiah is the revealed truth of our Heavenly Fathers judgment on sin. We should never think of the cross of Yeshua/Jesus as a martyr’s death because on the contrary, it was the supreme triumph of all time and it shook hells foundations. There is nothing in time and eternity more absolutely certain and irrefutable than what Yeshua/Jesus accomplished on that cross. He made it possible for the entire human race to be brought back into a right standing relationship with YHVH. He made redemption the foundation of human life, that is, He made a way for every person to have fellowship with our Heavenly Father and to become His children in a loving relationship of true family. His mission, HIs destiny was hidden until it was finished and why the word tells us in 1Cor. 2:8 that if satan had realized beforehand, he would never have crucified the Lord of Glory. It was the mystery of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, hidden, but now revealed. Ephesians 3.

The cross was not something that happened to Him, it wasn’t something The Father didn’t know about, He came to die, the cross was His purpose in coming.

How many times did He walk past the lines of people, crucified by the Romans along the road to Jerusalem, knowing one day He would also be hung on a stake?

He is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world – the redemption plan was always set in place from the very beginning. Rev. 13:8.

The incarnation of Messiah would have no meaning without the cross. We should be mindful of not separating that YHVH was manifested in the flesh …from, He made Him to be sin for us.

1Tim. 3:16 and 2 Cor. 5:21.

The purpose of the incarnation was redemption. Our Heavenly Father came in the flesh to take sin away not to accomplish something for Himself. The cross is the central event in time and eternity and the answer to the problems of both. The cross is not the cross of a man, but the cross of the King of the Universe, and it can never be fully comprehended through human experience; because the cross is Him exhibiting His nature. It’s the gate, the door, through which any and every individual can enter into oneness with Him, but it is not a gate we pass right through, it’s one where we abide in the life/chaim that is found there.

The heart of salvation is the cross of Christ. The reason salvation is so easy to obtain is that is cost Him so very much. After a place called Gethsemane, the cross was the place where the One True God and sinful man collided, and where the way to eternal life with Him was opened; and His heart absorbed all the agony of that collision. The reason that He was able to do this at all, began with Abram and the covenant that the Father and Messiah made themselves; Genesis 15:17. It came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, look, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.

It was not Abram who walked between the parts of the sacrificed animals. It was not Abram who made the covenant with God, or Abrams life would have had to pay the price for the broken covenant. Our Heavenly Father made it with Himself, so when the penalty had to be paid, it was He Himself Who was legally bound to pay with His own life. This life that had to be sacrificed, came in the form of His only begotten Son; Who as the sinless Lamb of God was the perfect offering, Whose blood covered all sin for all time. No more blood sacrifice has ever been and will not ever be needed…

It is finished and we are redeemed.

Every last will and testament/covenant cannot be ratified or fulfilled until the death of the one who made the will. With Messiah s death all the promises of the covenant /testament/will have come into being. And because He rose again in resurrection life, the new-renewed and better covenant is now in effect …eternally. We need a greater understanding of what went before for thousands of years, in order to fully appreciate what we have now been given through the promises of Messiahs victory over sin, death, hell and the grave.

The place called Gethsemane is a reminder of the wine press, the crushing of the grapes, and the part of the Seder Passover meal that includes the 4 cups of wine. This was the custom in Messiahs day and all followed the annual moedim.

For those new to this explanation, below is a brief overview of the 4 cups and their relationship to the 4 promises mentioned previously from Exodus 6:6-7.

Four cups of wine are poured during the course of the Seder.

The first cup is the cup of sanctification.

When drinking the cup of sanctification those at the meal recite, “I will bring you out from Egypt.” Because the children of Israel were enslaved in Egypt for 400 years, many had become bitter, having begun as guests but with time they became slaves and the yoke of slavery was burdensome and heavy. During Passover, we remember how our Heavenly Father brought the children of Israel out from slavery and made them into a great nation with a purpose and calling—to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6, Isaiah 49:6, Acts 13:47) and to bring Messiah Yeshua/ Jesus into the world. Without the Jewish people, without Passover, we would not have the Messiah. When drinking the cup of sanctification, we remember YHVH bringing Israel out of slavery and the miracle that the Messiah came through the line of David. 

The 2nd cup reminds us of our deliverance from sin and death, that both Jew and Gentile, are under God’s judgment unless they accept salvation, that is, substitutionary atonement, through Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah Romans 5:9, 1 Cor. 15:1-5, John 14:6. The children of Israel could not just rely on their position as Israelites. They had to respond to the method that our Heavenly Father chose, which was the slaying of the Pesach/Passover lamb .We should humbly remember that just as the children of Israel escaped Egypt in haste, so our time on earth is fleeting – each moment is precious. 

The third cup of the Passover/Pesach Seder is The Cup of Redemption and is the first cup to be drunk after the meal. It is believed that it is the Cup of Redemption that Yeshua/Jesus instructed the disciples to partake of in the last supper, as both accounts in Matthew 26:27 and Luke 22:19 describe the cup being taken after the meal. Luke’s account in 22:15 even refers to the last meal Yeshua/Jesus had with his disciples as Passover. In this verse specifically, Messiah tells His disciples:

“I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”

The Cup of Redemption traditionally signifies the slaying of the Passover lamb that spared the Israelites from the 10th plague of the slaying of the first born. This cup traditionally remembers how the Lord redeems Israel with an outstretched arm. It is very significant when Messiah tells His disciples that the wine in this cup is

My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 

As the blood of the Passover Lamb covered the believing Israelites and Egyptians back in Egypt, so the Blood of Messiah covers Jewish and Gentile believers today.

The 4th cup of the Seder is the Cup of Praise. When drinking this cup, there is singing and rejoicing that Israel was made into a nation at Sinai. The leader of the Seder says that the Lord has remembered them; and to this day, our Heavenly Father has remembered the everlasting covenant that He made with Abraham in Genesis 17:7. Traditionally the song called in Hebrew Dayenu, meaning: “it would have been enough” is sung together with psalms of praise. In the song Dayenu, the words thank our Heavenly Father for delivering us from the Egyptians, bringing them through the Sea of Reeds, and bringing them forth as Am Yisrael, the people of Israel. There is a hope when drinking this 4th cup, that our Heavenly Father will forgive, restore the Jewish people, bring them back to the Land of Israel and that the Messiah will return.

Messiah sanctifies us – “And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth” John 17:19.

Messiah delivers us – “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” John 8:32.

Messiah redeems us – “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” Galatians 4:4-5.

Messiah is our joy /praise – “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” John 15:11.

Three things we can learn:

Dependence on Prayer:

Obedience to God’s Will:

and Vigilance:

A place called Gethsemane underscores the necessity of profound, earnest prayer during times of crisis. Messiah’s willingness to endure unimaginable stress prior to bearing sin for the world, emphasizes total submission to divine plans. The disciples’ weakness in staying awake, warns believers about spiritual alertness and the ease of complacency.

A place called Gethsemane continues to serve as a powerful reminder that sincere prayer, unwavering submission to God, and triumph over human weakness are central to a life rooted in truth and devotion.

The Passover/Pesach is truly our moment to remember that we have passed over from death to life, and to never to take lightly, or for granted, the power of the cross and His sacrificial atoning death and resurrection.

Other posts on this, Pesach /Passover and week of Unleavened Bread can be found in the archives. Some links below for those new to the site.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/palm-sunday-nisan-the-appointed-time-of-the-lamb/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/not-passing-over-passover-week/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/unleavened-bread-matzot-week/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/first-fruits/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/a-lot-can-happen-in-a-week/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/even-more-can-happen-in-and-around-the-same-week/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/midweek-mannabite-secrets-of-the-seder-plate/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/unleavened-bread-matzot-week/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/more-than-one-palm/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/sonset-sunrise-sunset-sonrise-apocalypse-of-the-tamid/ 

https://www.minimannamoments.com/13-for-supper-and-only-4-cups/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/pesach-emunah-for-his-am-segulah/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/pesach-emunah-for-his-am-segulah-part-2/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/afikomen-mysterious-and-hidden/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/where-was-keifa-the-week-of-chag-hamatzot/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/revealing-the-overcoming-resheet-of-bikkurim/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/a-greater-exodus/

Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family

and cheverim/friends!

It’s all about Life and Relationship,

NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.

Another Rock

In the previous post we looked at

Psalm 18:2 and asked the question:

Who is a rock?

The Hebrew word for rock 

in this verse in Psalm 18 is:

sale’i or sal·‘î.

sal·‘î
סַֽלְעִ֥י
my rock
N‑msc | 1cs

As a post-script to last week, there is another Hebrew word used in the Bible for rock and that is:

sela   סלע 

It is found in that well known verse in 2 Samuel 22:2

And he said, The LORD [is] my rock,

and my fortress,

and my deliverer;

 In this verse the word

rock/sela’

means:

a fortress.

Strongs #5553 [e]

Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: cela`
Pronunciation: seh’-lah
Phonetic Spelling: seh’-lah
Definition: Rock, cliff
Meaning: a craggy rock from an unused root meaning to be lofty; a craggy rock, literally or figuratively (a fortress) — (ragged) rock, stone(-ny), strong hold.

Corresponding Greek: – G4073 (πέτρα, petra): Often used in the New Testament to describe a large rock or bedrock, similar to “sela” in its metaphorical use for strength and stability.

The Hebrew word “sela” primarily refers to a rock or cliff, often used to describe a large, immovable mass of stone. It conveys the idea of strength, stability, and permanence. In the biblical context, “sela” is frequently used metaphorically to describe God as a refuge and source of protection for His people. In the ancient Near East, rocks and cliffs were significant geographical features that provided natural fortresses and places of refuge. They were often associated with safety and security, especially in the arid and mountainous regions of Israel. The imagery of God as a “rock” would have resonated deeply with the Israelites, who understood the protective and enduring nature of such formations.

 It is a fortress built literally into a rock.  The place called Petra is the same word as the Greek word πέτραl, and it is the best example of a sela’.

In the 4th Century BC it was the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom.  It’s a historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan and has been a location used in modern times by several film-makers.

This city was carved out of a stone mountain and the inhabitants were able to successfully defend themselves against enemy attacks by taking advantage of the mountainous terrain in that area.

In ancient times those under threat of an enemy army would run for the safety they found in the mountains. Whoever made it to the highest ground often had the best defensive position.  

No doubt that is where we get the familiar saying; “It’s time to head for the hills.”

As believers in Messiah Jesus Christ/Yeshua haMashiach we are in a war, it is a spiritual war against evil led by the enemy of our souls.  The sure way we defeat the enemy is to go to The Rock.  

The Rock of our salvation/deliverance.

The Rock of Ages.

The Hebrew word sela’ for rock used in this verse really means the cleft of the rock.

The termcleft of the rock” appears in the Bible as a significant symbol of

divine protection,

refuge,

and revelation.

The cleft is an opening or a split in the mountain, which is the safest place to hide when pursued by the enemy in early times.  it’s difficult sometimes to be in the cleft of the rock where our Heavenly Father has placed us, but that’s the best place to be, because it’s the center of His will for our lives.

Last post we learned that a Hebrew word for

fortress is matsud/matsuwd, 

which has its origins in the word for:

a prey and

one that is hunted or being chased.

4686

matsuwd: Fortress, stronghold, net, bulwark

Original Word: מָצוּד
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: matsuwd
Pronunciation: maw-tsood’
Phonetic Spelling: maw-tsood’
Definition: Fortress, stronghold, net, bulwark
Meaning: a net, capture, a fastness. From the root verb צוּד (tsuwd), meaning “to hunt” or “to lie in wait.”

The word eventually took on the idea of a fortress

for the one being chased will seek a sela’ or a fortress.

So the Lord is a sela’ for the matsud meaning:

The Lord is the fortress

in the cleft of the rock

for those being pursued or hunted.

The word sela’ is a word play on the Hebrew word selah which means: to rise up.  In ancient times the army which achieved the higher ground was the army that could not be defeated.  As we go to war against the enemy, we need to:

rise up and take shelter in the cleft of the rock,

which is the heart of our heavenly Father.

The safest place to be is in the center of His will and that is His heart.

Then finally Adonai is the Deliverer.  

The one being hunted or pursued not only finds Adonai to be

a fortress in the cleft of the rock or sela’

but He will also deliver us from those that are pursuing us.

The Hebrew word deliverer is palat,

which is a word that is used for:

one who helps another person escape from a prison.

6403 palat

Original Word: פָלַט
Part of SpeechVerb
Transliterationpalat
Pronunciation: pah-LAHT
Phonetic Spelling: paw-lat’
Definition: To deliver, to rescue, to escape
Meaning: to slip out, escape, to deliver

palat — To deliver, to rescue, to escape. The Hebrew verb “palat” primarily conveys the action of delivering or rescuing someone from danger or distress. It is often used in contexts where divine intervention is implied, highlighting God’s role as a deliverer.

The term can also refer to the act of escaping from a perilous situation, emphasizing the successful evasion of harm.

 In the ancient Near Eastern context, the concept of deliverance was deeply intertwined with the belief in divine protection and intervention. The Israelites often found themselves in situations where they needed deliverance, whether from physical enemies, natural disasters, or spiritual oppression. The use of “palat” in the Hebrew Bible reflects a worldview where God is seen as a powerful and active deliverer, capable of saving His people from any threat.

Our Heavenly Father not only hides us in the

‘cleft of the rock’, 

but when the danger is passed,

He will lead us out of that secure place into a place of safety.

Rock of Ages‘ is a well known hymn by Rev. A. M. Toplady.

Another hymn about the cleft of the rock was written by Fanny Crosby. She was blind from the age of 7 and without doubt faced fears that we who have our sight will never understand; and yet between 1820-1915 she wrote 3194 hymns and over 8,000 inspirational poems. Probably the best known include ‘Blessed Assurance’,

‘Tell me the story of Jesus’

and the one that reflects this post:

‘He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock’.

Many people struggle with fears of various things, some may seem unreasonable, but nevertheless they are fears.

To overcome those fears we too can find safety in the sela’, the cleft of the rock, where our Heavenly Father eventually palat, led her, as He will with us into a safe place.

It is a possibility that the psalmist wrote the word sela’ because he was making a play on the word selah which means: to rise above.

Selah, (Hebrew סֶלָה), is a short but meaningful term woven into the fabric of the Psalms and Habakkuk. While its exact meaning may encompass: pause, exalt, or lift up, rise above; the overall effect is to draw readers and worshipers into deeper contemplation of our Heavenly Father’s majesty, mercy, and mighty acts.

When our Heavenly Father palat’s us, or delivers us,

we too will selah – rise above all our troubles and be at peace/shalom,

as we keep our mind focused on Him.

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee.

We can be certain of this because Yeshua is the Rock of our salvation, and the phrase occurs several times in the Old Testament. TaNaKHDeuteronomy 32:15; 2 Samuel 22:47; Psalm 89:26; 95:1.

The term “The Rock of our Salvation” is a profound biblical metaphor that signifies

the strength,

stability,

and reliability

of our Heavenly Father,

as the foundation of faith and deliverance for His people.

Ps 62:2. God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe and the fortress where I am secure. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my high tower; I shall not be greatly moved. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor rest on God, my strong rock; my refuge is in God.”

In 1 Corinthians 10:4, Paul refers to Christ as the spiritual rock that accompanied the Israelites: “And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that Rock was Christ.”

The depiction of our Heavenly Father as the Rock of Salvation, carries significant spiritual implications. It highlights His immutability and faithfulness, assuring all believers of His constant presence and support; and particularly in reference to the Israelites journey through the wilderness and ours through this life. He is always with us and this metaphor also emphasizes His role as a protector and deliverer, offering salvation and refuge to those who trust in Him.

Furthermore, the identification of Messiah as the spiritual rock in the New Testament/Brit Chadashah, highlights the continuity of our Heavenly Fathers ongoing work of salvation from the Old Testament to the New. It affirms the belief that Yeshua/Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the Fathers promise of salvation, providing a firm foundation for the faith of believers.

He indeed is the rock of ages and the idea that He is, simply means that,

He is stedfast and true,

unmoving, unyielding,

and He does not change.

Hebrews 13:8 affirms, 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The expression

cleft of the rock, 

is found in

Exodus 33:22.

When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

The word sela’ is a word play on the word

selah which means:

to rise up.  

In ancient times the army which achieved the higher ground was the army that could not be defeated.  As we continue to fight the good fight of faith against the enemy, we need

to rise up and

take shelter in the cleft of the rock

which is our Fathers’ heart 

and is most assuredly

the safest place to be!

Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family

and cheverim/friends!

It’s all about Life and Relationship,

NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.