Are We Laboring In Vain?

Are we laboring in vain?

Psalms 127:1: A song of Ascent for Solomon: “Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.”

Labor in vain in Hebrew is:  שׁוא  עָמְל֣וּ

עָמַל     amal     labor

  בּ֑וֹ     bow     in

שָׁ֤וְא.    šāw     vain

This Psalm refers to Solomon and in the scriptures the Second Temple is known as

Solomon’s Temple.

The point is as we read about it we may think that It really should be known as

Our Heavenly Father’s Temple,

however history records it as being Solomon’s Temple. 

Historical Hebrew literature says that there was a good reason it was called Solomon’s Temple because with regard to the plans and resulting construction it was more Solomon’s temple design than it was the Lords. 

Since the return of the Jews to Israel in 1948 and more recently their gaining control of Jerusalem in 1967; there has been extensive research on Solomon’s Temple so up until recently all that was really known about the first temple was what we were able to find in the Bible. 

One thing we do know is that the temple was built by slave labor and that Solomon taxed the people to finance the temple pushing them to the point of rebellion.

It has been made clear that although the Lord God commanded that certain things be made of silver, there was no silver used in the temple because Solomon decided to make them out of gold instead.  Furthermore some of the items for the Temple that should have been made of gold, Solomon chose to have them made from brass or copper. He was not obedient to the heavenly pattern and the result was that the temple ended up being more of a monument to King Solomon than to the King of the Universe.  He was disobedient in other ways as he had married several pagan wives who brought idolatry with them into Israel, all by the time the temple was ready to be dedicated.

After Solomon died, it was a mere 5 years before his son Rehoboam took much of the gold from the temple to bribe the Egyptians; sadly in less than a lifetime after the temple had been dedicated, it was in decline.

Because of the condition of the nation, God sent His Prophets to warn of coming judgment, but the people mocked the warnings pridefully declaring they were not only Gods people but that He would not suffer the Temple dedicated to Himself to be destroyed.

They were all wrong.

It is worthwhile noting that when the temple was dedicated it was recorded that God’s presence filled it with His Shekinah Glory so strong was His presence that the priests could not stand to minister. Eternal weight of glory … Many experience that real feeling of heaviness when the presence of the Lord manifests.

2 Cor. 4:17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

The historical Hebrew writings teach that after this 1st temple was destroyed and the 2nd temple was built, the 2nd temple did not have things that were present in the 1st temple. The 2nd temple did not have the presence of God, the ark of His covenant was gone, nor did it have the fire of our Heavenly Father. Originally The Lord God sent fire from heaven that was never extinguished and the priests would faithfully feed this flame on the temple menorah daily with pure olive oil.

Lev. 9:24 and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

So fire fell and consumed Solomon’s sacrifice at the dedication of the temple. Jewish tradition reports that the fire was always kept alive until the reign of Manasseh, when it became extinguished.

The western lamp was to be kept burning at all times. If it were ever extinguished, it was relit from the continuous fire on the sacrificial altar.

2Chronicles 7:1-2.  Tradition assures us that the sacred fire which thus issued forth from the immediate presence of God continued to be nourished on the altar with the fuel especially provided by the congregation, and constituted the perpetual fire. See Leviticus 6:13.

However, when the 1st temple was destroyed the fire of the Lord went out and He never replaced it by sending more fire from heaven. The 3rd thing missing in the 2nd temple was the Fathers’ Holy Spirit and the 4th was that the prophetic power of the Urim and Thummim ceased to give guidance and answers through the High Priest.

The Hebrew Rabbis teach that these 4 things will not return to the temple until the Messiah comes and is glorified:

Messiah had to come to earth as a human, He had to be persecuted and tortured, be sacrificed and then be raised from the dead. He had to ascend to heaven and on the day of Shavuot/Pentecost when He would be given His throne and His glorification would be complete. We know this has already come to pass being fulfilled over 2000 years ago and one day soon the scales will fall from the eyes of the Israelites just as they did from Pauls.

AMP version

I do not want you, believers, to be unaware of this mystery [God’s previously hidden plan]—so that you will not be wise in your own opinion—that a partial hardening has [temporarily] happened to Israel [to last] until the full number of the Gentiles has come in;

AMPC version

Lest you be self-opinionated (wise in your own conceits), I do not want you to miss this hidden truth and mystery, brethren: a hardening (insensibility) has [temporarily] befallen a part of Israel [to last] until the full number of the ingathering of the Gentiles has come in,

What a blessed day of rejoicing that will be!

Gods blessings are poured out into our lives continually however the reality is, if our Heavenly Father had to wait for perfection before He could bless His children; it’s probably true to say that no one would receive blessings, or experience the glory of His spirit of Holiness.

The word glory in Hebrew is kabod

or sometimes spelled kavod,

(b and v being the same Hebrew letter) 

which means a heaviness.

The word comes from an ancient Semitic root meaning: 

to bear a burden 

through the process of reaching the Hebrew language it represented:

the bearing of a burden of love.

Our Heavenly Father God is love 1John 4:8

and so overflowing with perfect unconditional love that He continually pours it out to people with the supreme act so well known in John 3:16 God so loved the world.. 

However Malachi 2:2 reminds us that if a person does not take that love to his heart, he will not appreciate the blessing. 

Our Heavenly Father still allowed His presence to stay in the temple, even though it hadn’t been built according to His specific plan. His glory/loving presence filled the house and even though there was corruption among the priesthood many people journeyed to Jerusalem to worship God in the temple with a heart of sincerity and reverent respect.

Psalms 127:1

“Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.”  

The first word of the Psalm which is translated as unless 

is the Hebrew word im 

אִם

which is more commonly rendered as if. 

Strongs 518

im: if

Original Word: אִם
Part of Speech: conjunction; hypothetical particle; imperfect; infinitive; interrogative particle
Transliteration: im
Phonetic Spelling: (eem)
Definition: if

אִם conjunction (= Aramaic if [1. hypothetical particle if. 

  1. construction (see more fully Dr§ 136-138, 143 FriedrichDie Hebr. Condit. sätze 1884): (1) with imperfect (continued by perfects & waw consecutive; apodosis usually begins with perfect & waw consecutive or bare imperfect; or, if necessary, with imperative or jussive) (a) of future time: For more details ref online at

https://biblehub.com/hebrew/518.htm

The syntax or sentence construction, is a little confusing because there are two constructs together: 

 If Jehovah   and   he is not building.  

the KJV is correct with the

sentence construction, however there is no definite article on the word house but there is a pronoun; so we could add the pronoun and it would read:

  If Jehovah is not building His house. 

The word house in Hebrew thought has the idea of

the place of the heart. 

This reminds us of our saying:

“Home is where the heart is.” 

With this in mind we could say, “

If Jehovah is not building a place within His heart…”

the last part of the verse says, 

they labor in vain who build it. 

labor
עָמְל֣וּ (‘ā·mə·lū)
Verb – Qal – Perfect – third person common plural
Strong’s 5998: To toil, work severely and with irksomeness

in
בּ֑וֹ (bōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong’s Hebrew

vain;
שָׁ֤וְא ׀ (šāw)
Noun – masculine singular
Strong’s 7723: Evil, idolatry, uselessness

The temple was meant to be a place, our Heavenly Fathers house where His presence and love lived and so you were also entering His heart.  Tragically it was corrupted because Solomon had filled it with his own designs however, the Father still mercifully allowed His presence to be known and experienced, despite everything in Israel being in a steady downward direction.   In 1Cor.6:19 Paul tells us our bodies are the temple of God, actually the sanctuary, the holy of holies, where the glory was manifest over the ark of His covenant.  

See earlier post for more deatails:  What’s in your naos? 

 

The heart of God, His Presence in the form of His Holy Spirit, is meant to reside in the very innermost part of us, the heart of our being.

עָמְל֣וּ ‘ā·mə·lū    they labor  5998

It’s true that we do work hard and labor to build and maintain this temple/sanctuary. 

Work out your salvation. Phil. 2:12-13

Many times our labors are in the form of bringing glory by ministering to our Father declaring our overflowing love to Him.  However due to the un-crucified ego in human nature, we like Solomon, cannot resist putting a bit of our own plans and design into this temple, our bodies. It seems that we simply can’t help but to build a monument to ourselves.  We are honestly seeking to bring honor to God in our ministry and to give Him the glory, but somewhere deep inside there’s a part of us that wants a little of that honor and recognition for ourselves. It could be that maybe we want to make a good living at it, and have the dream life we see others have in the world, or we may desire to build a great reputation and a develop a large following of admirers.  Is there anything wrong with receiving a little praise and kudos for our labors?

Prov. 16:2 all a mans ways are pure in his own sight but Adonai weighs the spirit.

Prov. 27:2 “Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips”

We all need encouragement from time to time, so maybe nothing is wrong with that except; we do run the risk of a leaving something behind us that becomes

a Solomon’s Temple and not God’s Temple.  

Praise is dangerous because it can produce pride. This scripture is best understood as a person is tested by those who give the praise. Praise is often flattery and at other times it may simply be courtesy, or for encouragement. Because of insecurity a person can also take praise as an affirmation of his/her own importance. The Bible warns against pride since that often results in forgetting about God.

If that is the case, all our labors

whether in ministry or at secular jobs,

are in vain. 

The word vain in Hebrew is  Strongs 7723

שָׁ֤וְא

shave,  pronounced: shawv

which has the idea of 

desolate or waste,

falsely, lie, lying, vain, vanity 

Or shav {shav}; from the same as show’ in the sense of desolating; evil (as destructive), literally (ruin) or morally (especially guile); figuratively idolatry (as false, subjective), uselessness (as deceptive, objective; also adverbially, in vain) — false(-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity.

This would mean that:

all our labors to build a place within God’s heart is all wasted.  

 One other scripture which speaks of a dwelling place is in John 14:2 when Messiah said: “In my father’s house are many dwelling places.  I go to prepare a place for you.”  

He spoke this in Aramaic and used a word identical to the word for house that was used in Psalms 127:1 which is speaking of His heart/The innermost part of a dwelling.

בַ֗יִת
ḇa-yiṯ,

1004 1005 see https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1004.htm for further study

(Aramaic) corresponding to bayith — house. A place of the heart.

Jesus/Yeshua spoke in the old Galilean dialect of Aramaic. The Aramaic Bible, called the Peshitta, uses the word

bt 

which we render as house, yet, like the Hebrew, bt could also be used to express the idea 

of the place of the heart 

which is identical to the Hebrew word 

bayith (house) 

which is the word used in Psalms 127. Jesus/Yeshua may very well have said: “In my Father’s heart are many rooms.” Only He can build that place in His heart for us. If we try to build that place with all our ministries and monuments to ourselves, our labors are all wasted.

We are not to be using our days in “building” something apart from God, for our own selfish goals and agenda’s with wrong motives and without faith in our Heavenly Father. Jeremiah 10:23 warns us

O LORD, I know that the path of [life of] a man is not in himself; It is not within [the limited ability of] man [even one at his best] to choose and direct his steps [in life].

Why do we think we know better than the Creator of Heaven and Earth and indeed the universe Who made us from the dust of that same earth?

Yet in His great compassion, empathy and unconditional love in Psalm 103:14 He reminds us 14 For he knows our frame He remembers that we are but dust 15 and that our days are few and brief, like grass, like flowers, 16 blown by the wind and gone forever. 

That is, He knows that we are made of dust; that we are frail; that we are subject to decay; that we soon sink under a heavy load. This is given as a reason why He loves and pities us – that we need Him more than we realize.

Our Heavenly Father is the only One Who can build that place in His heart for us.  If we try to build that place ourselves with all ‘our ministries’, our books, our talents and creative abilities through great works and monuments to ourselves, our labors are all wasted, desolate and as useless as a ruin.

Time to make sure nothing we do for our Heavenly Father in the name of our Precious savior is prefixed with I, me, my or mine. He deserves ALL the honor and ALL the glory, let’s make certain we do just that.

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

Are We Ready For Battle Or Still Under The Fig Tree?

Are We Truly Ready For Battle?

Or

Are we still under the fig tree?

We have a tendency to presume that we would be ready for battle if suddenly we are faced with a great crisis in life; however it is not the crisis that will build something within us, it will merely reveal what we are already made of.

 

It’s not when we find ourselves in the battle that we need to be looking for that spiritual weapon of warfare, the protective armor, or that shield of faith that our Father has provided foe us. During peaceful times we may catch ourselves thinking, or even saying, that if we were suddenly called by the Lord into battle, that we would easily rise to the occasion. The truth is that we will not be able to do so unless we have done so on Gods’ training ground.

 

If we are not fully engaged doing the task that is closest to us today which our Father has engineered into our lives, when the crisis comes, instead of being fit for battle, we will be revealed as being unfit and untrained. These crises that we are faced with, always reveal an individuals true character and on whom they rely, and where they go to first for help.

The greatest essential element of spiritual fitness is the private relationship, that of intimacy with our Heavenly Father, in worship, praise and prayer.

The time will come in every serious believers life, when even as Nathanael was to find out, in John 1:48. When you were under the fig tree I saw you. He sees us, and knows exactly where we are, both in the natural sense of location and spiritually; just as He questioned Adam and Eve, where are you? He knew where they were physically the question was directed at their spiritual position.

Nathanael was enjoying a private fig tree life.

This Hebrew idiom, ‘under the fig tree’ refers to a place of peace with no worries; where a person just enjoys a comfortable quiet life, untroubled and with all needs provided and able to live life doing just what one wanted which as a obedient Jew would have included study of the scriptures and prayer. Nathanael was about to experience that his, private fig tree life, would no longer be possible. He would have to make a life-changing decision.

Everything was about to come out in the open for Nathanael and it is the same for believers; we will find ourselves to be of no value to Messiah if we have not been worshipping Him in everyday situations in our own homes. If our worship is right in our private relationship with our Heavenly Father, then when He sets us free we will be ready to answer His call. It’s in the private unseen life, which only our Heavenly Father sees, that we have become spiritually fit; and when the strain of the crisis comes, He can rely on us to Shema, to hear and obey.

Do we sometimes think that we cant’ be expected to live a sanctified life in our present circumstances, that we have no time for prayer or bible study right now? Do we justify our lifestyle by reasoning that the opportunity for battle has not yet come, and when it does of course we will be ready? We’ll just drop everything and focus on the battle. The simple truth is we will not be ready because if we have not been worshipping, praying and leaning on Him and His Word in day to day situations, when we do get involved in our Fathers’ work we will not only be useless and unequipped ourselves; but we will be a hindrance to those around us, needing to be helped rather than being the ones helping others. Our Heavenly Fathers training ground, where the weapons of our warfare are located, are in the hidden personal worshipping life of the true obedient disciple of Messiah.

No disciple is sent out until they are trained, just as Yeshua/Jesus sent out His and they were suitably attired and equipped for the task assigned to them.

Matthew 10:1; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 6:12-13; 9:1-2.

Our training and equipping will always be equal to the calling and tasks the Father has for us to accomplish.

Hebrews 13:21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, by doing in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. 

Private training away from the public is our Fathers way; just as Davids early life as a shepherd caring for and protecting the sheep, was a forerunner to him caring for and protecting the children of Israel as their king.

 

His experiences defending the flock against a lion and a bear when no one else was around, were the precursors to him being victorious against Goliath in full public view of both the Israelites and their Philistine enemies.

And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear.  1Sam.17:33-36

This call to minister in everyday situations and opportunities doesn’t mean that we choose our own surroundings, it means being our Fathers very special choice in that we are to be available for use in any of the seemingly random surroundings which He has engineered for us. The very character we exhibit in our present surroundings is an indication of what we will be like in other surroundings. The things that our Savior did were often the most menial of everyday tasks and we need to realize that this is an indication that it takes Gods power in us, to accomplish even the common tasks completing them in His WAY. Are we able to use a towel as He did? Doing all the other ordinary things in our lives reveal what we are made of more quickly than anything else. It takes the presence of His Holy Spirit within us to complete the most menial task as it ought to be done; with the right heart motive and attitude, with no thought of reward or acknowledgment.

Eccl.9:10 encourages us that: Whatever our hand finds to do do it with all our might and we are to do it as unto the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward Col.3:23/24  Yeshua/Jesus said John13:15 I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you. He gave us an example that we should do as He has done to us. If we will take notice of the people He brings around us, we may have cause to reflect that this is His way of revealing to us the kind of person we have been to Him. Now He is asking us to be to those people in exactly the same way that He has treated us. Have we found ourselves saying that, we will do all that once we are out on the mission field and when I’m not so busy? When we think and talk like this, it’s like trying to make a weapon with which to fight and defend ourselves while we are crouching in the trenches on the battlefield with bullets whizzing past our heads.

Sadly we are most likely going to be badly injured or killed while trying to do it. We are called to go the second mile with the Lord Matthew 5:41 and yet sadly some of us are worn out in the first ten steps. Then we say that we will just wait until we get closer to the next crisis in life then we will get prepared; but if we don’t make it our llife-style to minister on a steady consistent basis in the everyday opportunities provided by the Lord, we will not be able to stand strong and will again do nothing when the crisis arises.

John 13:14 wash one anothers feet.

Preparation precedes promotion. If we are to be of any use in the will, plans and purposes of our Heavenly Father we need to do our part and to then allow Him to mold us into a useful vessel with the correct attire and weapons; because those weapons are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. This is a spiritual battle, we are spiritual beings and need the spiritual weapons to fight and win the victory every day. Our life and ministry before Him is first and foremost a spiritual one. It is time to leave the comfort of the fig tree life, it’s time for us to be ready and fully equipped as a good soldier who stays awake and is“sober,” with our spiritual armor already on. We are to be ready at all times for the battle that is coming, equipped, with a courageous heart, presenting a bold front to the enemies of our Savior Lord and King

2 Timothy 2:3-5  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

He sees us just like He saw Nathanael

and He’s calling us today!

Are we ready for the battle

or

are we still under the/our fig tree?

For more about Nathanael click link below:

https://www.minimannamoments.com/whats-the-connection-between-nathaniel-bartholomew-a-fig-tree-jacob-and-a-ladder/

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

Callings of Holiness & Moedim

Once again and it seems to have come around very quickly; we are on the countdown to the Fall/Autumn Moedim/Appointed times of the Lord.

The summer months of harvest have already passed and the 40 days of Teshuvah/repentance have already begun. The cycle of life set in by our Heavenly Father is designed to help us stay close to Him through the year.

These last appointed times of the year begin on the western calendar according to https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/2024-2025. The dates given on https://bsc.messianiclight.com/feast-dates/ are different based on the Biblical Solar Calendar.  Let the reader decide.

The Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashana, also spelled Rosh Hashanah and Rosh Chodesh/ Head of Fall; Yom Teruah/ Feast of Trumpets: on

sunset –

nightfall
1-2 Tishrei

Yom Kippur

sunset –

nightfall 10 Tishrei Day of Atonement.

The holiest day of the year in Judaism.

Sukkot – Feast of Booths. Also called the Feast of Tabernacles, the seven-day holiday is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (Hebrew: שלוש רגלים, shalosh regalim).

sunset –

nightfall
15-21 Tishrei

sunset –

nightfall
Dates listed are for Diaspora (outside of Israel)
22-23 Tishrei

Eighth Day of Assembly. Immediately following Sukkot, it is observed as a separate holiday in the Diaspora and is combined with Simchat Torah in Israel.

Shmini Atzeret: sunset–

nightfall

Simchat Torah: sunset –

nightfall

and lead us into the Hebrew Year 5785. 

Leviticus 23:2:  “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, [Concerning] the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim [to be] holy convocations, [even] these [are] my feasts.”

The translation of Lev. 23:2 in the Christian version of the Bible is a little different than the way the Jewish Hebrew Masters render it.

 For them it reads as; “Speak unto the children of Israel ‘These are appointed times of God, callings of holiness, which you shall call in their appointed times.’”  

Where we have the word feast in English translations, in Hebrew feast is mo’ed, which taken to its Semitic root really means:

an appointed time.

It would follow then that these callings of holiness come during these appointed times.

Callings of holiness in Hebrew is

miqr’ei kodesh –  callings of holiness

which may be translated as

holy nutrients.

The rabbis teach that these 

miqr’ri kodesh are holy nutrients

that sustain us throughout our lives. In the same way that nutrients from the foods we eat sustain our physical bodies; the spiritual nutrients received at the appointed times are holy for us, enabling us to walk and mature in our spiritual lives.

Some of these spiritual nutrients include

reverential respect/masso/מַשּׂא,

joy/simchah/שִׂמְתָה

peace/shalom/שָׁלוֹם,

courage/amets/אָמַץ,

strength/chazaq/חֹזֶק,

freedom/chuphshah/חֻפְשָׁה,

wisdom/ chokmah/חָכְמָה;

and other spiritual gifts imparted to us by His grace, all throughout our lives. These are the ongoing needs of the soul, mirrored in the body with its’ constant physical needs.

The Levitical festivals are our Heavenly Fathers appointed times when these gifts are imparted to His children.  When we read about the first Pesach/ Passover is the gift God gives in freedom from bondage, and from the slavery to sin, release from Egypt / the world system.

Peace /shalom was given during the week of unleavened bread/  

During the Omer, reverential respect and courage were given as His children examined themselves and prepared for the coming outpouring of His Spirit.

The first Pentecost/Shavuot was when the Torah or wisdom and instructions of how to approach a Holy God was given; then when Messiah was risen, the Joel prophesy was fulfilled.

The fall Appointed times began with the Day of Blowing /Trumpets. Yom Teruah. The shofar calling the faithful to repentance and to prepare for the most Holy Day of Yom Kippur, when the sacrifice for sin was made and all Israel was forgiven and a new year / rosh hashanah began. The gifts of forgiveness, redemption and sacrifice on their behalf were given to all who obeyed the Lords directions. This was followed immediately by Sukko/Tabernacles/Booths, a weeks rejoicing in the Torah. Simchat Torah, the joy of the Lords provision and the remembrance of His provision all through the wilderness years. The future hope that all His children will dwell with Him forever.

With the basic meaning of the word mo’ed being an appointed time, these miqr’ri kodesh are also spiritual nutrients given for the souls of the Gentile believers in Messiah Yeshua/ Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

To the gentiles, gifts are given at appointed times. To the Jewish people who have not yet received Yeshua as their Messiah, these are the times of their festivals until He comes, however to the Gentile believers who have been grafted into the true vine, these appointed times are to remind us of what has already been accomplished and fulfilled by Messiah.

Many people are fearful concerning the future, the what if’s of life become constant torments. People worry that the economy may collapse, and what if we go to war, or what if there are terrorist attacks, and on and on. 

Be encouraged to read Leviticus 23:2 like the rabbis do, then we need never worry about any of these things for, if, and when, the time comes, our Heavenly Father will give us what we need when we need it the most, and it will come at the mo’ed, the appointed time for that need. For He promises in Philippians 4:6, Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” because

My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Today, is always an appointed time. In Acts 28, Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8, which speaks of “the day of salvation.” Then he says not to delay: “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” In other words, today is the day of salvation.

2 Cor. 6:2 For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Our Heavenly Father is urging us to do it now, and reminding us what blessings we miss out on by delaying our repentance.

There is the rest of this month given us to reflect and change our ways before Him, opportunities to repent are gifts from our Father. We have an advocate with Him and the precious blood of our Messiah Yeshua/ Jesus that cries mercy for us. He sees us as Holy through that Blood as we apply it to our lives.

Callings of Holiness/ miqr’ei  kodesh

are appointed times/moedim for us

and they are opportunities for us to receive the

Holy nutrients we need by being filled with His Holy Spirit, according to Ephesians 5:18, which leads to godly living with the fulness of the Lord; not just a few times a year but daily.

There are many previous posts on the Fall Moedim

which can be freely accessed from Home Page.

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

Are We Fortified?

We are in a time un-paralleled in human history, and every news outlet seemingly offers only negative reports. It can cause people to become fearful and anxious, not knowing what may happen next. When we couple todays actual events, alongside Messiah Jesus’ words in Matthew 24, we can see that the signs of the times indicate He truly is close even at the door. It behooves us to be alert and have our hearts and lives acceptable to our Heavenly Father.

Are we truly of those who love His appearing?

Hereafter, the crown of righteousness – which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me on that Day – is laid up for me. And not only to me but also to all those who love His appearing. 2Tim.4:8.

When we see all these things He talked about in Matthew 24 coming to pass, all at the same time, we are to look up for our redemption draws near. We are not to be in fear of what is taking place but looking unto Yeshua/Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; knowing that He is in control of everything and He knows exactly where we are and is watching over His children as any vigilant parent does. We are not to fear what man can do to us but rather fear what will occur if our trust is in anything other than our Heavenly Father, Who is the Lord God Almighty. Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Luke 12:4.

 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Psalm 56:11.

So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?

Hebrews 13:6

In these days we are to encourage ourselves just like David did.

This verse records how David was in great distress because the people wanted to stone him, but he felt the LORD giving him courage.

1Sam.30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord.

How did David respond to the threat of stoning by his own men when he returned to Ziklag? He trusted in the Lord his God, who had chosen him to be His anointed. 

We are also to encourage not only our brothers and sisters in Christ/Messiah but to also have the Word of the Lord on our lips, ready to speak hope to those still lost. As David was able to speak to his own soul, so can we; by reading what he wrote when circumstances seemed overwhelming to him.

Ps. 43:5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

There are so many encouraging verses in the Psalms and many speak of the protection both physically and spiritually that our Heavenly Father supplies to His children. We are familiar with Psalm 91 and Psalm 139:5 is also one of many that reflects that protection.

Psalm 139:5: “Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.”KJV

Below are the various versions offered by the translators, it is interesting to note the different words used in the same verse.

New King James Version
You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.

New American Standard Bible
You have encircled me behind and in front, And placed Your hand upon me.

Amplified Bible
You have enclosed me behind and before, And [You have] placed Your hand upon me.

Christian Standard Bible
You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For from the beginning to the end you have formed me, and you have set your hand upon me.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
the last and the first: thou hast fashioned me, and laid thine hand upon me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, the last and those of old: thou hast formed me, and hast laid thy hand upon me. 

English Revised Version
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou hast hemmed me in behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me.

Literal Standard Version
You have besieged me behind and before, | And You place Your hand on me.

Majority Standard Bible
You hem me in behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me.

New American Bible
Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me. 

Webster’s Bible Translation
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thy hand upon me.

World English Bible
You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me. 

Young’s Literal Translation
Behind and before Thou hast besieged me, And Thou dost place on me Thy hand.

It seems that we can translate this verse in a number of ways.

There is something interesting in this verse when studied in the original Hebrew text:

Strong’s Hebrew: 6696a. tsur — to confine, bind, besiege

… Bible Strong’s Hebrew 6696a 6696a. tsur

Strong’s Concordance tsur: to confine, bind, besiege Transliteration: tsur

Definition: to confine, bind, besiege

NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin a prim. root Definition to confine, bind,

The word for beset which is tsur, as a noun, this is what Moses struck to get water from – a tsur, a rock. 

Strong’s Hebrew: 6697. צוּר (tsur) — rock, cliff

… Bible Strong’s Hebrew 6697 6697. tsur

Strong’s Concordance tsur: rock, cliff

Original Word: צוּר

Part of Speech: Noun Masculine

Transliteration: tsur

Phonetic Spelling: (tsoor)

Definition: rock, cliff ..

This same word is also used for:

a fortress or fortified city.  

Strong’s Hebrew: 1049. בֵּית (Beth-tsur) — “house of a rock,” a place in Judah

 Definition: “house of a rock”, a place in Judah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin from bayith and tsur Definition “house of a rock,” a place in Judah.

 The word for behind is ‘achor which has the idea of

behind or past,

and the word qedem means: to go forward.  

That word qedem ends with a closed mem indicating

the hidden or unknown, as in the future.

קֶ֣דֶם   forward qedem

This expression  “‘achor vaqedem” expresses past and future.

Achor Psalm 139:5; Job 23:8;

in the phrase מָּנִיםוְאָחר in front and behind

 

 Strong’s Hebrew: 6924a. qedem — front, east, formerly

… Bible Strong’s Hebrew 6924a 6924a. qedem

Strong’s Concordance qedem: front, east, formerly Transliteration: qedem

Definition: front, east, formerly NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin from an unused word

Definition front, east, formerly ancient (4), ancient times (3), before (1), before his of old (1), earliest times (1), East (1), east (26), east side (1), eastward (1), eternal (1), everlasting (1), formerly (1), forward

This indicates that:

in my past and in my future future, God tsur/besets me.  

The word tsur is used as a verb here and is in a qal perfect form.  

Strong’s Hebrew: 6696. צוּר (tsuwr) — adversary

… compare Th; 1 singular suffix אצורך Jeremiah 1:5 Kt, see יצר Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance adversary, assault, beset, besiege, bind up, cast, distress, fashion,

Original Word: צוּר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: tsuwr
Phonetic Spelling: (tsoor)
Definition: to confine, bind, besiege

Brown-Driver-Briggs

  1. צוּר verb confine, bind, besiege (Late Hebrew id., wrap (rare); Aramaic צוּר besiege, beleaguer); — 

Qal Perfect2masculine singularוְצַרְתָּ֫ 

3 shut up, enclose: נָצוּר עָלֶיהָ לוּחַ אָ֑רֶז Songs 8:9 (על of maid [under figure of door] + accusative mater., compare Isaiah 29:3 above); with suffix person Psalm 139:5 (figurative, ׳י subject).

It is best expressed as

“you have entrenched me or FORTIFIED me.”  

So it would read as:

In my past and in my future you have already FORTIFIED or entrenched me. 

At that point in his life David looked to the future, and it did not look so good.  In 2Chronicles 32, we read that there was unrest in the nation and that one generation later there was a civil war in the land.  

There was the threat of the Assyrians were threatening the nation. And there was also the threat to the very throne, when his own son Absalom rebelled; and caused David to run for his life from his kingdom with a price on his head.  2Sam 15:13-23.

As the king, David would have faced escalating pressures day after day, and some of the enemy armies arrayed against Israel were no doubt cause for great concern. However David had a heart after God and when he woke up in the morning, once again facing the stress of what lay in front of him; which many times were unknown situations that came without much warning, he was reminded that God had

fortified him, entrenched him,

or another expression for tsur is hedged him.

David knew from previous times that the hedge or fortress was around him, and it remained around him in the present, and would continue to be around him in the future.  An image that is also recorded in Proverbs.

Reading further in the Psalm, David says:

“You laid your hand upon me.”   

The word laid in Hebrew is

שִׁית

tasheth /shith

and it is in a future tense and means:

to place or set.  

You will set me in your hand/yapap.  

This is not the word yad used for hand, however it is built upon that word and is more specific.  

It means the palm of the hand.  

3709 kaph: hollow or flat of the hand, palm,

sole (of the foot), a pan

Original Word: כַּף
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: kaph
Phonetic Spelling: (kaf)
Definition: hollow or flat of the hand, palm,

sole (of the foot), a pan

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from kaphaph
Definition
hollow or flat of the hand, palm, sole (of the foot), a pan

This verse literally says:

“You have set me in the palm of your hand.” 

As many of the older rabbis/teachers/sages liked to say,

“We are sheltered in the hollow of His hand.”  

And remembering that the ancient sages believed that a person’s heart was in the palm of the hand…..  

With this in mind, David was saying that:

he will not fear or live in dread of the future, for he is sheltered in the heart of God. 

Many individuals today are afraid of the future.  There are indeed wars and rumors of wars worldwide, and peoples futures are uncertain. Leaders are attempting to forge Peace agreements between nations; and countries are jostling for domination and control. In all this, many are giving their lives and innocent lives are caught in the conflict. All this apart from increased activity in earth changes, weather and weather related extremes.

There are mass shootings taking place and people fear going to school or some special event.  There is the fear of terrorist with weapons of mass destruction, destroying water supplies or releasing a biological weapon. We can spend all day worrying, anxious and fearful over the uncertainty of the future.  

Or

we can be like David who looked up to our Heavenly Father and we can say: 

Our past, present, and future is entrenched in You.  If any disaster comes, You will tsur – fortify us. We will be sheltered in the hollow of Your hand or we will be resting in Your heart/hand if any trouble comes.

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.