The ancient Hebrew understanding of these 2 words-
blessings and curses is
the keeping or breaking
of the commandments of God
is not about mechanical obedience and disobedience of His commands but rather our attitude towards them.
If you love me, keep my commandments. John 14:21-24
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
continued from:
Will we cherish His commands or will we throw them on the ground and walk on them?
Heavenly Father/Avinu in Jesus/Yeshuas’ Name
may we have
a heart to know,
eyes to see,
and ears to hear.
Truth itself lies on neither mountain but in the valley between.
Here flow the living waters of Jacobs’ well.
Photo above from 1934 – the well is now enclosed.
The 12 tribes were present
and also the High Priest
together with the priesthood
who stood in the valley
with the container of that covenant agreement
– the marriage vows – the ark of the covenant.
Joshua stood beside the ark.
Joshua was a type and shadow of Mashiach/Messiah,
taking Gods people into the promised land;
just as Yeshua/Jesus has made the Way into the promised land/presence of our Heavenly Father.
The ark was representative of God’s throne on earth
containing the presence of God with them
Jesus/Yeshua was the living ark
containing the presence of God with us – Emmanuel.
See links below for more on the ark
and
and for Emmanuel.
The Tabernacle of Ancient Israel
was a sanctuary
which was given in a vision to Moses
as a pattern
and constructed by the children of Israel.
God’s promise was that He would dwell within the Holy of Holies above the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant.
And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among (in) them – Exodus 25:8
Sacrifices continued to be brought once the Jews arrived in the Land of Israel,
first in the Mishkan
which stood in Gilgal for 14 years, until 1259 BCE,
then in the Tabernacle at Shiloh
for the 369 years of its existence—1259–891 BCE,
and then in the First and Second Holy Temples in Jerusalem
which stood for 410 and 420 years respectively:
833–423 BCE; 353 BCE–69 CE.
In this imagery, the relationship of Moses to Messiah on earth, parallels that of Jesus/Yeshua and the Father/Av/Avinu in heaven:
Ex.25:22: “there . . . I [Jesus representing the Father] will meet with you [Moses a type of Christ; cf. Deut.18:18; Heb.3:1-6];
there are many points of typological symbolism between Moses and Messiah in scripture.
The ark was representative of the real ark in heaven.
And Joshua stood beside the Ark
The Tabernacle and the Ark are also a type of Messiah:
just as was Noahs ark… we are to get into the ark/into Jesus/Yeshua and we are to live and abide IN HIM.
In Him we live and move and have our being.
We are to remember what the Word says,
All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
(God-breathed)
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: … 2Tim.3:16
When we look at the scriptures we must remember that.
When it came to the Scriptures,
that was the view of Jesus/Yeshua and
that was the view of the apostles, and mustn’t that also be our view?
The Scriptures don’t just contain the Word of God, or just point to religious experience, they are the Words of God.
No surprise that each and every detail and Word about the tabernacle has spiritual significance?
As we look to the tabernacle structure itself and its unique pieces of redemptive furniture; there is great symbolism and typology found in them.
Remember, everything was a finger pointing to the Messiah.
The tabernacle, as a type, designed specifically and in detail by God, would point to the character and aspects of the ministry of Messiah.
1 – The altar – Gods willingness to accept Jesus/Yeshuas’ sacrifice Heb. 13:10
1 – On Atonement Day the High Priest offered a sacrifice for the sins of the people.
Lev 16:15, 29-31
1 On Nisan 14 33CE Yeshua/Jesus sacrificed His life on our behalf.
Heb. 10;5-10; 1John 2:1,2
2 The Holy place – Yeshua/Jesus’s spirit – begotten condition.
Matt. 3:16, 17; Romans 8:14-17; Heb. 5:4-6.
2 The High Priest Jesus/Yeshua. Heb. 9:11
The curtain – Yeshua/Jesus’ fleshly body – the barrier that separated earthly life from heavenly life. 1Cor 15:44, 50; Heb 6:19, 20; 10:19,20
After His resurrection Messiah passed to the other side of the curtain’ by ascending to heaven to appear before the person of God for us. Heb. 9:24-28
The Most Holy – Heaven. Heb. 9:24
3 Once inside the Most Holy the high priest sprinkled some of the blood of the sacrifice before the ark of the covenant. Lev. 16:12-14.
3 By presenting the value of His shed blood Jesus provided genuine atonement for our sins. Heb. 9:12-24; 1Peter 3:21,22.
The more we become familiar with the Tabernacle/Mishkan, the more we become familiar with Messiah and all that He means to us.
Messiah in the Mishkan:
A copy of reality – what the tabernacle pictured
The veil taken away in Messiah revealing.
The holy of holies – the life – chaim.
The altar of incense – praise and worship.
The Holy place – the truth – emet.
The golden candlestick/menorah – His Holy Spirit.
The brazen/bronze laver – sanctification.
The ark of the covenant – the Fathers presence.
The outer court – the way/derech – the door/dalet
The brazen/bronze altar – the cross and the blood.
The table of showbread – the Word of God/Yeshua/Jesus the word made flesh.
Heb. 10:20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
Col. 2:17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
Jn. 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
It is a Representation of the True Tabernacle in Heaven:
The Lord wants us to be aware of His nature and character. Even the angels don’t fully understand the nature and character of God but they learn from watching His dealings with His church (Eph 3).
In reality things are happening in the heavenly dimension and the Lord wants to reveal to us what took place in heaven after the resurrection of Jesus/Yeshua.
There is a real tabernacle in the heavenlies and Messiah really appeared before the throne of heaven as the Lamb of God (Rev 5).
There is no doubt that some of these things are a mystery but the more we draw close to God and His Word the more He draws close to us.
Heb. 9:11. But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
The Presence Within the Holy of Holies Dwells Within the Believer in Jesus/Yeshua:
Jesus/Yeshua said: I am the temple (Mishkan) of God.
When the glory (Hebrew: Sh’chinah) would come swirling down like a funnel or tornado right through the roof of the Holy of Holies and His Presence would manifest on the mercy seat between the cherubim after the blood was sprinkled, that was the Mishkan.
That Presence was what Jesus/Yeshua said dwelt within Him.
Paul said about the church, Know ye not that you are the temple/sanctuary/ Mishkan of God?
The Tabernacle or Mishkan means tent of meeting. It represents the Shekhina or indwelling presence of God.
Gods Glory filled the tabernacle.
A cloud covered it by day and a fire by night Ex.40:34, 38; Num. 9:15.
The tabernacle was also a place of protection or hiding place Ps.27:5
Jesus/Yeshua is the Gate/Door. John 10:7
and the Narrow WAY. Matt.7:13
Exodus 26
We, as the body of Christ, have the same Presence dwelling within us.
Today, God doesn’t dwell in buildings – now He dwells within His people.
1 Cor. 6:19. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
The Ark of the Covenant was a picture of the Messiah: Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach. It speaks not only speaks of Messiah’s work in atonement, but of who He really is, i.e. His Personhood.
The Ark was a box made of Acacia wood, (just as the cross was), overlaid with gold. Acacia wood speaks of the indestructible humanity of Jesus/Yeshua. As the wood represents His humanity then the gold both inside and outside the ark represent His deity.
In the case of Noahs Ark –
The pitch protected the people inside, making a water-tight seal,
and Messiahs’ blood covers our sins and protects us
from the wrath of God.
God Himself became flesh and suffered the agonies of the human experience. He was tempted, He was weary, He got hungry and thirsty; He had to learn the Scriptures, obedience and to hear God’s voice; and then to be led by His Fathers Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh as a man.
Does the Acacia wood seem to tell us that He was 100% man and the pure gold that overlaid the wood teach us that He was 100% God?
Jesus/Yeshua said:
unless you believe that I AM you will die in your sins.
He used the same words (Hebrew: eheyay asher aheyay) as at the time when the Lord spoke to Moses at the burning bush!
Stone found on Mt.Gerizim.
The Jewish Messiah was none other than JeHoVah/YHVH Himself visiting His people and becoming their savior by dying for the sins of the world and that is the etymology of the name Jesus/Yeshua.
Hebrew. Y’shua = ‘Yaweh has become salvation’.
Jesus/Yeshua condemned the religious leaders for not recognizing the day of their visitation.
The crown of gold around the top of the ark speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Jesus/Yeshua overcame the onslaught of opposition that was set against Him His whole life by the religious leaders, the wealthy Jewish aristocracy, Rome itself, and even all the power of the enemy. He overcame even death itself and rose triumphantly and was given a crown, and glory, and honor, because He is the King. According to John it was Jesus/Yeshua who Isaiah saw seated on the throne of glory with the angels crying ‘holy, holy, holy.’
The unbroken tables of stone set forth Messiah as the One who perfectly kept the Law and never broke God’s Commandments. The Bible says that He “committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.“ In Him dwelt the law of God perfectly (stone tables).
Jesus/Yeshua felt the pressure of temptation at its full intensity yet He never sinned.
Aaron’s rod that budded also speaks of Jesus/Yeshua, the priesthood of God fully; something that had died and supernaturally came to life again.
Jesus/Yeshua said,
I am the resurrection and the life.
The golden pot of manna speaks of Jesus/Yeshua as the bread of God in abundance, who came down from heaven to bring food,
(the bread of life, the Word of God,)
to a world in darkness and dying of hunger.
The Ark of the Covenant was where Gods justice and judgement toward sin was satisfied. It is referred to almost 200 times in the Old Testament.
Covenant
The Biblical definition for covenant is a binding agreement between two parties.
The Greek word Diatheke (Testament).
The Hebrew word for covenant is b’rit and actually means:
to cut the covenant.
It was cut by the shedding of blood and the walking between the two pieces of flesh (Gen. 15).
A b’rit could not be broken.
When you enter into a covenant you make a solemn promise of love and protection to one another and the promise is made everything that is mine is therefore yours.
There were some traditional steps in cutting the ancient covenant:
The robe (life) was removed.
The belt (strength) was removed
A sacrifice was cut in two pieces.
Each would walk between the pieces
Intermingle the blood of the right hand. (scar)
Receive the others name.
Sit at a table together
Plant a memorial
Scripture mentions several covenants made between man and man, such as Jacob and Laban, and David and Jonathan.
It all points to Jesus/Yeshua.
Even the golden poles speak of the
ever living and ever present Savior
who is with us in all our journeying and
will never leave us nor forsake us.
In the history of the ark there are striking resemblances to the ministry of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua our Lord:
The ark went before the people – Jesus/Yeshua went before them:
John 10:4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
The ark was in the middle of God’s people – Jesus is in His people:
John 14:20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
The people were to follow the ark – We are to follow Jesus:
Luke 5:27-28 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
The ark was always first to lead them.
It was death to those that were enemies of God.
The ark brought blessings and curses.
Isa 53:2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.
Isa 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Matt 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
1 Pet 2:22 “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
Gal 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
Jn 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
Jn 6:32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
Jn 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jn 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
When Jesus/Yeshua spoke to the woman
at the very same location
He Himself was the container and carrier of the covenant –
the renewed covenant that would be cut with His Blood.
He was standing/sitting in the valley between the 2 mountains and offering the choice.
He was also representative of the priesthood and our High Priest; the coming Mashiach to them and to us:
the ark of His presence
the carrier of the gift of Gods promise of salvation.
It could also refer to the multitudes in Ezekiels valley of decision!
Which will people choose?
Shamar – keep obey and receive blessing
or
Parar – break …disobey and be cursed
trampling underfoot the offer of living water in Jesus/Yeshua?
How shall we escape from these curses and receive God’s blessings when we can never perfectly obey God’s law?
We are to march from the Ebal, the Mount of Cursing to Gerizim, the Mount of Blessing,
through
the perfect obedience of another Man.
Above: Mount Ebal and Mt. Gerizim looking west.
We stand daily between the mountains and
daily choose Gerizim life and blessing abiding in Him.
We like Joshua have the ark beside us it is Jesus/Yeshua.
Yehoshua and Yeshua from the same root word – Savior and Redeemer.
Like Old Covenant Israel, we the holy nation of the New Covenant only have a foretaste of God’s blessings.
We enjoy these blessings now, spiritually and even materially.
Unlike the Samaritans and the Jews, we do not have to go to Gerizim or Jerusalem to worship and receive blessings from God, because Christ has been sacrificed on his Mount Ebal, the altar of Calvary.
This is why after His sacrifice for all the elect from the whole world, Jesus/Yeshua commanded His disciples to go and teach all nations… because salvation has expanded from Jerusalem, to Judea and all Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Through Messiah’s sacrifice, God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph 1:3).
But the perfect blessings of Mount Gerizim would only come when we finally dwell in the new heaven and new earth, where we will dwell with God forever.
All of us still dwell between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim.
We look back to Mount Ebal when we remember His sacrifice to remove God’s curse on us when we were still lost sinners; but then we also remember Mount Gerizim as we enjoy our blessings in this life while waiting for the fullness of our blessings in the life to come.
Another parallel is found in Matt 25:32-46 The day is coming when Messiah will be in the midst of two companies, those on the right, the sheep, and those on the left, the goats.
One group receives Gerizim/ blessings and the other Ebal/cursing!
Shechem is on the tribal border of Ephraim in the south and Manasseh in the north Mt Ebal was in Manasseh and Mt Gerazim in Ephraim. This is interesting from the standpoint that Manasseh and Ephraim were the sons of Joseph with his Egyptian wife and therefore half Egyptian, representing the heathen world being embraced by the tribes of Israel! As Jacob accepted/adopted Josephs 2 sons as his own.
Messiah is now our High Priest
Jesus the Great High Priest. 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace …Hebrews 4:14-16
and the priesthood that stood with Joshua is now declared in 1Peter 2:9
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Truth itself
lies on neither mountain
but in
the valley between.
Here flow the living waters of Jacobs well.
Jesus/Yeshua
is the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE
The Source of LIVING WATER!
The Hebrew word for truth is `Emet, which refers to a truth that has proven itself reliable. You could translate it “faithfulness” or even “reliability.” `Emet is a word that describes God; He is a God of truth, so our relationship to God must be according to truth.
Interestingly, Jesus/Yeshua said the same thing in this same spot when He told the woman at Jacob’s well that the worshippers God seeks are those who worship Him in “spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24)—worship with one’s inside, the spirit, not just the outside. Jesus/Yeshua said: “in spirit and in truth;”
Joshua/Yehoshua said: “in sincerity and truth.”
Did Jesus/Yeshua had Joshua’s words in mind as He sat near Shechem where Joshua spoke?
Joshua also tells them to:
put away the gods which your fathers served.
He calls them together at Shechem as if to say:
“Remember how Abram put away his idols and came here, and remember God’s promise to Abram in this spot? Remember how Jacob put away his idols in this spot? Remember how you yourselves shouted the blessings and the curses in this spot? Do you want God’s blessing in the land? Then you too put away your idols in this spot.”
We should put away what is wrong and embrace what is right—or better, who is right, because Joshua says again at the end of v 14: “serve the LORD.”
Then comes the most famous verse in the whole book of Joshua: “And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (24:15).
“So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem… Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his inheritance” (vv. 25, 28).
As they left Shechem they were to remember the past and live in light of it. We too, as we live the lives God has given us, should remember from where God, in His grace, took us—from a down-hill slide to destruction into a relationship with His Son. We should remember how God, in His grace, has taken care of us since then in spite of our continued disobedience. In light of God’s faithful past in our own lives, we should personally renew a whole-hearted commitment to the Lord today. As that was Joshua’s challenge to Israel at Shechem, and it is a good one for us to heed too.
The well was between the borders of Manasseh and Ephrain Josephs 2 sons who were born to Joseph and his Egyptian wife symbolic of the in grafting of sheep from other as they were accepted into the tribes of the children of Israel.
The ark in the valley of decision was symbolic of future Messiah bridging the gap and making the WAY back to the Father…restoring broken fellowship/relationship and removing the need for any further sacrifice for sin/disobedience and the curse which was a result of that choice.
Messiah was the flow of living waters that He offered to the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob situated at the base of Mt Ebal… that would wash away all the result of sin after repentant hearts turned from ebal/curse to Gerizim/blessing.
His Truth – The Truth was in the valley between –along with the High Priest, the mercy seat of the ark where He became our blood sacrifice, our High Priest and the full manifestation of all that the Mishkan represented symbolically, and included the rejected Samaritans.
His love and offer of eternal life is all encompassing He was rejected so that we could be included.
He is the truth and that is like Joshua and the ark between the 2 mountains…
He is the Ark and He is the living waters that He offered to the Samarian woman;
and when we are thirsty like He was,
we are to drink deeply of Him and choose the blessing of Gerizim through our obedience to His commands;
while we guard, protect, preserve and cherish His covenant with us sealed in Messiah’s blood.
As the Samaritan woman was looking for Messiah the first time He came, we are to be keeping watch for His soon return!
Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad.
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ;
Let us give our response
barukh shem kevod malkhuto le’olam va’ed.
Jesus/Yeshua IS THE TRUTH THAT LAY IN THE VALLEY
and why when we walk through the valley PS 23
we are to fear no evil for
He is already there…
put your trust in Messiah, whose sacrifice was the once for all fulfillment of the animal sacrifices on the altar of Mount Ebal, then we can march upward to the heavenly Mount Zion, the mountain of God’s blessings.
Shalom shalom mishpochah/family and cheverim/friends!
Sundown tonight is…
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Time is running out please don’t leave this page…until you
Know for certain you are His…
You are loved and appreciated and prayed for daily – and remember once our armor is on, let’s NOT take it off again – merely check daily that it is still in place!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read the posts. If they have been a blessing and if you haven’t already, please sign up for free email notification, like, share and subscribe, it all helps to freely spread the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth and reaches others with His Truths.
Meanwhile let’s remember to stay alert and ready, be in prayer and in His Word for in an hour we think not He is coming… and…
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
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The Eighth Day assembly.
Many believe that the 10 days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is a season, when God is especially close to us; “the gates of heaven are open, and I will listen to your prayers.” Often citing the verse in Isaiah telling the Jewish nation to repent for their sins, he says,
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