Adrian's Midrash (A-Drash)

This Week's Torah Portion: Tazria/Metzora “She will conceive/Leper”

Leviticus 12:1-15:33

Prophets:

Jeremiah Isaiah 66:1-24

Gospel:

Luke 10-13

Part 2: Last week we took a close look at the passage found in Deuteronomy 18 regarding the prophet, and how Yeshua fulfills this messianic prophecy (MP). To better understand Passover, we'll have to determine whether or not the Deuteronomy passage is really pointing to Yeshua (Jesus) or not, you'll have to make up your own mind; however, I am convinced of the fact.

 

Also, we discussed the fact that the Spring and Fall Festivals belong to YHWH, and that whether you're the sojourner (Gentile) or the Hebrew, the feasts were designed for you to set aside your daily humbug and meet with the Great I AM, YHWH.

Now, how, exactly, does Yeshua fulfill the remainder of the MPs in becoming the Passover Lamb? One of the greatest, although there are many, is the middle matzah, which is broken in half. One part of it becomes the Afikomen (GK: He has come), which is wrapped in white linen and then hid until the end of the Seder. And, then, at the end of the meal, after the children find it, the leader or head of the Seder ransoms back the Afikomen and it is consumed as the last item (dessert) to end the Seder. The rabbis, however, refer to the Afikomen as to, “that which comes after (at the end)” or “dessert.”

 

The Messianic prophecies just in this one aspect of Passover are so astronomical in fulfillment that no ordinary person can orchestrate them on his own. What passage speaks to this? Isaiah fifty-three deals directly with the Afikomen. And, again, this passage is argued among scholars of both Jewish and Christians circles as to its original meaning that it is often overlooked as being authentic to its MP perspective. Let's take a look at it:

 

But he was pierced for our rebellion,

crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole.

He was whipped so we could be healed. . . . . He had done no

wrong and had never deceived anyone.

But he was buried like a criminal;

he was put in a rich man’s grave.

But it was YHWH’s good plan to crush him

and cause him grief.

Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,

he will have many descendants.

He will enjoy a long life,

and YHWH’s good plan will prosper in his hands (YHWH mine, Isaiah 53: 5, 9-10, NLT).

This passage has long been known as a messianic prophecy in both Christianity and Judaism. However, more recently, many rabbis have tried to argue that Isaiah 53 is speaking more about the nation of Israel as a whole, rather, than, one singular person. Looking at verse five it renders the words: pierced (wounded), crushed (bruised), and beaten (by his stripes). This is an amazing description of the Unleavened bread consumed at Passover. The matzah has holes, stripes, and bruising on it. It is broken in half, carefully wrapped in a white linen cloth, then brought forward at the end of the Seder. Yeshua was pierced through his side, and then beaten and whipped to the point of no recognition.

 

In verse 9 the mp speaks to the burial of the Messiah; He was buried among the criminal and placed in a rich man's tomb (italics mine, Matthew 27:57-61). Verses 10-11 speak to His resurrection and mission. The term, “He will enjoy a long life”is often considered a direct prophecy to the resurrected Messiah. Early rabbinic literature almost always refers to Isaiah 52:13-53:12 as a Messianic passage. The Jerusalem Talmud (Shekalim 5:1) applies 53:12 to Rabbi Akiva, which he declared Bar Kochba to be the Messiah, and then later retracted his statement. The Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 98b) applies Isaiah 53:4 to the Messiah.

 

Dr. Michel Brown argues this point about mp's in Isaiah 52 and 53: “ . . . one thing is clear: The ancient rabbis—Traditional Judaism's most authoritative sources—almost always interpreted Isaiah 53 to an individual rather than to Israel as a whole or to the righteous within Israel, and this individual was most commonly interpreted to be the Messiah.”¹

 

The question one has to ponder is whether you'll accept this text and the life of Yeshua to be in harmony, or whether or not Yeshua is this individual? The Afikomen, which many have debated over its origins, speaks to a couple of things, loudly: (1) It has been used in the Passover Seder since 70 A.D., by Jews and Gentiles across the world. (2) it speaks loud and clear of Yeshua ben Yosef's work on the cross. And, (3) the return of the Afikomen—Yeshua ben David—speaks to his resurrection, which leads to his return as King Messiah.

 

Shalom!

 

 

 

Adrian's Midrash (A-Drash)

This Week's Torah Portion: Sh'mini “Eighth”

Leviticus 9:1-11:47

Prophets:

Jeremiah 2 Samuel 6:1-7:17

Gospel:

Luke 7-9

First, let me apologize for not sending out an A-Drash last week. The demands of my schedule got the best of me; however, all of you were in my thoughts.

 

Second, Passover (Pesach) and Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread) went very well this year. We had our personal one at home, and two other Seders, which one of them I hosted, and the other, me and Jennie, simply attended with the Jackson Hole Jewish Community (Reformed—mostly).

 

Each and every time Pesach comes along, I am amazed at both the bewilderment and the awe I see on the faces of those that have attended for the first time. Not too mention, the second and third timers. It's like witnessing a child finally getting that first “Aha!” moment when he understands simple math.

 

Therefore, if I may sway-away from the Torah portion for the next couple of weeks to bring you some insights of Yeshua within the Passover, you may be presently surprised or terribly upset. Either way, I encourage you to seek the Scriptures as the Bereans once did to discover the truth for yourself. I will do my best to present this teaching without offending any of you because I know that some of you who receive this weekly are not Jewish or Gentile believers in Yeshua as the Messiah. However, I know that all of you are my friends and I consider you to be those, which should not receive anything less than my fair interpretation of the Word of YHWH.

 

How do Netzarim (Messianic) believers perceive Yeshua in the Passover? The first thing to do is to understand the mo'ed's (appointed time's) purpose. In Leviticus 23, YHWH says, “These are YHWH’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as official days for holy assembly” (23:2b, YHWH mine, NLT). Now that doesn't sound like much, but it, nevertheless, establishes a few designed purposes: (1) These feasts belong to YHWH, (2) they are to be proclaimed, and (3) they are to be official days of holy assembly.

 

Eventually, after several years these feats, which were designed by YHWH for the specific role of having man engage in personal and holy assembly with him, turned into meaningless, man-made repetitions that stifled the meanings behind them because of rebellion. Isaiah expressed these words by the Ruach HaKodesh, “I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!” (Isaiah 1:14).

 

Here, YHWH specifically refers to the same feasts of Leviticus 23; however, he is quick to add the word “your” to the context. What were intended to be feasts of purpose, became nothing more than religious experiences through rebellious hearts. The focal point of the Spring and Fall feasts fell on deaf ears, and repentance was needed to return back to the original meanings of these feasts. With all the feasts, Pesach no different, they pointed to the purpose; they were merely shadows of the things to come. Very powerful shadows, but shadows nevertheless. Moshe (Moses) says, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you yourselves requested of the Lord your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’ “Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have said is right. I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him” (bold type mine, Deuteronomy 18:15-20).

 

This messianic prophecy (mp) has been argued over and debated for years, between both Jewish and Christian scholars; however, in light of the Passover Seder, it's not hard to see that this mp relates to the one (Yeshua), which says, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I Am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him” (John 8:28-29).

 

Now, regardless of your view on the above prophecy in Deuteronomy, you'll have to come to a resolution within your own mind about Yeshua one way or another. Yeshua, who quoted the above, cannot be considered anything less than a madman if what he said wasn't true. No way could a person claim to always do what pleases Abba (the Father); either he is a madman or the Messiah. He could neither be a good teacher, nor a prophet because of the resolve of the statement itself: I do nothing on my own . . .

 

Interestingly, just after Yeshua says this, let's notice together the very next verse, “Then many who heard him say these things believed in him” (John 8:30). These many, sorry Gentiles, were Jews. Did they make a connection with what Moses said 1500 years earlier? Possibly. However, by the end of the day, the ones that believed in him were ready to stone him to death in the Temple because he didn't say or teach it the way they had hoped the Messiah would. Passover is a time of personal deliverance from Egypt (Sin); therefore, let each of us consider the leaven in our hearts, and allow YHWH's Word to ring loud and clear in our hearts. The end of Part 1.

 

Shalom v'Chag Sameach! (Peace, and Joyful Holidays!)

 

Adrian's Midrash (A-Drash)

This Week's Torah Portion: Tzav “Command”

Leviticus 6:1-8:36

Prophets:

Jeremiah 7:21-8:3, 9:22-23

Gospel:

Luke 4-6

This week I was hoping to focus on the first part of the passage in the Brit Chadashah (NT, which I prefer calling it the Apostolic Scriptures, because the New (renewed) Covenant is actually found in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36). And, although the passage in Leviticus is very good, I wanted to focus on the temptation of Yeshua and how through his victory we have victory.

 

In the start of his ministry he immediately goes into the prophetic aspect of his calling, which fulfills what Moses records in Deuteronomy 18:15, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him” (emphasis mine). Now, although there has been debate about this passage in both Christian and Jewish circles, the fact remains that Yeshua starts his ministry like the prophets of old, and he is being led of the Ruach HaKodesh into the wilderness.

 

During that time he immerses himself in prayer and fellowship with the Father (Abba)--YHWH. After 40 days of fasting, I love how the Scriptures tell us that Yeshua was hungry. It's surprising how the Apostle Luke takes the time to point us to this fact. Why? Because Satan's tactics have not changed. He always comes after the righteous when their guard is lowered. However, HaSatan (Satan) is in for a reversal of roles. He doesn't have the upper hand on Yeshua. Three times he tries to use sly words of twisting the Bible to his interpretation: (1) “If you are the Son of Elohim, say to these rocks that they should become bread,” (2) “I will give all this authority and all its glory that is delivered to me, and I can give it to whomever I desire. All of it will be yours, if therefore, you prostate yourself before me.” And, (3) “If you are the Son of Elohim, cast yourself down from here to below, for it is written that He will command to His Messengers that concerning you, to keep watch over you, and they will bear you upon their arms, or else you dash your foot against a stone” (Luke 4:3, 6, 9-10) (Aramaic English New Testament, Netzari Press, 2008). Each time, Yeshua used proper interpretation and stood on truth: (1) “It is written that man should not live on bread alone, rather, by every Word of Elohim,” (2) “It is written that you should worship Master YHWH your Elohim, and you should serve Him alone.” And, (3) “It is said that you should not test Master YHWH your Elohim.”

 

It would have been easy for Yeshua to turn the rocks into bread because he was hungry. However, he knew very well that bread was only a temporary solution to his hunger, but the Words of Elohim will endure forever. How often have we “desired” something in our weaknesses? Whether it be food, money, sex, women, men, etc., just for a temporary fix. We live in a fast-food society, which teaches us to have it all, right now. However, the secret to success isn't money, food, or any tangible thing. It's falling in love with the Words of Elohim, and knowing His will by applying what He wants and not what we want.

 

Each correction that Yeshua gives to HaSatan, Lucifer, deals with everyday temptations that we have: (1) The lust of the flesh—“me, me, me.” (2) False worship—“I'll worship my own way, and to my own god.” And, (3) The pride of life, “I am the best, no one is better than me, my family, my culture, my pride.”

 

Each of us have to deal with one aspect of this daily; however, our victory is not in the things we possess, but, rather, on the One in whom we believe, trust, and live for. True success is being happy with your family and content with what ever flight you are led in YHWH. Believe me when I say, I deal with these things daily, and my only hope is found in the truth of His Word, and faith I have in Him.

Shalom, shalom!

Happy Passover! (Hag Pesach!)

 

Adrian's Midrash (A-Drash)

This Week's Torah Portion: Vayyikra “He Called”

Leviticus 1:1-5:26

Prophets:

Isaiah 43:21-44:23

Gospel:

Luke 1-3

Leviticus chapter one, verse one, starts off with these words, “Vayyikra el-Mosheh (Moses) vaydaber YHWH 'elayv me'ohel mo'ed le'mor:” Which many Bibles translate, “The LORD called unto Moses from the tabernacle and said unto him:” Depending on what version you read, you'll usually see something close to this with some slight variances. However, regardless of what translation you read, the urgency of the very first verse is often missed!

 

The first verse sets the stage for the remainder of the book; however, in its first reading it's easily overlooked. The emphasis in the verse should be on Moses being called out; not necessarily God calling out to Moses. Let's take a quick look at the verse and break it down word-for-word.

Vayyikra (He called, or called out)

el-Mosheh (to Moses)

vaydaber (to depart [from here]) (or this can mean “to speak”)

YHWH (Yahweh)

'elayv (In direction of or into)

me'ohel (tent, or dwelling)

mo'ed (appointed time)

le'mor (saying)

Now, I know it doesn't make much sense, but it can be translated as follows: “YHWH called out to Moses and said, “Depart from here, and go into the tent, we have a meeting and I want to speak to you.” Yes, I know it sounds simple, but the emphases on this verse should be on the words, “mo'ed” (appointed time) and “me'ohel” (tent, meeting place). Throughout the Book of Leviticus, we see where the children of Israel are supposed to be different than their neighbors. Specific instructions were given to Moses, and then he was to speak them to the Israelites, and they were to follow particular guidelines to offerings and sacrifices lead by the Levitical Preisthood—Aaron and his sons.

 

By the time we get to Leviticus 23 we see the connection—frankly, way before chapter 23—but, nevertheless, in chapter 23 we see YHWH calling us out as well. “YHWH said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. These are YHWH's appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as official days for holy assembly” (Leviticus 23:1-2). He then declares the 7, . . . NAY, . . . 8 Mo'edim (appointed times): Sabbath, Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and then Shavu'ot (Pentecost), which make up the Spring Feasts. And then, without losing a beat, YHWH speaks about the Fall Feasts: Trumpets (Rosh HaShannah), Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and Tabernacles (Hag HaSukkot). Often, these festivals are known as the “7” Feasts and Festivals of the Lord to the Christian community. However, there are EIGHT! That's right! Eight. They continually skip the Sabbath. Go figure!

 

If we are to understand the significance of what YHWH said to Moses, about coming up to the tent because He wanted to have a meeting with him (Lev. 1:1), then we would not ignore the appointed times YHWH wants to have with us (Leviticus 23). These are actual dates, each year, that YHWH says he wants to meet with us. Why is it that many believers in Yeshua—Gentiles and Jews, say that Yeshua came to abolish the Torah, when Yeshua himself observed and taught them? In Matthew 5, He actually says that those who teach these things will be called great into the Kingdom of Elohim.

 

Therefore, instead of the mo'edim being solely valuable teaching lessons, they should be life-giving appointments. YHWH wants your undivided attention; He wants to meet with you; He wants to celebrate with you, and rejoice over your freedom from bondage. He wants to reveal great and unsearchable things to you that you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3). And, it all starts with an action: to remember the Sabbath and to make it holy. Why? Because He remembers these dates, and when YHWH remembers, it leads him to action! He's worth every minute. The Spring Feasts have been met in Yeshua, but the last three are yet to come! “Baruch haba baShem Adonai (YHWH).” May the Messiah come soon and Tabernacle among us!

 

Shabbat Shalom!

Note: If you'd like to read up on more of what the significance of the feasts mean and how they are fulfilled, then go to http://cid-031d88dcf4e994a7.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/The%20Jewish%20Festivals%20and%20Feasts/Jewish%20Festivals.pdf and then click on the file.