I had a conversation with a young friend a few weeks ago over a commentary written in the Zohor by the author of the sacred writings. In this conversation, the commentary spoke of the Levites and how they were supposed to keep their hair, neat and clean cut. This commentary expressed that, as the connection between the people and the Lord, Levites were the connection from the left and center, or Spiritual non-physical, and man being on the right or the physical side.
As I sit here in my time of prayer it has been brought to my attention that it was the purpose of the Levite to maintain that connection to the Spiritual side for all the people of Israel. My young friend brought this to my attention as he felt that since I chose to allow my hair to grow that this might be a reason why I was having trouble gaining blessings from the Lord.
Then it hit me that this was not the design of the Creator. Let’s look at what assignment the Creator has bestowed upon the Tribe of Levi. The Creator has separated them from the general body of the people of Israel for service to Him. What was that service, and how were they to be compensated for their service?
Throughout the book of Numbers, directions for the Levites is given, their duties to the Tabernacle and their responsibilities to the people of Israel. Their compensation is to be a portion from all the remaining 12 Tribal Offerings to the Lord. Upon entering into the Land promised to them by the Creator, it was then separated by tribe, each tribe being given its own land to inhabit as their own. Into each of these lands, one section was set aside for the Levites use.
It is my belief that most people who read these sections of Torah assume that the Levites were given these lands to live on…let me say that again, to live on. I will put this into a perspective in our society today that most can understand. Modern day churches often provide a home for their pastor to reside in while ministering to their church, with the building and the land owned by the church. That is how the Levites’ land was directed and set aside—it was the Creator’s land, and when they moved to a different area, they were to receive property to reside on from a portion of the Levities land in the new area. An example of this would be if a Levite whose family resided within the Tribal land of Reuben, decided he was going to relocate his family to the Tribal lands of Judah.
He was allowed to sell off the land he had resided on in Reuben, and only was able to take his personnel passions with him, moving to the Tribal Lands of Judah. He would then contact the Levitical elders upon his entry and be given a portion of the Land that was theirs for his family to reside on. Thus receiving his portion out of the contributions from the Tribe of Judah and no longer receiving gifts from Reuben.
Anyway moving back to my point, it is the responsibly of the members of the Tribe of Levi to maintain a connection on behalf of the people of Israel. The blessings for the people were to come through the intervention of the Levite.
Based on the conversation I had with my friend and the commentary he read to me, I can understand why people tend to believe that the Levite no longer matters in the community of the Jewish believer. Today’s Jewish culture is based on Rabbinic Law which is referred to as the Talmud.
Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. The Levite is still gifted a certain amount of respect within the Jewish community. If one was to go to any Synagogue today for a Torah Reading service, the Levite is granted the position of the first and last reading as well as the removal and replacement of the Torah Scroll in and out of the Ark.
As mortal men/women we look at those less fortunate then us as maybe they are not doing right by the Lord and he is withholding his blessing from them. I tend to view it as maybe we as a society have decided to change the rules, in order to best suit our own human desires by extrapolating authority from the Torah, that which is not ours to take.
The conclusions that I draw from all this is the blessing the Levi receives does not come from the Lord, he has already blessed them and taken them for service to him. For the performance of that service to him they were to receive their wages from all the people. We each need to ask ourselves where will we go the next time we seek a blessing in our life and what do we do in order to receive such a blessing.
Go look to the Book of 1 Samuel and see what Hannah did when she asked Eli the Levitical priest for his blessings to open her womb. How did she repay the Lord for granting that request?
The Lord bless you and protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. If you have been following our articles and you happened to miss one or two please feel free to read them on our Blog at http://thelightinchristministry.blogspot.com/. Also you can find the Ten Sefirot and the meanings for further reference as needed. If we haven’t posted a missed article please e-mail at bbrody1306@aol.com or call me at 903-819-6777.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
A Soul’s Purpose
As a former United States Marine, I took an oath to serve and protect this country. Friday night I was asked by a friend to listen to a study given by Michael Berg, in which he gave a lesson on the Torah Portion for this week. May 2, 2010, was the 33rd day between Passover and Shavuot, for those who may not under stand this, it is written for us to count the days between when God delivered the Jewish people from Bondage in Egypt, to when He provided them with the Torah. On both of these great days, the people were to give thanks and provide a sacrificial offering unto Adonai (The Lord God Most High).
If you think Christians don’t follow this practice, well your wrong. Instead of counting the Omar, today’s Christians count the days of Pentecost. Interestingly, it’s the same number of days for the same events. God removes the people from bondage and then returns to give them instructions on how to live their lives in service to Adonai. In the case of Christians, Jesus died on the cross for their sins, then returned to instruct them further on living a godly life and on the message they were to bring to the Gentile world.
One must not forget that we are speaking of Jewish people here that were witnesses to these events. Once again he comes to the Jewish people to redeem them from the man-made bondage they had chosen to create. Yes you heard me right—man-made bondage they have chosen to create.
How then, you might ask, is following the Torah a man-made bondage?
Well that is a good question. See, the Jewish people who were in control of the land of Israel (and not the Romans) were a corrupted line of scholars who, in their quest to live like the societies around them, had forsaken Adonai. They created these rules and regulations based on men’s interpretations of the Torah and what they were supposed to do. Those Jesus taught understood he was the perfect sacrifice for our sin offering in the Temple, meaning there was no longer a need to bring a sacrifice before the Lord at these appointed times during the year, but it didn’t mean we should stop observing those days or create different ones for the same purpose.
Jesus, the sacrifice for our sins, removed the corruption from those whose decision it was to use the Torah in order to achieve their own desires.
So then why is it that we still refuse to listen and follow his directions? I would like those of you who are reading this to step back and really listen to this closely. Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, didn’t come 2,000 years ago to save the people of Israel! Sorry, but I need to say this yet again. Jesus didn’t come 2,000 years ago to save the people of Israel! He came, in fact, to awaken the souls of the rest of the world to the Laws and Light of the Torah and the Creator Adonai (The Lord God Most High). What is this you say? Wasn’t one of Jesus’ statements, “first to the Jew then to the Greek?”
Yes, let us look a little deeper into that statement made by Jesus, “first to the Jew then the Greek.” Does the Greek know of or have any understanding of Torah and Adonai? The answer is NO.
So then doesn’t it stand to reason that Adonai would use the Jews to bring his Torah and message of salvation to them first? He chooses them first to show his mighty power in bringing them out of bondage from Egypt.
Ok so back to my point. In Michael Berg’s lesson, he teaches of the understanding that when our soul enters this physical plane it is only but a small portion that enters a human body, and that the rest of our soul remains in the perfect world of the Lord Adonai and that, through our service and spiritual work, we connect to the rest of our soul remaining in the world of Adonai.
The sacrifice requirements were then used to open ourselves and receive from the part of our soul that reminded in the world of Adonai. This means that, in following a spiritual path and following the Torah or (Old Testament), we bring to ourselves the part of our soul that has remained with Adonai (The Lord God Most High). We are then enabled to gain a greater understanding of that which we have come to fulfill in this present lifetime.
The whole point of our soul’s purpose is to serve Adonai (The Lord God Most High) and to provide for those He has instructed us to care for. Jesus himself has instructed Christians to care for those same people that the Lord instructed the people of Israel to care for upon receiving the Torah from His own words on Mt. Sinai. It is written that the Lord Himself came to the people and instructed them with the Torah on Shavuot.
The Lord bless you and protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. If you have been following our articles and you happened to miss one or two please feel free to read them on our Blog at http://thelightinchristministry.blogspot.com/. Also you can find the Ten Sefirot and the meanings for further reference as needed. If we haven’t posted a missed article please e-mail at bbrody1306@aol.com or call me at 903-819-6777.
If you think Christians don’t follow this practice, well your wrong. Instead of counting the Omar, today’s Christians count the days of Pentecost. Interestingly, it’s the same number of days for the same events. God removes the people from bondage and then returns to give them instructions on how to live their lives in service to Adonai. In the case of Christians, Jesus died on the cross for their sins, then returned to instruct them further on living a godly life and on the message they were to bring to the Gentile world.
One must not forget that we are speaking of Jewish people here that were witnesses to these events. Once again he comes to the Jewish people to redeem them from the man-made bondage they had chosen to create. Yes you heard me right—man-made bondage they have chosen to create.
How then, you might ask, is following the Torah a man-made bondage?
Well that is a good question. See, the Jewish people who were in control of the land of Israel (and not the Romans) were a corrupted line of scholars who, in their quest to live like the societies around them, had forsaken Adonai. They created these rules and regulations based on men’s interpretations of the Torah and what they were supposed to do. Those Jesus taught understood he was the perfect sacrifice for our sin offering in the Temple, meaning there was no longer a need to bring a sacrifice before the Lord at these appointed times during the year, but it didn’t mean we should stop observing those days or create different ones for the same purpose.
Jesus, the sacrifice for our sins, removed the corruption from those whose decision it was to use the Torah in order to achieve their own desires.
So then why is it that we still refuse to listen and follow his directions? I would like those of you who are reading this to step back and really listen to this closely. Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, didn’t come 2,000 years ago to save the people of Israel! Sorry, but I need to say this yet again. Jesus didn’t come 2,000 years ago to save the people of Israel! He came, in fact, to awaken the souls of the rest of the world to the Laws and Light of the Torah and the Creator Adonai (The Lord God Most High). What is this you say? Wasn’t one of Jesus’ statements, “first to the Jew then to the Greek?”
Yes, let us look a little deeper into that statement made by Jesus, “first to the Jew then the Greek.” Does the Greek know of or have any understanding of Torah and Adonai? The answer is NO.
So then doesn’t it stand to reason that Adonai would use the Jews to bring his Torah and message of salvation to them first? He chooses them first to show his mighty power in bringing them out of bondage from Egypt.
Ok so back to my point. In Michael Berg’s lesson, he teaches of the understanding that when our soul enters this physical plane it is only but a small portion that enters a human body, and that the rest of our soul remains in the perfect world of the Lord Adonai and that, through our service and spiritual work, we connect to the rest of our soul remaining in the world of Adonai.
The sacrifice requirements were then used to open ourselves and receive from the part of our soul that reminded in the world of Adonai. This means that, in following a spiritual path and following the Torah or (Old Testament), we bring to ourselves the part of our soul that has remained with Adonai (The Lord God Most High). We are then enabled to gain a greater understanding of that which we have come to fulfill in this present lifetime.
The whole point of our soul’s purpose is to serve Adonai (The Lord God Most High) and to provide for those He has instructed us to care for. Jesus himself has instructed Christians to care for those same people that the Lord instructed the people of Israel to care for upon receiving the Torah from His own words on Mt. Sinai. It is written that the Lord Himself came to the people and instructed them with the Torah on Shavuot.
The Lord bless you and protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX. If you have been following our articles and you happened to miss one or two please feel free to read them on our Blog at http://thelightinchristministry.blogspot.com/. Also you can find the Ten Sefirot and the meanings for further reference as needed. If we haven’t posted a missed article please e-mail at bbrody1306@aol.com or call me at 903-819-6777.
Monday, February 15, 2010
What do we Sacrifice for Adonai (The Lord God Most High)? 4
A good note here to consider is that from the time God brought this people from the Land of Egypt he had provide them one main Spiritual leader to guide them Moses Joshua, the Judges, Eli now Samuel, but this still didn’t satisfy the desires of these people, they wanted a more tangible form of Government, one that was more inline with the outside Society. It wasn’t enough to have the Torah and a group of 70 Elders with the guidance of the Lord upon the High Priest who over saw this Court. Their desire was for a Physical King of whom they could see, touch, and feel.
In Samuel Chapter 8 we see the Lord giving his people consequences for their choice to forsake him by requesting a Physical King. The consequence for their choice is they would be giving up their children and their land to whom ever was chosen as there Physical King.
At this point let’s take a look at Chapter 13:8 here we see Saul loosening faith because he refused to wait for the arrival of Samuel. So he takes Authority upon himself that was never his to claim, he then proceeded to offer the burnt offerings before the Lord as Samuel arrived shortly after Saul had completed the offerings. Samuel asks Saul why he has done this foolish thing taking Authority upon himself to perform duties of the High Priest? He we see the consequences for his actions in doing so, “13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.”
I recently had a discussion with a Rabbi over the subject of Authority in forsaking the Torah to follow the Talmudic or Rabbinic Laws, this was his response to my question of Authority, “The Five Books of Moses--and really, all of the Bible--gives a tremendous amount of authority to the "wise men in your gates"--to the point that "you shall not turn from their words to the right or to the left." Keep in mind that the Torah was not given in a vacuum”. So today we Jew and Christian continue on this path started when the people decide to replace the Lord as King and ruler over us, with our desire for the Physical, rather than the spiritual.
The point I am making here is Samuel raised in the Tabernacle by the High Priest Eli, being chosen by the Lord to speak his words, we should understand that Samuel was the “WISE MEN IN YOUR GATES.”
This all sounds so simple but when do we really look at the past as a picture for our future? We are here to learn and grow yet instead of changing our ways some of us continue to justify our choices and remain in a state of justification of these actions. Most of these choices are because of men who know better but chose to claim authority which was never there’s to claim.
Moses never Claims Authority for his actions, but when he messed up by striking the rock for water he sure took responsibility for those actions. Jesus never left us with the Authority to create a new church or faith; he left us with the Authority to ask of all things through him to Adonai “The Lord God Most High”. Much like Moses before him leaving us with the Torah as directions to live while releasing the need for our physical sacrifice before Adonai.
The Lord Bless you and Protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX
In Samuel Chapter 8 we see the Lord giving his people consequences for their choice to forsake him by requesting a Physical King. The consequence for their choice is they would be giving up their children and their land to whom ever was chosen as there Physical King.
At this point let’s take a look at Chapter 13:8 here we see Saul loosening faith because he refused to wait for the arrival of Samuel. So he takes Authority upon himself that was never his to claim, he then proceeded to offer the burnt offerings before the Lord as Samuel arrived shortly after Saul had completed the offerings. Samuel asks Saul why he has done this foolish thing taking Authority upon himself to perform duties of the High Priest? He we see the consequences for his actions in doing so, “13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.”
I recently had a discussion with a Rabbi over the subject of Authority in forsaking the Torah to follow the Talmudic or Rabbinic Laws, this was his response to my question of Authority, “The Five Books of Moses--and really, all of the Bible--gives a tremendous amount of authority to the "wise men in your gates"--to the point that "you shall not turn from their words to the right or to the left." Keep in mind that the Torah was not given in a vacuum”. So today we Jew and Christian continue on this path started when the people decide to replace the Lord as King and ruler over us, with our desire for the Physical, rather than the spiritual.
The point I am making here is Samuel raised in the Tabernacle by the High Priest Eli, being chosen by the Lord to speak his words, we should understand that Samuel was the “WISE MEN IN YOUR GATES.”
This all sounds so simple but when do we really look at the past as a picture for our future? We are here to learn and grow yet instead of changing our ways some of us continue to justify our choices and remain in a state of justification of these actions. Most of these choices are because of men who know better but chose to claim authority which was never there’s to claim.
Moses never Claims Authority for his actions, but when he messed up by striking the rock for water he sure took responsibility for those actions. Jesus never left us with the Authority to create a new church or faith; he left us with the Authority to ask of all things through him to Adonai “The Lord God Most High”. Much like Moses before him leaving us with the Torah as directions to live while releasing the need for our physical sacrifice before Adonai.
The Lord Bless you and Protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX
Sunday, January 17, 2010
What do we Sacrifice for Adonai (The Lord God Most High)? 3
As we continue to look at the book of Samuel there are some further things I would like to point out in these first few chapters. To me it is very interesting to point out the similarities between Eli and Samuel. In both instances they followed the Lord and the directions of the Torah. While their children chose to become greedy with the gifts or the positions they were placed in.
In the case of the sons of Eli, their position was the care of the Priest Hood of the people, as I have pointed out last time this position was of great importance this position was to open the door for the Lord’s Blessing upon his people, but their greed was to take first for themselves then give to the Lord. Note same choice as Aaron’s son’s and the outcome was the same; the Lord put them to death. Because of the actions of Eli’s son God removed the Ark from the presents of the people of Israel for 7 months. For 20 years after the return of the Ark, it reminded in the care of the Levites and hidden from the people of Israel.
Take note that in 1 Samuel chapter 7:6 before the Lord would return his Presence to the House of Israel and allow the Ark and the Tabernacle to be restored first as a whole community all of Israel had to confess there sins before the Lord, at which time Samuel acted as chieftain of the Israelites at Mitzpah. It was at this time when the Lord returned his presence to the people and the Levites once again cared for the people’s sacrifices before the Lord, while Samuel seeking directions from the Lord sat in Judgment over Israel. One point to make clear here is the Lord showed Grace and Compassion to his people.
In Samuel’s case he placed his Son’s as Judges over the people to determine the truth based on the Laws of Torah, but their choice was greed in a manner of making decisions to suite those who would line their pockets with wealth. The outcome of this Choice was a revolt of the people seeking a King over all of Israel. Rejecting the Lord as their King!
At this point I would like to make some interesting points. All around Israel we see Kingdoms. Kingdoms that followed Gods that were tangible; ones made of Gold or such. Ones who could be seem or touched. What did this people have nothing but the King of The Universe for sure nothing tangible, yet were required to give their first fruits to Him and to a family that was to care for there spiritual needs before this non-tangible figure.
A good note here to consider is that from the time God brought this people from the Land of Egypt he had provide them one main Spiritual leader to guide them Moses Joshua, the Judges, Eli now Samuel, but this still didn’t satisfy the desires of these people, they wanted a more tangible form of Government, one that was more inline with the outside Society. It wasn’t enough to have the Torah and a group of 70 Elders with the guidance of the Lord upon the High Priest who over saw this Court. We needed one man to have that position.
The Lord Bless you and Protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX.
In the case of the sons of Eli, their position was the care of the Priest Hood of the people, as I have pointed out last time this position was of great importance this position was to open the door for the Lord’s Blessing upon his people, but their greed was to take first for themselves then give to the Lord. Note same choice as Aaron’s son’s and the outcome was the same; the Lord put them to death. Because of the actions of Eli’s son God removed the Ark from the presents of the people of Israel for 7 months. For 20 years after the return of the Ark, it reminded in the care of the Levites and hidden from the people of Israel.
Take note that in 1 Samuel chapter 7:6 before the Lord would return his Presence to the House of Israel and allow the Ark and the Tabernacle to be restored first as a whole community all of Israel had to confess there sins before the Lord, at which time Samuel acted as chieftain of the Israelites at Mitzpah. It was at this time when the Lord returned his presence to the people and the Levites once again cared for the people’s sacrifices before the Lord, while Samuel seeking directions from the Lord sat in Judgment over Israel. One point to make clear here is the Lord showed Grace and Compassion to his people.
In Samuel’s case he placed his Son’s as Judges over the people to determine the truth based on the Laws of Torah, but their choice was greed in a manner of making decisions to suite those who would line their pockets with wealth. The outcome of this Choice was a revolt of the people seeking a King over all of Israel. Rejecting the Lord as their King!
At this point I would like to make some interesting points. All around Israel we see Kingdoms. Kingdoms that followed Gods that were tangible; ones made of Gold or such. Ones who could be seem or touched. What did this people have nothing but the King of The Universe for sure nothing tangible, yet were required to give their first fruits to Him and to a family that was to care for there spiritual needs before this non-tangible figure.
A good note here to consider is that from the time God brought this people from the Land of Egypt he had provide them one main Spiritual leader to guide them Moses Joshua, the Judges, Eli now Samuel, but this still didn’t satisfy the desires of these people, they wanted a more tangible form of Government, one that was more inline with the outside Society. It wasn’t enough to have the Torah and a group of 70 Elders with the guidance of the Lord upon the High Priest who over saw this Court. We needed one man to have that position.
The Lord Bless you and Protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
What do we Sacrifice for Adonai (The Lord God Most High)? 2
How did we go from a big tent (Tabernacle) in the desert and in Israel to these big Million Dollar places of Worship? Who are the buildings for?
We posed these questions in the last article, so let us first look at how we went from a Tent or Tabernacle to the Temple and why is the Temple such of great importance to Man?
From the time the Ark and all that went into the Tabernacle was created in the desert it was moveable. When the Israelites finally were allowed to enter into the land of Israel, they set the Tabernacle up in one location. The thing to keep in mind is that the Ark and the Tabernacle were still moveable.
I was sent to Judges Chapter 19, here we find a Levi, a man of God who has his concubine (Wife of Convince) Raped and Murdered in the land held by the Tribe of Benjamin. What is important to note here is within this story is the location of the Tabernacle; at this point in time it was located within the boundaries of the Tribal Land of Benjamin in Beit-El. Since this was the place where the Ark of the Covenant resided so also there would have been large community of Levities.
One thing to point out in this story is that at this time the people of Israel stood behind the Levite and were appalled at the thought of angering the Lord by not protecting one of his chosen a Levi. So the people go to war with the Tribe of Benjamin after they refuse to turn over the ones who performed this vulgar act. At this time all but 600 men of the Tribe of Benjamin were killed at the approval of the Lord.
We can then find the Levites moving the Ark to a different location at Shiloh.
Why is it that we have forgotten that without the Tribe of Levi the people of Israel could not change the location of the Holy Ark of the Covenant? Oh wait it is not that we have forgotten this, most of you might not even have known this fact, or even realized that without the servitude of this Family it was forbidden to move the Ark or the Tabernacle, or give Sacrifice before the Lord.
Lets move forward into the Book of Samuel where we still find the Tabernacle in Shiloh. In the beginning of 1st. Samuel we see Hannah at the front of the Tabernacle speaking to the Lord from her Heart. Then comes along Eli the High Priest, Eli thinking she is drunk because her lips were moving but no words were coming out, approaches her. Hannah explains to him she is not Drunk but pouring out her heart to the Lord. As we have pointed out through several of our writings the High Priest was the connection to God for the people, he could open a passage that others could not. I know that some people have interpreted this as God answering Hannah’s prayer, but we should take a step back and see the bigger picture. She also received Blessing’s from the High Priest opening that gateway to the Lord. She promised that if the Lord would answer her prayer she would return the Child for a lifetime of service to Adonai.
Keep in mind that Samuel was not a Levite, but he was the first born to Hannah. This is very interesting to note, much like the Levite’s Samuel had no choice in his service it was promised by his mother. As required they came to the Tabernacle for their yearly pilgrimage, Samuel’s mother and farther are once again given a blessing by Eli (the High Priest). A Blessing that the Lord shall grant them more Children because of the faithfulness in complying with Hannah’s agreement with the Lord.
Another interesting point to observe is that Samuel was the firstborn to Elkanah and Hannah yet Elkanah never seems to complain about his son being placed in the service of the Lord for life instead of receiving his portion of his father’s house much like a Levite is to receive no inheritance. Samuel while in servitude to the Lord Samuel received a part of the Levite’s portion.
The Lord Bless you and Protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX
We posed these questions in the last article, so let us first look at how we went from a Tent or Tabernacle to the Temple and why is the Temple such of great importance to Man?
From the time the Ark and all that went into the Tabernacle was created in the desert it was moveable. When the Israelites finally were allowed to enter into the land of Israel, they set the Tabernacle up in one location. The thing to keep in mind is that the Ark and the Tabernacle were still moveable.
I was sent to Judges Chapter 19, here we find a Levi, a man of God who has his concubine (Wife of Convince) Raped and Murdered in the land held by the Tribe of Benjamin. What is important to note here is within this story is the location of the Tabernacle; at this point in time it was located within the boundaries of the Tribal Land of Benjamin in Beit-El. Since this was the place where the Ark of the Covenant resided so also there would have been large community of Levities.
One thing to point out in this story is that at this time the people of Israel stood behind the Levite and were appalled at the thought of angering the Lord by not protecting one of his chosen a Levi. So the people go to war with the Tribe of Benjamin after they refuse to turn over the ones who performed this vulgar act. At this time all but 600 men of the Tribe of Benjamin were killed at the approval of the Lord.
We can then find the Levites moving the Ark to a different location at Shiloh.
Why is it that we have forgotten that without the Tribe of Levi the people of Israel could not change the location of the Holy Ark of the Covenant? Oh wait it is not that we have forgotten this, most of you might not even have known this fact, or even realized that without the servitude of this Family it was forbidden to move the Ark or the Tabernacle, or give Sacrifice before the Lord.
Lets move forward into the Book of Samuel where we still find the Tabernacle in Shiloh. In the beginning of 1st. Samuel we see Hannah at the front of the Tabernacle speaking to the Lord from her Heart. Then comes along Eli the High Priest, Eli thinking she is drunk because her lips were moving but no words were coming out, approaches her. Hannah explains to him she is not Drunk but pouring out her heart to the Lord. As we have pointed out through several of our writings the High Priest was the connection to God for the people, he could open a passage that others could not. I know that some people have interpreted this as God answering Hannah’s prayer, but we should take a step back and see the bigger picture. She also received Blessing’s from the High Priest opening that gateway to the Lord. She promised that if the Lord would answer her prayer she would return the Child for a lifetime of service to Adonai.
Keep in mind that Samuel was not a Levite, but he was the first born to Hannah. This is very interesting to note, much like the Levite’s Samuel had no choice in his service it was promised by his mother. As required they came to the Tabernacle for their yearly pilgrimage, Samuel’s mother and farther are once again given a blessing by Eli (the High Priest). A Blessing that the Lord shall grant them more Children because of the faithfulness in complying with Hannah’s agreement with the Lord.
Another interesting point to observe is that Samuel was the firstborn to Elkanah and Hannah yet Elkanah never seems to complain about his son being placed in the service of the Lord for life instead of receiving his portion of his father’s house much like a Levite is to receive no inheritance. Samuel while in servitude to the Lord Samuel received a part of the Levite’s portion.
The Lord Bless you and Protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX
Friday, November 27, 2009
What do we Sacrifice for Adonai (The Lord God Most High)? 1
Over the years as a member of a United Methodist Church this is the time of the year when they begin their Stewardship campaign in order to set up their budget for the New Year, based on what has been pledged. I am sure in most Christian Churches not only do they take a weekly offering, but try to obtain pledges from there members to gain a better understand of the funds they will have available to help themselves increase how they can better get there message out to not only their members but to bring entice new people to join.
There is one interesting thing to note here for some reason Churches pay their Pastors large sums of money to either entice them to be part of their Church or to keep them there. It is all very confusing to us as to why some Churches pay their Senior Pastor up wards of $150,000.00 plus a year while others may only receive $30,000.00 a year. Let us not forget that not only do they receive such large amounts of money the church also pays for their housing, utilities for their home, travel expenses and many more perks.
So what is the big deal, whom are they doing this for? Are they in the business for God it sure doesn’t seem like it to us, it sure looks like the Levites and the Priests in the Temple? The ones who benefited financially from the requirements to bring an offering for their sins, those who would go out and collect animal that were free and brought them to the temple said a blessing over them and sold them as something that was pleasing to the Lord, like God could care less where the offering came form.
I for one would love to just have my housing, utilities and transportation costs paid with enough to just be able to take my wife out or go on a vacation once in a while. I had a discussion with a former Pastor of mine who believed he could understand what I was going though with our financial circumstances, Then I preceded to ask him how, he received a good salary, had a home he wasn’t getting evicted from or had to worry if the electric or gas would be cut off. No I think not like some Pastors they try to help you walk in your faith, yet refuse to practice what they preach. I for one feel if you are going to be preaching to me then you better be walking the walk so to speak.
Not to be one way in just condemning Christians for there actions I also contacted several Jewish friends to see what the Synagogues are asking of their members in order to help provide for there continued service to the local community. What the responses where varied on the community most required a fee for seating during the High Holy Days as well as membership dues. Some just require dues, which cover everything.
Those we would like to commend for there actions are the ones who ask for nothing. Those who rely on the Lord to provide for there needs, every so often I listen to Pastor Richard Ellis, of the Reunion Church in Dallas TX. One message that really stuck in my mind was when he is asked about building a permit building to house his Church he refuses to. See Richards Church is held at the Dallas Convention Center Theater they have no permit building. According to Pastor Ellis this enables them to provide for the needs of the community by not having any overhead costs associated with a church building. I often wonder how many people could be helped if more churches would take up Richards view.
For the Jewish community I would say that there view for a need for a Building is to House the Ark, which houses the Torah scrolls. To them it is important to have a permanent building for this purpose.
What upsets us the most is much like many of our Christian and Jewish Communities today for some unknown reason they keep building these large and wonderfully expensive Buildings. The people who are directing these measures are those that are trying to bring in the people and there money, by offering there members such amenities as a Starbucks or a McDonalds right in there buildings.
So where are we going with all of this? How did we go from a big tent (Tabernacle) in the desert and in Israel to these big Million Dollar places of Worship? Who are the buildings for?
The Lord Bless you and Protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX.
There is one interesting thing to note here for some reason Churches pay their Pastors large sums of money to either entice them to be part of their Church or to keep them there. It is all very confusing to us as to why some Churches pay their Senior Pastor up wards of $150,000.00 plus a year while others may only receive $30,000.00 a year. Let us not forget that not only do they receive such large amounts of money the church also pays for their housing, utilities for their home, travel expenses and many more perks.
So what is the big deal, whom are they doing this for? Are they in the business for God it sure doesn’t seem like it to us, it sure looks like the Levites and the Priests in the Temple? The ones who benefited financially from the requirements to bring an offering for their sins, those who would go out and collect animal that were free and brought them to the temple said a blessing over them and sold them as something that was pleasing to the Lord, like God could care less where the offering came form.
I for one would love to just have my housing, utilities and transportation costs paid with enough to just be able to take my wife out or go on a vacation once in a while. I had a discussion with a former Pastor of mine who believed he could understand what I was going though with our financial circumstances, Then I preceded to ask him how, he received a good salary, had a home he wasn’t getting evicted from or had to worry if the electric or gas would be cut off. No I think not like some Pastors they try to help you walk in your faith, yet refuse to practice what they preach. I for one feel if you are going to be preaching to me then you better be walking the walk so to speak.
Not to be one way in just condemning Christians for there actions I also contacted several Jewish friends to see what the Synagogues are asking of their members in order to help provide for there continued service to the local community. What the responses where varied on the community most required a fee for seating during the High Holy Days as well as membership dues. Some just require dues, which cover everything.
Those we would like to commend for there actions are the ones who ask for nothing. Those who rely on the Lord to provide for there needs, every so often I listen to Pastor Richard Ellis, of the Reunion Church in Dallas TX. One message that really stuck in my mind was when he is asked about building a permit building to house his Church he refuses to. See Richards Church is held at the Dallas Convention Center Theater they have no permit building. According to Pastor Ellis this enables them to provide for the needs of the community by not having any overhead costs associated with a church building. I often wonder how many people could be helped if more churches would take up Richards view.
For the Jewish community I would say that there view for a need for a Building is to House the Ark, which houses the Torah scrolls. To them it is important to have a permanent building for this purpose.
What upsets us the most is much like many of our Christian and Jewish Communities today for some unknown reason they keep building these large and wonderfully expensive Buildings. The people who are directing these measures are those that are trying to bring in the people and there money, by offering there members such amenities as a Starbucks or a McDonalds right in there buildings.
So where are we going with all of this? How did we go from a big tent (Tabernacle) in the desert and in Israel to these big Million Dollar places of Worship? Who are the buildings for?
The Lord Bless you and Protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX.
Friday, November 20, 2009
What do we Sacrifice for Adonai (The Lord God Most High)?
During our preparation for the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashana & Yom Kippur, we spent time having discussions about the place of the Tribe of Levi during these holidays.
So what is the connection in all off this you might ask? In order to see the connection we first take a look into the book of Genesis 34 &49:5-7. In this we see Shimon and Levi go after the man who raped their sister. After the young man his Father and their followers became circumcised thus complying with the agreement with Jacob. They did this in order to share their women. Shimon and Levi then go into the city and killed every man took all their possessions, the women, children and all of there animals. Jacob becoming enraged with them sought the will of the Lord and was given directions to pack everything he owned and move to the place where he fought with the Lord. As we look into Genesis 49:5-7 we see on Jacobs death bed that he promised Shimon and Levi that there children shall be scattered throughout the people of Israel.
Ok moving forward several generations we see Adonai pulling out one of the Son’s of Levi and choosing him to lead his people out of bondage and at that time create the people of Israel. At this point God requires Moses to count all the people by family, after this count is complete God tells him that instead of taking the first born from each family he will take the Levites in their place. Thus fulfilling Jacob’s words, that the Son’s of Levi will be scattered through out the land of Israel.
This past week a good friend reminded me of the Story about the little girl who sees a string of costume Pearls in the store and she does extra chores in order to make enough money to buy those fake Pearls. Every night when she would say her prayers with her Father he would ask her if he could have those Pearls. They were the thing she most wanted to hold on to in this world. Then one night while she was praying with her Father again he asked for those Pearls. This time she gave in and handed those fake Pearls up, and to her Father, who then returned to her a real set of Pearls.
The point in using this story is this, the Son’s of Levi were never given a chance to turn over there Pearls to Adonai, he had chosen them to replace all the first born of Israel to serve Adonai, by not only caring for his Temple, but all of the People of Israel. The Levites were to be in servitude to Adonai and all the people of Israel from the age of 25-50 then sever as teachers without physical labors. So where does that leave the people of Israel? Well let us address that for a minute. According to the Torah, the Levites were not allowed to possess any Land or holdings of their own. How this worked and this is our understanding that the Levites were given land to live on and care for. These lands in each of the Tribal communities were strictly for the use of the Levities. This was in a sense payment for their servitude to that community. If a Levite went from one community to another he took only his personal possessions, at the new community he would then be given a share of the Levities possessions of that community. This was Adonai’s way of providing for this servitude for which they had been chosen, not asked or given the choice, but required.
Today Christians Theologians based on the teachings of Paul try to explain and teach that it is every persons responsibility to share to good news and to minister to those in need. Why do they continue to use the Torah and Cultural Jewish Teachings, but refuse to speak up that these are the teachings of Jewish culture and of Jesus himself? His teaching’s strictly comes from the Torah and not the New Testament. What Jesus teaches of in the New Testament is directly from the Laws as given by Moses although in some cases he makes greater restrictions on certain Laws.
The fake Pearls in this story represent the things of this physical world in which we choose to hold on to our fear, anxieties anything we refuse to turn over to Adonai. To us they also represent the way today’s Christian Theologians teach their flocks. So maybe it is time for you to give up the fake pearls and open your eyes to the true teaching of Jesus the Jewish Messiah, realizing that every single time Jesus used the term “it is written or the scriptures’ say”, he was referring strictly to the Torah.
The Lord Bless you and Protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX
So what is the connection in all off this you might ask? In order to see the connection we first take a look into the book of Genesis 34 &49:5-7. In this we see Shimon and Levi go after the man who raped their sister. After the young man his Father and their followers became circumcised thus complying with the agreement with Jacob. They did this in order to share their women. Shimon and Levi then go into the city and killed every man took all their possessions, the women, children and all of there animals. Jacob becoming enraged with them sought the will of the Lord and was given directions to pack everything he owned and move to the place where he fought with the Lord. As we look into Genesis 49:5-7 we see on Jacobs death bed that he promised Shimon and Levi that there children shall be scattered throughout the people of Israel.
Ok moving forward several generations we see Adonai pulling out one of the Son’s of Levi and choosing him to lead his people out of bondage and at that time create the people of Israel. At this point God requires Moses to count all the people by family, after this count is complete God tells him that instead of taking the first born from each family he will take the Levites in their place. Thus fulfilling Jacob’s words, that the Son’s of Levi will be scattered through out the land of Israel.
This past week a good friend reminded me of the Story about the little girl who sees a string of costume Pearls in the store and she does extra chores in order to make enough money to buy those fake Pearls. Every night when she would say her prayers with her Father he would ask her if he could have those Pearls. They were the thing she most wanted to hold on to in this world. Then one night while she was praying with her Father again he asked for those Pearls. This time she gave in and handed those fake Pearls up, and to her Father, who then returned to her a real set of Pearls.
The point in using this story is this, the Son’s of Levi were never given a chance to turn over there Pearls to Adonai, he had chosen them to replace all the first born of Israel to serve Adonai, by not only caring for his Temple, but all of the People of Israel. The Levites were to be in servitude to Adonai and all the people of Israel from the age of 25-50 then sever as teachers without physical labors. So where does that leave the people of Israel? Well let us address that for a minute. According to the Torah, the Levites were not allowed to possess any Land or holdings of their own. How this worked and this is our understanding that the Levites were given land to live on and care for. These lands in each of the Tribal communities were strictly for the use of the Levities. This was in a sense payment for their servitude to that community. If a Levite went from one community to another he took only his personal possessions, at the new community he would then be given a share of the Levities possessions of that community. This was Adonai’s way of providing for this servitude for which they had been chosen, not asked or given the choice, but required.
Today Christians Theologians based on the teachings of Paul try to explain and teach that it is every persons responsibility to share to good news and to minister to those in need. Why do they continue to use the Torah and Cultural Jewish Teachings, but refuse to speak up that these are the teachings of Jewish culture and of Jesus himself? His teaching’s strictly comes from the Torah and not the New Testament. What Jesus teaches of in the New Testament is directly from the Laws as given by Moses although in some cases he makes greater restrictions on certain Laws.
The fake Pearls in this story represent the things of this physical world in which we choose to hold on to our fear, anxieties anything we refuse to turn over to Adonai. To us they also represent the way today’s Christian Theologians teach their flocks. So maybe it is time for you to give up the fake pearls and open your eyes to the true teaching of Jesus the Jewish Messiah, realizing that every single time Jesus used the term “it is written or the scriptures’ say”, he was referring strictly to the Torah.
The Lord Bless you and Protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!
The Articles presented here are copy written by The Light In Christ Ministry in Sherman, TX
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