Pesach Thoughts

Pesach Thoughts

Introduction

Passover is upon us again! What a wonderful time of the year – the start of our Creator’s annual cycle in which His amazing plan is revealed for all who chose to be in covenant with Him at His invitation. From the beginning, this first of His seven feasts, the awesome plan unfolds.

Exodus 12:

1 And YaHUaH spoke to Mosheh and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

2 This month shall be to you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

3 Speak to all the congregation of Yisra’el, saying, In the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their father’s house, a lamb for a household…

5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: you shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats.

6 And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, and the whole assembly of the congregation of Yisra’el shall kill it in the evening.

And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, in which they shall eat it.

11 And thus shall you eat it; your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste: it is YaHuWaH’s Passover.

Apart from the weekly seventh-day Shabbat, there are seven feasts that YaHUaH instituted and commanded His covenant people Yisra’el to keep every year according to His cyclical timetable. We read about the Shabbat and all the other seven feasts in detail in the 3rd Torah book, Lev.23. In verse 5 we read:

In the fourteenth day of the first month, at evening is YaHuWaH’s Passover.

Several times in Scripture, especially in the Torah it is stipulated by YaHUaH Himself, that Pesach (Passover) belongs to Him. Therefore, in our keeping of this primary feast of His, we need to be guided by His RUaCh.

There is nothing wrong with tradition as such, unless it becomes ritualistic religion. The evil pagan Ishtar (Easter) sun-worship services in which 3 month old babies (conceived during the previous year’s Ishtar sexual orgies) were sacrificed to Ba’al and eggs dipped in their blood, is a very important annual ritual on the Christian Church calendar. Yes, very few Christians know how Easter originated, and have no idea of the true meaning of the bunnies and chocolate eggs that they give their children. This ignorance, however, does not make this pagan feast any less abominable to YaHUaH.

In this series of 7 articles, we will look at Pesach from a totally different angle. But this other angle or perspective will be based on the central theme of Scripture – The Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

Enjoy this journey with me…

Part 1

Pesach (Passover) Thoughts

• from another perspective –

This material creation is, according to Scripture, a very literal pattern of the spiritual from which it came. We will look at the Pesach Remembrance from our material perspective of which we are an integral part. But, looking at it from this natural perspective, will actually put the spotlight on the Father’s eternal perspective of the whole Pesach happening.

Although it is difficult to get our finite minds around this concept, Pesach is in a very real sense the meeting or blending of Spirit (Creator) with the natural (creation). Of course there was a pollution of what should have been pure and perfect Spirit merging with pure and innocent man/woman when evil spirit corrupted humanity with his “knowledge of good and evil.”

However, our Creator is, always was, and always will be in total control. We have many, mainly “WHY?” questions the answers for which are in Scripture. But they will only be found when searched for with all the heart under the guidance of His Ruach HaQodesh (Set-apart Spirit).

In this study our perspective will be from the concept of RELATIONSHIP. Some believers, motivated by their rejection of the Almighty’s eternal “Law” (Torah), often say: “It is not about religion, it is about a personal relationship with the Saviour.” Usually this statement is based on what they have been taught, that a law-abiding or Torah lifestyle is pure religion that “Jesus” through His death set them free from.

This saying, taken by itself is absolutely right, but when loving obedience to the Creator’s Torah is despised as religion, then deception has already deeply taken root. The people who hold to this view are the real religionists – striving after a relationship with Him but at the same time living in rebellious disobedience. Hmm, is this possible?

Relationship with humanity was at the core of our Creator’s motivation when He made us in His own image in the first place. You, my reader, are part of the human race, therefore, just the fact that you exist, is proof that He desires an intimate relationship with you. The word “intimate” is key to the relationship He wants you to experience with Him. In the same way intimacy, in its pure sense, is the very foundation of a marriage relationship.

I am sure most of us will agree that the most important of all human relationships is that of FAMILY, and the very foundation of every family is the covenant between a husband and a wife – one man and one woman.

Relationship: – (a dictionary definition)

1. A connection, association, or involvement.
2. Connection between persons by blood or marriage (covenant)

From the very beginning YaHUaH designed this “connection” to be absolutely unbreakable, and it would have been if it wasn’t for the enemy’s deception that led to willful disobedience. Willfully disobeying the Almighty’s instructions (Torah) is SIN, for: SIN is the transgression of the Torah, 1John 3:4.

But your iniquities have separated (broken the connection) between you and your Elohim, and your sins have hid His face from you that He will not hear. Is.59:2.

The broken relationship between the Creator and man created in His image, will have a devastating effect on the relationship between a husband and his wife. If a married couple do not, in unity, have an intimate relationship with their Creator, then their relationship with one another will be far from satisfying. First the relationship with each individual was broken with Him when they, in turn, chose to disobey His very clear instruction. This then badly damaged their relationship with each other.

SIN broke the connection! No relationship, with Him and with one another can be perfectly restored unless we have an understanding of what SIN is, and how toxic it is to any relationship. Very simply, SIN is transgressing or disobeying the Torah, 1 John 3:4. YaHUShA did not come to set us free from the “Law” (TORaH). He came to deliver us from SIN. In other words, His shed Blood which cleanses us from all SIN (1 John 1:7), is the Power to help us live SIN-overcoming lives. He did not die so that we could continue to live sinful lives. That attitude cheapens His work of redemption.

The original marriage covenant relationship was designed to be unbreakable. Then how is it possible that the enemy was able to break this connection, or to corrupt it into the “bad connection” that is prevalent in virtually every marriage relationship today? Think of a “bad connection” in an electrical appliance, or in terms of a weak cellphone signal. That appliance or cellphone just will not work properly and it is extremely frustrating when this happens.

Another question is: Why did the all powerful Creator, who knows the end from the beginning, allow the old devil, the serpent, access to this original married couple so that he could corrupt their perfect relationship?

What happened in the Garden, causing the “FALL” of mankind, is to this day causing many to deny their belief in a loving, caring and merciful Creator. They just cannot comprehend that a loving and all powerful Being could allow the “living-hell” of their destroyed marriage relationships for which they had so much hope in the beginning. And so, many fall into the “fool’s trap” of atheism, that – a loving Creator does not exist. (Ps.14:1), or agnosticism, that if such a Being did exist, it is not possible to know Him. It just does not occur to them that by their own free will choices that they were not forced into making, they played the major part in their broken relationship.

Part 2

Pesach (Passover) Thoughts

Why DID He allow it?

I had finished writing this second part of my thoughts on Pesach, when, on rereading it, I realized that the question, although touched upon briefly, was not answered at all. So I went for a long walk in this beautiful and safe town of Cambridge, NZ. I told Avinu (our Father) that I had my own opinion, but that I really did not know the answer, and asked Him to explain it to me simply, by His Ruach.

What follows is what I re-wrote when I returned from my walk.

The all wise, all knowing Creator of this most intricately designed universe knew what was going to happen to the two humans that He had made in His own image and placed in that beautiful paradise. So why did He allow it? I think the two-fold answer, although simple, is difficult for finite minds to grasp and come to terms with.

Answer 1 – We choose

We need to remember that it was YaHUaH Himself that had created and planted both the trees in the midst of the garden – The Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The second tree was not evil – it was the tree of the KNOWLEDGE of good and evil.

Throughout the week of creation, Scripture says that Elohim proclaimed His creation to be good. That would include the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. If the tree itself was evil, then the Almighty would have been contradicting His own Word which says:

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 5:20.

Therefore the real problem was the deliberate partaking of the fruit of that tree after they were strictly forbidden and warned of dire consequences if they did. Nevertheless, with the wonderful gift of their own free will, they chose to disobey. YaHUaH allowed them to because He is not interested in a relationship with automatons – zombies who cannot choose to love Him freely for who He is. Isn’t it the same with us in our relationships? A husband, and vice versa a wife, wants a real person to love them in response to the love that is lavished upon them, not unconditionally. Intimacy is not possible with a plastic sex doll.

He created every individual human being as a free moral personality. Isn’t that a tremendous blessing – that He gave us the right to choose if we want to love Him?

The motivation to choose right could not be improved upon. He gave the first couple what was literally the most beautiful place in the whole world to live in. Every need of spirit, soul and body was met. And yet, they chose wrong!

The amazing thing is that even after the Fall, He did not withdraw the gift He gave humanity – the right to choose to love Him in return for His great love. However, His love is not unconditional as many teach. With regard to His love, the word unconditional does not appear in Scripture.

John 3:16 states that He loved the world so much that He gave the Greatest Gift conceivable – His Son, The Pesach Lamb, to redeem us from the consequences of choosing wrong. The condition attached to that verse is that we believe in the Son, and in the Authority of His Name, John 3:18. The essence of this required belief is Trust-based obedience, not a vague “pie in the sky” faith that is void of an intimate relationship with Him.

Please read the whole of Joshua 24. It is an eye opener of Yisrael’s inclination to choose wrong. But it is possible to make a quality decision that is right.

And if it seems evil to you to serve YaHUaH, choose this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve YaHUaH. (Josh.24:15)

Answer 2: Evil Will be destroyed

Because He knew the Fall would happen, and because Scripture paints a beautiful picture of His magnificent, loving, merciful, just, fair and unbelievably compassionate character, there obviously is a perfectly sensible answer to this dilemma of WHY did He allow it? But maybe it is more accurate to say: Obviously there is a perfectly spiritual answer… for our soulish senses have been corrupted and are not able to discern the answer without the aid of His Spirit. In fact, for the unregenerate soul, the truth of the Almighty allowing evil to continue unabated is impossible to fathom.

A very large slice of the fallen nature of mankind consists of prideful arrogance. We have all inherited it to a greater or lesser degree from father Adam. We all tend to think we know better. Young children, especially in this modern technological age really do think they know better than their parents.

Teenagers? – well, they don’t think they know better, they know they know better! But one thing they don’t know, or just cannot grasp, is the fact that their parents and grandparents were also teenagers not all that long ago.

Young adults? Body language, secret looks at friends, rolling eyes, gives away their “know it all” conviction.

Are middle aged adults with their own teenage and young adult children free of this arrogance? Not at all, they often treat their own elderly parents who are of sound mind, as senile preteens. And yet, these elders of society have all the advantage of experience. One of the greatest assets of age is the attaining of the knowledge that we don’t know it all, at all, and never will. History certainly does repeat itself in that each generation of humanity, on the whole, never learns from it.

Of course I am speaking generally. There are exceptions, but they are not the rule.

This arrogant depravity of character has reached maturity when a puny man, so proud of his pseudo science learning in the theory of Darwinian evolution, presumes to give the Almighty, in whom he does not believe, advice on how to sort out the mess. These people are so deluded that they are totally blind to how ludicrous their arguments are. They cannot see that due to their own choices in life, they are the problem.

Is the Creator uncontrollably letting evil run unabated? Or is He, just maybe , in perfect control allowing this cancerous scourge (SIN) on His creation to run its full course so that at the right time it will self-destruct? Have you ever thought of the fact that cancer destroys itself? The flesh of the host it consumes, when dead, leaves nothing for the cancer to “live” on, and it returns to its original state – death, non existence. However, the spirit of the human that was killed, returns to the Eternal Spirit who gave it. (Eccl.12:7)

Maybe He allows it during this “short” 6000 or 7000 year black microdot on the vast white canvas of eternity, so that it would be forever exterminated – as if it had never existed. During eternity the only hint that something so evil had ever existed would be The Lamb, slain before the foundation of the world, seated upon the throne. (Rev.5:13).

It was all planned from the beginning by YaHUaH and YaHUShA, His Son, before SIN ever existed. It was planned by the Creator alone, before He created any other malakim (messengers aka angels), for Scripture tells us that these spirit beings were desirous and curious to learn of the Plan that, bit by bit, precept upon precept (Is.28:10), He revealed to His prophets, inspiring them to write it down. (1Pet.1:12)

The marriage of the Lamb to His bride was planned in eternity past…

Part 3

Pesach (Passover) Thoughts

Consummation of the Marriage Covenant

Why are we here? What purpose did the Creator have with His creation? Is there a purpose, or are we the end product of extremely dense nothingness that exploded? As one foolish pseudo scientist said, much to the delight of His equally foolish and gullible audience:

Forget about Jesus, the stars died so that you could have life. You are stardust.

He that sits in heaven shall laugh. YaHUaH shall have them in derision. Ps.2:4

Let us go back and spiritually discern (seek) for the answer in Scripture. We will start from the precept that the loving Creator designed the original marriage covenant to be unbreakable. In other words, marriage was designed to be an absolute unity – ONE FLESH, but divided into two personalities (persons) who walk together in total unity. Wow! that would be heaven on earth, don’t you agree?

Genesis 2:22-25

And the rib which YaHUaH Elohim had taken from the man He made into a woman, because she was taken out of man.

And Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave (perfectly connect) unto his wife: AND THEY SHALL BE ONE FLESH.

And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

The true purpose of this “Relationship” design of the Creator

Genesis 1:26-28

And Elohim said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion…

So Elohim created man in His own image, in the image of Elohim created He him; male and female created He them.

And Elohim blessed them, and Elohim said unto them, BE FRUITFUL, AND MULTIPLY, and replenish the earth…

The very first blessing spoken over mankind by the Creator was the command to: Be fruitful and multiply… He designed us to be fruitful – to bring forth after our own kind – not only physically, but spiritually too. In Scripture, when a married woman was barren (unfruitful), it was always a tremendous reproach upon her. If she did not have children, she regarded it as not fulfilling her purpose in life! Think of Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, Elishiva (Elizabeth) etc.

But a bride could not have children without the very intimate involvement of her husband. There literally had to be a physical connection between them in order for her to bear the blessed fruit of children so that they could become a family. Furthermore, this intimate connection cannot happen, and their purpose to be fruitful will not be achieved if they are clothed.

With this in mind, we can now better understand the short but explicit verse: And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed.

To fulfill one’s purpose in life is not something to be ashamed of. Rather it is a great honour – the essence of the Creator’s blessing upon us.

Psalm 127:3-5

Lo, children are an heritage of YaHUaH: and the fruit of the womb is His reward.

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

Happy is the man that has his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Psalm 126:1-4

Blessed is every one that fears YaHUaH; that walks in His ways. (Torah living)

For you shall eat the labour of your hands: happy are you, and it shall be well with you.

Your wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of your house; your children like olive plants around your table.

Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that fears YaHUaH.

Blood

When a marriage covenant is consummated, blood flows from the bride when the hymen is broken. Only when that happens will the bridegroom’s sperm have access to hopefully fertilize the ovum. Inside that single sperm cell that wins the race to the ovum hidden in the womb, blood is latent. As soon as the sperm cell penetrates the ovum it is fertilized, and the ovum and sperm cell, now a single entity, will start to divide forming a rapidly growing embryo with its very own blood supply that came from the father.

So in this most basic and important of all human relationships – the Marriage Covenant, both the SHEDDING of blood (from the bride) and the GIVING of blood (from the bridegroom), is absolutely essential for individual families, and in the long term, for humanity to survive.

Part 4

Pesach (Passover) Thoughts

What on earth does all this have to do with Pesach?

Yes, what does the Marriage Covenant, its consummation and having children got to do with the Pesach Remembrance that we are commanded to celebrate? And more specifically, what does it have to do with our Saviour YaHUShA?

Much in every way!

For the exciting answer let’s look to Scripture. But let us start at the end of the Word to see what the conclusion of it all is going to be.

Revelation 19:6-9

And I heard the voice of a great crowd, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunders, saying: “HalleluYah, for YaHuWaH El Shaddai reigns!”

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him praise, for the Marriage of the LAMB has come, and His WIFE has prepared herself.”

And to her it was given to be dressed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteousness of the set-apart ones.

And he said to me, “Write, Blessed are those who have been called to the marriage supper of the LAMB!” And he said to me, “These are the true words of Elohim.”

The LAMB? That speaks of Pesach, doesn’t it? Of course it does! Then what we’ve studied so far with regard to YaHuWaH’s creation of that first couple, and marriage, and bearing fruit (children to be raised for the Kingdom), is the Creator’s Pesach perspective.

The last Scripture sentence that I have made bold suggests this, that the whole purpose of creation of which we are reading the conclusion, is the marriage of the LAMB to His Bride! The “true words” of Elohim have thus always been to proclaim this coming Major Event of the ages. That is exactly what Pesach is all about, and what it proclaims.

The Bride has her very important part to play in this amazing PLAN of the ages. She has to prepare herself. Although every redeemed person has the potential to be part of the Messiah’s Bride, not everyone will be.

The bride will be dressed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteousness of the set-apart ones. That means she will have a heart that loves and honours her Bridegroom’s true Name without making all sorts of excuses why not to. I also think that she will be desirous of seeking out the true Name that her Beloved reveals only to His intimate ones (John 17:6) from among all the confusing versions out there.

She will also honour His Shabbat in the same way that He does. She will delight to keep His Moedim (Appointed times) that He instructed. And lastly, she will love Him with all her heart, mind and strength, by lovingly obeying His Commandments.

Revelation 21:9

And one of the seven messengers who held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and spoke with me, saying, “Come, I shall show you the bride, THE LAMB’s WIFE.”

Scripture concludes that it is all about the LAMB and His bride. When reading above about the messengers of YaHUaH holding bowls filled with plagues, I am reminded of the plagues that were poured out upon the nation of Egypt who held His covenant people in slavery. The final plague that destroyed Egypt’s hold over Israel was the slaying of every first-born of man and beast. It was also the slaying of a Pesach lamb per family, and the application of its blood upon the door lintels of their homes, that saved Israel from the devastating final plague, and delivered them from slavery – the bondage of SIN.

Sin, according to Scripture is the transgression of Torah, 1John 3:4. Therefore when a person is no longer a slave to sin, then it means that he or she is living in the liberty of Torah. (James 1:25 & 2:12)

Living Torah is the “robes of righteousness” that the Bride will be dressed in.

Part 5

Pesach (Passover) Thoughts

Why A Lamb?

Because Yahusha is the LAMB that was slain before the foundation of the world. That is also what is taught in the concluding book of Scripture.

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the LAMB slain from the foundation of the world. Rev.13:8

Whether the billions of people in the world know it or not, they are worshippers of the beast, the old devil, through the world systems that have written off the Creator. The world systems follow the dictates of the father of lies. Some of these systems are: _Religion, ideological, political, education, financial etc…

Not one of these systems are based on the principles of Scripture, and specifically, the Torah. This is why the world is in such a mess today.

Most people are deceived, and think that all is well with them. The ones who are most at danger are those who are living comfortable lives. They are putting all their energy into making life good for themselves in this extremely short time that they’ve been given in order to prepare for eternity. The irony is that our Father wants us to enjoy a good life, but not outside of fellowship with Him. After all, He is LIFE and the giver of it. Only He knows how best His human creatures are to live it. Only those who totally co-operate with Him have their names written in the Lamb’s book of Life.

The apostle Kefa (Peter) writes:

For you know that you were redeemed from your futile behaviour inherited from your fathers, not with what is corruptible, silver or gold, but with the precious Blood of Messiah, AS OF A LAMB unblemished and spotless, foreknown indeed, before the foundation of the world, but manifested in these last times for your sakes. (1Pet.1:18-19)

Q Who did the LAMB redeem?

A His wife.

Q What was the price He paid?

A His incorruptible Blood.

That’s what Pesach is all about, isn’t it? – the Lamb slain and redeeming His Bride with His precious Blood. It was always His plan, for He was slain before the foundation of the world, before the physical creation was even there.

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul. (Lev.17:11)

As we know, blood, which is the source of “new life” for an embryo, comes from the father’s semen or sperm. In His Son, through the Shemen (the Heb. word for “Ointment” or “Anointing” of His Name – Songs 1:3), our heavenly Father also supplied His Blood for LIFE ETERNAL for His covenant children.

Messiah’s Name, therefore, is the spiritual semen (Shemen) in which the Father’s life-giving Blood is latent.

With that thought in mind, the ovum receiving the sperm cell with its life-giving blood, meditate upon the following verses appertaining to YaHUShA, The LAMB.

Joel 2:32

And it shall come to pass, whosoever shall call on the Name of YaHuWaH shall be delivered: for in mount Tsiyon and in Yerushalaim shall be deliverence, as YaHuWaH has said, and in the remnant whom YaHuWaH shall call…

Read also Acts 2:21…

The moment Mashiach’s Name is called upon from out of the lips of a believing heart, the Blood of the Lamb starts to flow within that reborn spirit embryo.

John 1:10-13

He was in the world and the world was made by Him, and the world did not know Him.

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of Elohim, to those believing in His Name,

who were born, not of (human) blood nor of the desire of the flesh nor of the desire of man, but of Elohim.

A lamb is an innocent animal that very easily goes astray. A flock of sheep without a shepherd, or without a fenced-in pasture, will very quickly get totally lost. The flock will completely lose its identity as a single entity – it will be scattered into single sheep and little groups of two or three confused sheep.

It is because of this inclination of the human race to be individualistic, that the prophet Yeshayahu (Isaiah) wrote:

All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned each one to His own way, and YaHUaH has laid on Him the iniquity of us all… (Is.53:6)

Why a Lamb? Because He, the Creator, identified Himself with us by taking upon Himself the absolutely “dependent upon its shepherd” nature of a lamb. He showed that it was possible to live a life of giving up self, and totally trusting in the heavenly Shepherd.

He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Is.40:11

Part 6

Pesach (Passover) Thoughts

From another perspective.

The PLAN – Revealed in the Beginning:

Yeshayahu 46:9-10

Remember the former things of old: for I am Elohim, and there is none else; I am Elohim, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

To me this is one of the most revealing statements made by the Almighty – that He does not leave His people in the dark with regard to the eternal future He has planned for them. He makes it very clear that His counsel (Plan) that was worked out in the timeless past known in Scripture as “ancient times”, shall stand.

How did He go about revealing His Plan to those who are interested in knowing it so that they can be an integral part of it? Before answering this question it is most important to understand that although YaHuWaH is LOVE, He is not interested in those who are not in the least interested in Him. Nothing will be revealed to such ones, for they are just going about their lives selfishly without ever acknowledging Him as their life-giver, and so they will remain in the dark concerning the most awesome Plan of the ages.

So how does He reveal it to those who seek to know and partake of it? He declares it through His spoken Word that the prophets were inspired to write down – The Scriptures! Therefore His Plan will be revealed to all who search for it in the Word with all their heart.

The prophet Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah), quoting YaHUaH, wrote: And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart, and I will be found of you, says YaHuWaH… (29:13 & 14)

He will reveal Himself and His Plan – I will be found of you only when you search with all your heart.

Along the same lines, YaHUShA said: If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. (Joh.15:7)

Declaring the end from the beginning means that from the creation, In the beginning…(Gen.1:1), He dealt with the man and woman (Adam & Havah) initially, then with their descendants. He caused all these dealings with humanity, both His covenant people and the pagan nations, to be recorded in written form as history – His Story. To us history is what happened in the past, but according to the Creator’s words with which I started this article, the “end” of the ages (His Plan), will be revealed from the “beginning” – the historic prophetic writings of the past.

The six millennia during which He has been dealing with all mankind is more complicated than we can begin to fathom. This is so because each individual has a free will that is used in making decisions many times every day. Like several stones thrown randomly into a pond, each stone’s ripples interacts with the ripples caused by every other stone, so our free will decisions interact with those of other people. Multiply that billions of times every day and you might have a minute glimpse of how “difficult” it must be to run this world of rebellious humanity, and still bring the perfect Plan to fruition. I use the word “difficult” as seen from our perspective. But for our Creator, nothing is too hard. (Gen.18:14a) Wow! what an awesome Elohim is our Creator YaHuWaH.

The first book of the Torah, Bereshith (In the beginning), recounting the story of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, illustrates the whole PLAN of YaHuWaH beautifully. Pesach, in terms of the marital relationships of these three men, and the building of their families into the nation of Israel, is the beginning of this plan. Pesach (blood shed and given) is the pattern from which the entire Plan of Redemption is beautifully woven. The “Scarlet Thread” of the LAMB’s Blood is the Primary Thread of the beautiful Garment – the Coat of many colours that Yacob (Israel) made for his beloved son, Yosef (Joseph). We know that Yosef was a righteous son, in that he always fled from sin. In this regard he was also a very strong type of Messiah Yahusha. YaHuWaH chose him as His instrument to ensure the survival of His fledgling and threatened covenant family, Israel.

The Patriarchs and who they represent:

1. Abraham meaning “father of a multitude” represents the heavenly FATHER. Remember how he sent his servant to find a bride for his son of promise? What a beautiful love-story that is – a picture of Avinu (our Father) seeking out a worthy bride for His beloved Son.
2. Yitschaq (Isaac) meaning “mocking laughter” represents our Saviour Yahusha, YaHuWaH’s SON.

But Yitschaq’s wife, Rebekah was barren! So how then could the Father’s promise to Abraham be fulfilled, that through his son of promise, his descendants would be as numerous as the stars of heaven? Let’s see how Yitschaq approached this problem.

And Yitschaq prayed to YaHuWaH for his wife, because she was barren. And YaHuWaH answered his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. Gen.25:21

1 John 5:14

And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Yes, YaHuWaH hears the individual prayers of husbands for their wives to be fruitful. For wives to bear children is YaHuWaH’s will. However, it is also important for families to speak the blessing of fruitfulness over their sisters who enter the marriage covenant. (Gen.24:60)

3. Yaaqob (Jacob), as Yisra’el (Israel), represents the BRIDE.

It all slotted in perfectly with YaHuWaH’s eternal PLAN. Yisra’el, the “mother” with 12 sons, made the coat of many colours for the beloved younger son, Yosef, who through rejection by his older siblings, and tremendous suffering, was destined to be the “saviour” of his family.

The intricate weaving of that colourful coat has a far deeper meaning than we can ever imagine. This symbol of a father’s love for his son became stained with the blood of one of his father’s innocent lambs so that he could fulfill his saving destiny. That innocent blood broke the father’s heart.(Gen.37:31-34).

The heavenly Father’s heart was also broken because of His Son’s robe that was stained with His own innocent Blood that was shed for the sake of His Bride. (Mat.27:28-35, Rev.19:13)

Part 7

Pesach (Passover) Thoughts

From another perspective.

The LAMB – Revealed: or: The Greatest of all love stories

In this final part of the Pesach series, please bear in mind the concept explained in part 6, that the whole purpose of recorded Scriptural history, especially in the foundational five Torah books, is to declare the end (ultimate destination) from the very beginning of human history.

In other words, if we prayerfully study the Torah writings from the Hebrew mindset in which they were inspired, trusting Ruach to guide us into all truth (John 14:16-17 & 16:13), then insight will be given to the searcher (John 14:14) so that he or she can line up his or her life to perfectly fit into the eternal Plan. This is how the bride prepares herself in true humility. It is imperative that she co-operates with Ruach in order to become without spot and blemish – a worthy wife for her Bridegroom. He is seeking for such a bride – one that is humble. A bit more about this essential character trait later. The responsibility of every believer is to develop a character that conforms to the Redeemer’s character.

He does not want a bride that is worldly, materialistic, selfish and self-important (absorbed with self), opinionated (know it all), arrogant, corrupt, covetous, unfriendly, a bully, proud, haughty, unteachable, loud and an attention seeker, a gossip and slanderous, unkind, cruel to animals etc. etc. No matter how religiously a person may keep the letter of the Torah, if any of these negative character traits are present, they will not even be considered to be part of Messiah’s bride. He is looking for a bride that is transformed into His image and bears His character.

Remember then that the three characters we will be looking at in this study – Abraham, Yitschaq and Ribkah (Rebekah), represents the Father YaHuWaH, His Son Yahusha and the Son’s bride that will only be revealed at the end.

Let us first look at the relationship between these two patriarchs – father and son – and then compare it to the relationship between the heavenly Father and His Son. Then we will look at the relationship between Yitschaq and his bride and compare it to the relationship between the Son and His bride.

Father & Son

The Offering

Please read:

Genesis 22:1-18 Below I only quote verses 7 & 8.

And Yitschaq spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” and he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “See, the fire and the wood! But where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

And Abraham said, “My son, Elohim provides Himself the LAMB for a burnt offering.” And the two of them went on together.

Yes, Elohim (the Almighty) did provide a ram that was caught up in the thicket after He stayed Abraham from actually killing his son. However, the Hebrew text can also be interpreted literally to mean that, in and through His Son, YaHuWaH provided Himself as the Lamb! For us living in these end times, this is the very essence of our belief* – Behold the Lamb of Elohim that takes away the SIN of the world. (John 1: 29)

*[I think it is important at this point to explain what “belief” aka “faith” is. It is not a vague wishful thinking to the exclusion of all reason. Scriptural belief is very reasonable and is based on the provable fact (truth) of the inspiration of the Hebrew Scriptures. Thus the historical events as recorded in these writings can be totally relied upon.]

Untainted Blood His Solution to destroy Death

Throughout human history, SIN (lawlessness – breaking His Law or Torah) has always been the problem. The Law (Torah) itself was never the problem. Therefore, in order to heal the breach in the relationship between the Creator and His creation, the SIN (death) problem had to be dealt with. How did He plan to solve this problem?

For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the Blood that makes an atonement for the soul. (Lev.17:11)

The moment the first couple sinned by disobeying the instructions of their Creator, their blood became tainted and they were then subject to death. Their offspring inherited the same corrupted blood, and thus the whole of humanity has spiritual death flowing in their veins. This included His covenant people. They were no better than the rest of humanity and also needed redemption. It will be from His covenant people that He will choose His bride. DUID (David), the second king of Yisra’el and a man after the Father’s heart, knew well the corruption that flowed in his veins. He also knew how to deal with it – true repentance and application of the Lamb’s Blood.

Have mercy upon me, O Elohim, according to Your lovingkindness: according to the multitude of Your tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight: that You may be justified when You speak, and be clear when You judge.

Behold, I was formed in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part You shall make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Ps.51:1-7)

The purging with hyssop speaks of applying the blood of the Pesach lamb, obviously pointing to the Blood of THE Pesach Lamb.

Thus the ONLY solution was incorruptible Blood that contained pure LIFE without the slightest taint of death (SIN). Yahusha the Son did not have Adam’s corrupted blood flowing in His veins. He was born of a virgin who was not impregnated with a fallen man’s sperm. (Mat.1:23). His Blood came from the SEED of the Word of the Father’s Name – YaHuWaH. That Word (Name) was planted by Ruach in the womb of the virgin Miryam (Luk.1:38), and 9 months later The Word became flesh and dwelt among us… (John 1:14)

It was His pure and untainted Blood that was given upon the “altar” (Lev.17:11) to make atonement for our souls. All the animal sacrifices were simply prophetic acts pointing backwards and forward toward the ultimate once and for all offering of the Lamb.

How much more shall the Blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Ruach offered Himself without spot to Elohim, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim? (Heb.9:14)

And so:

Father and son (the patriarchs of our belief) walked together, in absolute unity, to fulfill their part of the eternal Plan. They enacted in the physical realm what the Creator had planned in the spiritual realm to personally carry out in this world in order to destroy death.

Forasmuch as the children (humanity) are partakers of flesh and blood, He also partook of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. (Heb.2:14)

And so:

FATHER and SON (our Creator Elohim) also walked together in perfect ONENESS (Echad) to accomplish His Bride’s redemption destiny – to live in total union with Him for all eternity.

When Abraham was tested by YaHuWaH to see whether he would be willing to offer up (give back to YaHuWaH) his son of promise, Yitschaq was already an adult young man in the prime of life. Yahusha was also in the prime of life when He was offered up as the Lamb. Even though we have the advantage of hindsight, knowing that Abraham didn’t have to carry out this instruction to its ultimate conclusion because YaHuWaH stopped him, I don’t think any loving parent today can begin to understand the horror, turmoil, confusion, doubt, anger, and disappointment that this man of almost 140 years of age had to go through in the days leading up to actually carrying out the “terrible” instruction. And yet he was willing to do it, totally trusting in his covenant Partner – knowing that He knew best, and also believing His promise that his descendants, through Yitschaq, would be as the stars of heaven.

We haven’t even touched on another aspect of Abraham’s suffering – the intense suffering that he knew he would be causing his beloved wife Sarah when he offered up their son. According to the book of Yasher, Sarah died during the time that Abraham and Yitschaq were on their mission to carry out YaHuWaH’s instruction. What suffering they must have gone through when they returned and found their beloved wife and mother dead. She probably died of a broken heart for the “loss” of the son of her old age.

The amazing thing is that not once did Abraham and Yitschaq allow anger and bitterness towards YaHuWaH to control their emotions. They continued trustingly, to walk in His ways.

Comparing the father with the FATHER

If Abraham had this tremendous emotional turmoil and anger eating him up while he was preparing to offer up his son of promise in obedience to his covenant Partner, how much more suffering and the anger and hate against SIN, did the Eternal FATHER go through? He stopped Abraham from actually offering up his son, however, He went through with offering up His own innocent Son. He had to in order to save humanity from themselves.

Sin is serious, it destroys (causes death to) humanity created in the image of Him who is LIFE. Not only does it destroy humanity, but through their sinful (lawless) lifestyle, the animal and natural world is also, slowly but surely, being destroyed. The only way that the Creator could remedy the situation was for Him, through His Son, to undergo the suffering of death by the shedding of His incorruptible (innocent) Blood, so that all who choose to accept this tremendous sacrificial offering that was made on their behalf, could regain the life that had been lost through SIN that was introduced to mankind by the rebellious evil spirit Lucifer – Satan.*

*[If you still wonder why an all powerful Creator allowed this, please re read part 2 of this series, asking Him to reveal truth to you.]

Righteous Anger

Is Anger that is perfectly justified

The Creator is angry at SIN, and justifiably so. He is also angry with those who deliberately practice it after He paid the ultimate price to deal with it. When people proudly proclaim that “Jesus died to set us free from the curse of the Law”, then something is terribly wrong! It is not the Law or Torah that is a curse, but deliberately disobeying it that brought the curse of death – SIN.

He is angry with people who, in spite of what Scripture clearly teaches – loving obedience (John 14:15), continue to live sinful (lawless) lives arguing that the Messiah died to set them free from the terrible and legalistic “Old Testament”, the so-called Law of the Jews.

Sadly, on the other side of the believing spectrum, there are also people who reject the Messiah and the tremendous offering He made for them. They think that it is possible to please the Almighty by walking in the letter of the Torah without regard to the living Torah who became flesh for the very purpose of giving His Life so that we could live with Him for eternity.

Did the patriarchs of old know about offering innocent blood?

Absolutely! Abraham understood all about the necessity of innocent blood needing to be poured out around and upon the altar as atonement for SIN. (Ex.29:16 and many more.) Abraham knew that SIN was the root cause of why YaHuWaH expected of him to make this ultimate offering – his son. He was taught this principle by Shem, who was taught it by his father Noach (Noah), who in turn was taught it by his grandfather Methuselah and great grandfather Enoch.

From whom did this great man Enoch learn to walk in such close agreement with Elohim? (Gen.5:22). I believe he was taught by none other than his great, great, great, great, great grandfather Adam – the very first human father. Enoch was 308 years old when Adam died. Therefore he must have had much close fellowship with His “old father”. He learned much from him, for before the Fall, Adam and the Creator walked together in perfect fellowship in the Garden. After the Fall, and before they were banished from the Garden, YaHuWaH Himself introduced this spiritual principle of the necessity of innocent blood in a very horrific way:

Unto Adam (man) and also to his wife did YaHuWaH Elohim make coats of skins, and clothed them. (Gen.3:21)

Where did these coats of skin come from? They were the very first innocent animals, probably two pet lambs of the broken and devastated couple, that the Creator killed in order to cover their nakedness that SIN had exposed. These sacrificed animals pointed back to the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, as well as 4000 years forward to when He would be physically offered up.

Adam taught his sons, Cain and Abel, of the necessity of innocent blood needing to flow in order to deal with their personal sin. Abel followed the correct way as instructed by the Creator, and his offering was accepted by Him. Cain, on the other hand, brought an offering of the work of his own hands. It was rejected by the Almighty. This led to the first murder! – brother shedding a brother’s blood. Abel was the first man who was martyred for his belief and obedience to the instructions (Torah) of his Creator.

The point to remember in this early history as recorded in the inspired Scriptures, is that Cain knew what was right, and yet he chose to do what was wrong. Even after he was confronted, his attitude was rotten to the core! This is what sin that is not repented of does to men and women – total corruption that will always argue to justify their own free will choice to sin and shifting the blame to the “innocent” party for their actions. (Gen.4:1-14)

Comparing the son with the SON

Yitschaq’s words: “My father…” (Gen.22:7) reminds me of Yahusha’s words in the garden of Gethsemane in the night before He became the Lamb slain.

Then He said unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: stay here and watch with Me.

And He went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Your will. (Mat.26:38 & 39)

The young man Yitschaq fully trusted his father Abraham, that he had heard correctly from YaHUaH. Because he was the “son of promise”, his father would have taught him all about altars, sacrificial offerings and innocent blood needing to be shed. Although he did not fully understand, he allowed himself, a strong young man, to be bound and placed upon the altar – just like Yahusha 2000 years later. Because he was also in a blood covenant with the Almighty, having been circumcised when he was 8 days old (Gen.21:4), his attitude was also: Not my will, but Your’s be done. This attitude proves that he was not only circumcised in the flesh, but in His heart as well. (Deut.10:14-16). Please note that in verse 16 of the reference above, YaHuWaH expects of His covenant people to circumcise their own hearts. It is a freewill choice that they are to make. Ruach will not rebirth anyone who does not want it.

Yitschaq willingly lay there on the altar, waiting for death at his father’s hands. At the last moment YaHuWaH stopped his father from carrying out the deed. He was untied, and together father and son offered up the ram that YaHuWaH provided. Again this is a picture pointing forward to the time when the Almighty would provide Himself as the Pesach Lamb.

Yahusha knew that even though Yitschaq was spared the ordeal of death on the altar, He would not be. He knew that His suffering would be infinitely greater than Yitschaq’s, for the full judgment for all of humanity’s SIN would be laid upon Him. (Is.53:5 & 6). FATHER and SON did this because of their LOVE for us! Amazing LOVE!

How tragic for anyone not to know of this amazing LOVE of our awesome Creator. Even more tragic for those who have heard of it, and yet choose to turn their back on it and live their own selfish lives – denying that this loving Offering had even happened. Even worse, denying this loving Creator’s very existence! These fools (Ps.14:1) hold fast to the vain and futile belief – yes atheism is also a belief system – in a “big bang” impersonal “god” – the creation of pseudo science – an idol to whom they are not accountable.

In spite of what the deluded majority believe, ALL of us will one day stand before the Judge of the universe to give account of our lives, and how we responded to His LOVE.

A beautiful love story Yitschaq and his bride Ribkah

Let us go back to the beginning, the first Torah book of Scripture, and examine the most beautiful love story between a young man and a beautiful young woman that YaHuWaH had chosen and prepared for each other. Remember that the end (eternal) Plan is revealed from the beginning in YaHuWaH’s dealings with His covenant people. The bride will be chosen by the Father from out of His covenant people Yisra’el.

A good place to start this exciting story of the “searching and finding” of Yitschaq’s bride is by quoting from Torah their first meeting. In other words, the start of the end plan of their lives together in the intimacy of a loving marriage.

Gen.24:63-67

And Yitschaq went out to meditate in the field as evening approached. (I am sure he was meditating or daydreaming about his bride that he hadn’t met yet, but already loved in his heart. Love is a choice, and he knew that YaHuWaH had the perfect bride and soul mate, created just for Him.)

And he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

And Ribkah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Yitschaq, she lighted off the camel.

For she had said to the servant, Who is this man walking in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master. Therefore she took a vail and covered herself.

And the servant told Yitschaq all things that he had done.

And Yitschaq brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Ribkah, and she became his wife; and he loved her…

It is so sad that today, children from believing homes do not trust their parent’s advice in the important matter of their future spouse. Much heartache would be spared if they followed the Scriptural way as taught by Torah.

The Search

And Abraham said to the eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had: Put your hand under my thigh, and swear by YaHuWaH, the Elohim of heaven, and the Elohim of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell. But you shall go to my country, and to my family, and take a wife for my son Yitschaq. (Gen.24:2-4)

It was of utmost importance to Abraham that his son’s bride, through whom the covenant family would be extended, would not come from a pagan nation. Was this simply Abraham’s personal preference, or was it a covenant principle that YaHuWaH had very seriously instilled in him?

I am certain it was the latter. Recall that before Yitschaq was even conceived in Sarah’s womb, that Abraham begged YaHuWaH (Gen.17:18-21) to let the covenant family be established through 13 year old Ishmael (Gen.17:25), the son of the Egyptian slave, fathered by him.

YaHuWaH refused and said that Sarah would be the mother of his son through whom the covenant would be established. Abraham thus became totally committed to YaHuWaH’s covenant promise through a son of promise who would be conceived in Sarah’s womb. Thus when Yitschaq was born and grew up, Abraham taught him commitment to the same covenant principles. That is why he was willing to be offered up if YaHuWaH commanded it. That is also why he was willing for his father to have a bride chosen for him from their own people. He understood the importance of being equally yoked.

Remember that Yitschaq represents Messiah Yahusha, the Bridegroom. He also allows His Father to choose His bride for Him from out of the covenant people.

True humility vs. pride dressed up in false humility

What kind of bride will He choose for His Son? Certainly not someone like the two sisters of Cinderella who were so full of themselves that they were totally blind to their inner arrogant ugliness that had made them outwardly hideous. In her humility Cinderella did not consider herself at all worthy to be the prince’s bride. Please forgive me for using a fairy tale. But I use it only to illustrate a very important truth.

I am convinced that amongst the redeemed one day, there are going to be two groups of very surprised and shocked people. One group will be those who really expected that they would be part of the bride, and suddenly discover with total unbelief that they are not! Their entire spiritual journey had consisted of preparing for the position they secretly knew that they deserved. They had prepared for it with religious fervor and had completely neglected the indispensable relationship aspect that the Bridegroom desires most in His bride.

The second group are those who find themselves to be part of the bride. They will be even more shocked, for never in their wildest dreams did they ever expect to be there. To be part of the bride was not something that they were striving to achieve, for they knew that they were not worthy of that exalted position. They had just concentrated on loving their King and Redeemer with no exalted expectations. Their attitude was that of the psalmist who hoped and would be satisfied with being a lowly door keeper in the house of the King.

O YaHuWaH Elohim of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O Elohim of Yaakob. Selah. Behold, O Elohim our shield, and look upon the face of Your anointed. For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my Elohim, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. (Ps.84:8-10)

This is the kind of sincere humility that the Father is looking for in the bride that He will choose for His Son.

For the eyes of YaHuWaH run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. (2Chr.16:9)

Never in a million years did the bride ever imagine her heart to be perfect toward Him. But He who searches and knows every heart will immediately recognize this essential character trait.

He sees that they are not concentrating upon Him because they desperately want to be part of His bride. Rather, they love Him with all their heart and want to please Him in everything they do.

His bride is thus motivated by her sincere love for Him, not by an egotistical desire to be His bride.

The thing about humility is that the truly humble person is not even aware that he is humble. The moment he thinks he is, pride has already taken root.

THINK ABOUT IT !!!

The Bride – Ribkah

So Abraham’s servant, a type of Ruach HaQodesh, after a long journey, arrives outside the city where his master’s family live, and stops at the well. The first thing he does is to acknowledge his master’s Master in this very important venture of finding the right bride for the covenant son of promise. He prays:

O YaHUaH Elohim of my master Abraham, I pray, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

Behold, I stand here by the well of water, where the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water.

Let it come to pass, that the young girl to whom I shall say: Let down your pitcher, that I may drink; and she answers: Drink, and I will water your camels too: Let her be the one you have chosen for Your servant Yitschaq; and then I shall know that You have shown kindness to my master. (Gen.24:12-14)

Quite a fleece to throw out, don’t you think? However, from the prayer we can see that this man knew the Elohim of his master. He was familiar with His Name and invoked its authority in his prayer, that although simple, was full of unwavering trust in what the will of Elohim was with regard to His chosen bride for Yitschaq. Like his master’s bride, Sarah, he knew that Yitschaq’s bride would also be beautiful, both inside and outside.

He did not have to speak to the first girl that came to the well. He could choose according to her outer appearance, and then, if her inner character was also beautiful, it would be revealed by the answer she gave without any manipulation at all. He would not attempt to motivate her by a promise of reward. How she responded would come out of her heart – totally her own choice.

The girls that came to draw water from the well would have no inkling that the stranger and leader of the caravan was there to find a bride for the son of his wealthy master. If they had known, can you imagine the vying and jealous competing in order to impress? Each one would have done everything possible in the flesh, hoping to be chosen.

As he finished his prayer, a young girl arrived at the well to draw water. Scripture tells us she had “very fair” looks, and no man had “known” her – she was a virgin. Furthermore, she was directly related to Abraham, being his brother’s granddaughter. (vs.15 & 16)

Of course Abraham’s servant did not know all this. All he knew was that she was very beautiful. He waited as she went down, filled her pitcher, and came up. That was when he made his decision to act upon his believing prayer and put out the fleece.

And the servant ran to meet her, and said: Please let me drink a little water of your pitcher. (v.17)

And she said, Drink, my master: and she hastened, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. (v.18)

That small act alone gives us a glimpse of someone with a beautiful nature. She was respectful, friendly, kind, helpful and giving. The clay pitcher probably held about 15 liters of water, and would weigh about 20kg when full. It was hard work for a slight girl to descend down to the well, fill it up, then hoist it to her shoulder, then ascend the steps with her heavy burden.

I think that when the servant had quenched his thirst, he must have held his breath in hopeful anticipation. He was not disappointed.

And when she had done giving him drink, she said: I will draw water for your camels also, until they have done drinking. (v.19)

Wow! YaHuWaH had answered his prayer exactly. This was YaHuWaH’s choice as a bride for Yitschaq. But Ribkah acted out of her own free will, according to her character. She did not know that in the spirit realm she was being carefully scrutinized to see if she would be a worthy bride for the son of promise. She passed with flying colours.

As wonderful as the story is up to that point, it is not over yet. This girl by far exceeded the servant’s expectations. After she spoke the words confirming the fleece he had put out, that she would draw water for the camels as well, he could have shouted: “HalleluYah!” and then done what any good-mannered gentleman would have done, and say something like: “Don’t worry, one of my men will draw water for the camels, while you tell me who you are.”

But she gave him no chance. As soon as he had quenched his thirst, and before he could even draw a breath to speak, she was gone! Scripture recounts simply:

And she hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. (v.20)

Obviously she was an animal lover, and was concerned about the thirsty beasts. YaHuWaH has given mankind dominion over His creation of animal and plant life. How individuals take up this responsibility, especially in how they treat animals, is arguably one of the greatest tests of character – good or bad.

Here I need to explain something that most people reading this portion of Scripture would totally miss. A thirsty camel will drink at least 100 liters of water after a long trek through the desert. Abraham’s servant had 10 camels with him. That means Ribkah drew at least 1000 liters of water from the well. If her pitcher held 20 liters, she would have descended to the well, filled her pitcher, hoisted it to her shoulder, ascended the steps, emptied it into the trough at least 50 times! I will draw water for your camels also, until they have done drinking.

Wow! She had not a lazy bone in her body. In this regard, she would make the perfect Proverbs 31 wife. The servant recognized this, and that is why Scripture records:

And the man wondering at her held his peace, to know whether YaHuWaH had made his journey prosperous or not. (v.21)

The Hebrew word translated as “wondering” is Shaah and could have been more accurately translated as “astonished” or “stunned”. In modern English, he was gobsmacked by the energetic strength this beautiful young girl was able to do so willingly for a total stranger and his animals, while expecting no reward.

Yitschaq’s wife was found and chosen. Please read the rest of the story in Genesis 24.

Pesach and what we must not forget

In order to remember this amazing transaction that took place before the foundation of the world spiritually, but 2000 years ago physically, we celebrate Pesach annually as the First Appointment that He instituted for the Scriptural beginning of the year. (Ex.12:14 & Lev.23:5). Apart from the weekly 7th Day Shabbat, Pesach is the first of the 7 annual Moedim (Appointment Feasts) of YaHuWaH with His children.

Yahusha, as the Head of His body, specifically the Bride, set us the example. He kept the Pesach on the same day, but several hours before He literally became the LAMB that was offered in order to deliver us from the bondage of SIN – Torahlessness.

Mat.26:26-28

And as they were eating, Yahusha took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said: Take, eat; this is My body.

And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink all from it;

For this is My Blood of the Renewed Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

A final warning from the LAMB

John 6:51-54

I am the living bread that came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is My flesh, that I will give for the life of the world.

The Jews then strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us His flesh to eat?

Then Yahusha said unto them, Truly, truly, I say unto you, Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His Blood, you have no life in you.

Whoever eats My flesh, and drinks My Blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day.

SELAH

This is a wonderful article shared with us by our beloved brother Johan D Moller from South Africa.