Terumah
Torah – Exodus 25:1-27:19 Haftarah – 1 Kings 5:26-6:13 Brit Chadashah – 2 Corinthians 9:1-15; Matthew 5:33-37
Terumah, Hebrew for offering or contribution, begins our look at the preparations for the construction of the Mishkahn or Tabernacle.
Some weeks there is much study and searching for the lesson that I am supposed to share. Other weeks, like this week it leaps right out at me! In either case, studying the Word never gets old or redundant. In fact, it is always exciting and enriching whether the nuggets of gold just leap out at you or whether you have to labor long to dig them out. Baruch HaShem (Praise the Name!).
Exodus 25:1-8, “Then the L-RD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. 3 “And this [is] the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; 4 “blue, purple, and scarlet [thread], fine linen, and goats’ [hair]; 5 “ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; 6 “oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; 7 “onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. 8 “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.”
There are two basic things I want to show you in these verses. The first seven verses deal with the image of G-d and His Triune nature and the second has to do with a very basic concept that one particular and pervasive cult teaches the opposite. So in the interest of equipping you with the Truth tools to combat lies and push back darkness, I will mention it here at the end.
We know that man is created in the “image” or “likeness” of G-d. Since G-d is corporeal, these terms do not refer to us “looking like Him.” Instead, it refers to our nature. G-d is Father, Son and Spirit, while we are created Spirit, soul and body.
Let’s look at the pattern of 3’s so you can begin to discover something you may not have noticed before.
Verse 3 points to 3 metals: gold, silver and brass. Three colors of fine linen and goats hair: blue, purple and scarlet. Verse 5 states three items needed in the form of ram skins, seacow hides and Shittham wood.
In verse 6, we see an overlapping of items which form three things. The oil which is for the light and also makes up one of the ingredients in the anointing oil. Spices, which are found in the anointing oil, and in the sweet incense. These, to be more clear, form the lamp oil, anointing oil and incense.
Verse 7 There are Shoham stones, and stones to be set in the breast plate and the ephod.
So you can begin to see a profoundly deep connection between G-d and man right here in the collecting of the elements that would go into the Mishkahn, which would be a model of a Meeting Place where G-d would come and dwell with men and be Echad (One) with him.
Finally, we will look at a very plain, easy to find and easy to understand verse that flies in the face of false teaching by the Jehovah Witnesses. For the past few weeks, G-d has me in a situation where I am spending time with several JW’s and essentially shining the Light of Truth into their dark teachings. Pray the Holy Spirit opens their eyes! One of their teachings is that somehow man lives forever on the Earth while G-d and the angels are in Heaven. This separation is NOT supported at all by Scripture.
Exodus 25:8 “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.”
Right here we see that G-d’s plan is not only to redeem His people, but to live with them! There are so many places in the Old covenant as well as Renewed Covenant that point to this fact. G-d and redeemed man will live together forever, Echad (One).
Shabbot Shalom!