Notes taken from a teaching CD by a wonderful Torah Teacher: Glenn McWilliams. His website is TK Torah Keepers, combined with extra thoughts from me.
Beloved ones, making all haste to write to you concerning our common deliverance, I felt the necessity to write to you urging you to earnestly contend for the belief which was once for all delivered to the set-apart ones.
Jude wrote these words somewhere around 70 AD. There was no such thing as the “New Testament.” Please think on that for a while. So this belief (faith) Jude is speaking of comes by evidence of what was known and written of at the time he wrote it. There can be no doubt, he is speaking of the belief demonstrated by the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and the prophets (men like Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Elijah, etc). He goes on…
For certain men have slipped in, whose judgment was written about long ago, wicked ones perverting the favour of our Elohim for indecency, and denying the only Master YHWH and our Master YAHUsha Messiah.
This word favour can also mean Grace – the grace of our Elohim for indecency- indecency meaning wantonness, filthiness. So the apostle Jude is telling us that there are men within the Body of Messiah who are perverting the truth, and saying that the God of the Old Testament (remember, that is what Jude is writing about here – there is no New Testament at that time) instead of being full of Grace or favour, is indecent or found wanting.
Question: Have you ever heard it said today “the God of the old testament is different from Jesus?” Or maybe you have heard it said “Grace is found in the New Testament and judgment is found in the Old Testament?” or “In the Old Testament, God is angry – but Jesus brings grace, salvation and forgiveness.”
Jude goes on…
But I intend to remind you, though you once knew this, that YAHUAH, having saved a people out of the land of Mitsrayim (Egypt), afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
Keep that in mind as we go through now: The Wedding at Mt Sinai!
The Hebrew word for Genesis is bereshith. As you can see, it begins with the hebrew letter “beyt” and has a b sound as in boy. The whole word, bereshith, means = in the beginning. The hebrew letter beyt, from the paleo-hebrew represents a house:
 |
The name of this letter is Beyt and has a “b” sound. This letter is a picture of a nomadic tent such as would have been used by the ancient Hebrews and represents what is inside the tent – the family. The meaning of this letter can be tent or within. (Ancient Hebrew Research Center website) |
Bereshith begins with the hebrew letter “bet” and ends in the hebrew letter “tav”. Now the hebrew alphabet actually begins with the alef and 22 letters later, ends in the tav; from alef to tav. Alef is similar to our english letter “a” and is silent.
Likewise, Alef is a silent letter, it is the first letter. Strongly related to the Creator. He is the First, The Strength, The Initial, a Silent Spirit. But when He creates, He speaks it. Torah (God’s teaching and instructions) begins with the letter bet because He made a sound, just like the letter bet. Bet is the first actualized and spoken thought.
Now you know that Beyt is a picture of a tent or house. It is now easy to see that the Hebrew word beit = house. The bet is made large in Bereshith, but there are no capital letters is Hebrew, it is simply enlarged. Elohim is building His House, His beit. I would argue the most important and significant house in all creation – His Kingdom.
Furthermore, in Hebrew thought, a house is not bricks and mortar – but a family. The first thing a man does in building a house is find a wife. In the Hebrew mind, when a man says “I am going to build a house,” he does not go out and hire a contractor and builder and architect. He goes out and finds a wife!
So the house, the beit, is defined by what is inside, the household is the family, the people.
Psalm 127:1
If YAHUAH does not build the house, its builders have laboured in vain. If YAHUAH does not guard the city, The watchman has stayed awake in vain.
What does YAHUAH say is the purpose of a wife?
We can look to the creation of Adam and Eve to find out. Purpose of a wife. Adam was created to be the manifest presence of Elohim in the world. It became clear to Elohim that Adam could not do this alone. He needed a helpmeet. The purpose of Eve was to help Adam be the image of Elohim. Any other purpose the world or man has created is a false purpose. Adam and Eve together had one purpose: to manifest the Image of Elohim in the world.
Genesis 1:26-28
And Elohim said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock, and over all the earth and over all the creeping creatures that creep on the earth.” 27. And Elohim created the man in His image, in the image of Elohim He created him – male and female He created them. 28. And Elohim blessed them and Elohim said to them, “Bear fruit and increase, and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over all creatures moving on the earth.”
When Elohim brought the woman to the man he said in Genesis 2:23
And the man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This one is called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of man.
Elohim gave them: power of creativity, the ability and authority to rule over and interact with creation.
In this Garden of Eden, the original purpose, The Spirit of Elohim would communicate to the spirit of man and man would carry out the desire of the creator in the world. The communication and instruction and teaching was not mixed. It was pure.
Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of mixed seed. No longer was their information pure from the Holy One only. Now man would use human reasoning and sensual knowledge. With exclusive revelation from Elohim, the Image was pure and right. With mixed revelation – now the image is corrupted.
Gen 2:17
but do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it you shall certainly die.”
The pure Image of Elohim died in the world that day, just as Elohim told them they would die in that day.
All information is now mixed seed. It has been mixed from the time that Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The only other time the information is not mixed, is when the patriarchs and prophets, and Moses hear directly from God, and through the words of YAHUsha Elohim in the flesh.
YAHUAH’s heart is to restore all the world to His Image, the True Image. This is to come through the Seed of the Worman. However, Women do not have seed, so one could ask – how is this going to come to pass? YAHUAH’S plan is for A collective Bride or Wife – for a people that will fulfill the role of a woman, a wife, to fulfill the role of building His House, the House of YAHUAH.
In the ancient world, there were 3 means by which marriage would take place:
1. sexual intercourse Gen 4:1 “two became one” bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.
2. exchange of a token. Example would be Isaac and Rabecca. When Eleazar went to find Isaac a wife, he took with him great wealth in jewelry of gold.
3. A contract. Example is Jacob working for his wife Rachel. He contracted with his uncle Laban to work for 7 years for Rachel.
In the Hebrew culture there are 3 parts to the biblical marriage:
1. betrothal through arrangement.
2. solemnizing – the actual ritual involving the community, a wedding ceremony where the contract was read publicly and a celebration ensued. This was the public testimony.
3. consummation – when that which has been agreed upon becomes a reality. Two become one.
The following are some pattern and props of typical Jewich wedding
1. Mikvah
A pool of water for immersing the body to purify it from ritual uncleanliness, as part of the ceremony of conversion.
mikvah – the ritual cleansing the bride goes through before the wedding feast to ensure she is clean for her groom.
The Bridal Mikvah
2. Chuppah 
A spread canopy under which the bride and groom stand during the wedding ceremony.
The canopy represents the honeymoon chamber of the couple and symbolises the home that is about to be established.
3. The bride circling the chuppah 7 times, then entering in.
4. The reading of the ketubah, the contract.
5. token of the covenant is exchanged
6. Then off to consummate.
YAHUAH and His Chosen Bride
YAHUAH found Israel in filth in Egypt. He begins to woo her unto Himself. Exodus 3:7-8
An YAHUAH said, “I have indeed seen the oppression of My people who are in Mitsrayim (Egypt), and have heard their cry because of their slave-drivers, for I know (yadah) their sorrows. 8. “And I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Mitsrites, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Kena’anites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hiwwites and the Yebusites.
He saw, He heard, He knew. The word used here for “know” is the hebrew yada. This is the same word used in Genesis 4:1 where we are told Adam knew (yada) Eve, his wife. The use of this word here illuminates to us how deep the “knowing” was that YAHUAH knew – intimately, as if it was happening to himself. He feels her pain. He is coming, He is going to deliver her, He is going to bring her up, He is going to give her a land.
Isn’t that what any bride wants? To be seen, heard, loved, rescued, delivered, and then protected in a home, a place of her own with her beloved. I know I do.
In Exodus 3:13-15, YAHUAH introduces Himself to her by Name.
And Mosheh said to Elohim, “See, when I come to the children of Yisra’el and say to them, ‘The Elohim of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His Name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14. And Elohim said to Mosheh, “I am that which I am.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Yisra’el, ‘I am has sent me to you.'” 15. And Elohim said further to Mosheh, “Thus you are to say to the children of Yisra’el, YAHUAH Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Yitshaq, and the Elohim of Ya’aqob, has sent me to you. This is My Name forever, and this is My remembrance to all generations.”
He begins wooing with promises. 7 bold “I wills” made by YAHUAH to Israel. Nothing so far from Israel as far as any commitment on their part. It is all YAHUAH. Exodus 6:6-8
“Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the LORD (יהוה); I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD (יהוה) your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD (יהוה).’ ”
In Exodus Chapters 6-15 He demonstrates His Will and His Promises. Introduces distinctions of Israel v. Egypt. Israel did nothing to merit favor. He ransomed them, He performed miracles for them, He placed no condition upon their deliverance. Why? in hopes of winning their hearts! Only after they were delivered, redeemed, and saved, does He ask for a commitment.
Then the “if” comes. The proposal – a conditional covenant
Exodus 19:2-
For they set out from Rephidim, and had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Yisra’el camped there before the mountain. 3. And Mosheh went up to Elohim, and YAHUAH called to him from the mountain, saying, “This is what you are to say to the house of Ya’aqob, and declare to the children of Yisra’el: 4. You have seen what I did to the Mitsrites, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5. ‘And now, if you diligently obey My voice, and shall guard My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession (segulah) above all the peoples – for all the earth is Mine – 6. ‘and you shall be to Me a reign of priests and a set-apart nation.’ Those are the words which you are to speak to the children of Yisra’el.”
1. obey the voice
2. keept he covenant
YAHUAH wants to know: will you submit? will you be exclusively mine? will you be bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh? will you bare the yoke of my image? will you manifest my image to the world?
They (we) MUST keep the Torah. They cannot be the image of Elohim if they do not keep the Torah. The Torah is self revelation of YAHUAH. Anything other than that is a false image. You must submit to the conditions of the Torah.
This mandatory submission was enacted only after they were saved. No coersion. They could at any time accept of reject the offer. Egypt was already destroyed. He wanted them to love HIM. For love to be love, it must be freely given. For it to be freely given – there must be a choice to withhold it.
It was the same in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. Both trees were available to them, and every time they chose not to eat of the forbidden tree – they were saying – I love you YAHUAH because I CHOOSE to. When we choose to live according to the covenant, The Torah (God’s teaching and instructions) we too, are saying YAHUAH I want to be your bride, I choose to love you.
The Betrothal
Same is true for the Sinai covenant. They were not captured and forced. Ex 19:8.
And all the people answered together and said, “All that YAHUAH has spoken we shall do.” So Mosheh brought back the words of the people to YAHUAH.
No way can it be a curse or bondage. We do not introduce our earthly spouse as a curse, a burden, a ball and chain. Why do we do it to the Father? when it concerns His Torah, our wedding contract. Yet that is what we are taught all of our lives – that the contract does not apply to us, it is bondage, legalism, no longer valid, done away with. My question is WHY? If it is done away with, I have no hope! Why can’t I be the bride of the Messiah, why can’t I follow His Instructions, Why can’t I have the choice to be His peculiar treasure? That hears His voice and obeys His covenant?
It is for the Jews only!! NO! – Paul says I am grafted in. Is Paul a liar? NO!
When YAHUsha (Jesus) tells us “if you love me, keep my commandments” – He is talking about the Torah – God’s teaching and instructions.
A peculiar treasure – a segulah.
Isaiah 49:16
“See, I have inscribed you in the palms of my hands of My hands; your walls are always before Me.
John 10:28-29
“And I give them everlasting life, and they shall by no means ever perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. 29. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. And no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
30. I and My Father are one.”
We are segulah if we heed His voice and keep His covenant. YAHUSHA is speaking about the voice and the shephard in John 10:27
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. (they follow Torah)
Election is not one of privelage, but of responsibility – to bear His image to the world. For the salvation of the world. Ex 19:5. For all the earth is mine. Our calling is for the world. We do not keep Torah so that we can be saved. We keep it for the salvation of others.
Now solemnization
Ex 19:10-14 mikvah takes place
And YAHUAH said to Mosheh, “Go to the people and set the apart today and tomorrow. And they shall wash their garments, 11. and shall be prepared by the third day. For on the third day YAHUAH shall come down upon Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people. 12. “And you shall make a border for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch the border of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall certainly be put to death. 13. ‘Not a hand is to touch it, but he shall certainly be stoned or shot with an arrow, whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, let them come near the mountain.” 14. And Mosheh came down from the mountain to the people and set the people apart, and they washed their garments.
Ex 19:16 The chuppah
And it came to be, on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain. And the sound of the ram’s horn was very loud, and all the people who were in the camp trembled.
Ex 19:16-18 The Groom enters
And Mount Sinai was in smoke, all of it, because YAHUAH descended upon it in fire. And its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and all the mountain trembled exceedingly.
Ex 19:12 Bride circles the chuppah (Moses represents the Bride and the Ketubah is created)
And you shall make a border for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch the border of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.
Exodus 19:25- 20: 17 Moses comes down the mountain with the ketubah, the marriage contract
Our Precious Ketubah
And Mosheh went down to the people and spoke to them. 20:1. And Elohim spoke all these Words saying, 2. I am YAHUAH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, out of the house of slavery. 3. You have no other mighty ones against My face. 4. “You do not make for yourself a carved image, or any likenss of that which is in the heavens above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the waters under the earth. 5. you do not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, YAHUAH your Elohim am a jealous El, visiting the crookedness of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6. but showing kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and guard My commands. 7. “You do not bring the Name of YAHUAH your Elohim to naught, for YAHUAH does not leave the one unpunished who brings His Name to naught. 8. “Remember the Sabbath day, to set it apart. 9. “Six days you labour, and shall do all your work, 10. But the seventh day is a Sabbath of YAHUAH your Elohim. You do not do any work – you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11. “For in six days YAHUAH made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore YAHUAH blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart. 12. “Respect your father and your mother, so that your days are prolonged upon the soil which YAHUAH your Elohim is giving you. 13. “You do not murder. 14. “You do not commit adultery. 15. “You do not steal. 16. “You do not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17. “You do not covet your neighbor’s house, you do not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, or whatever belongs to your neighbor.”
The token of betrothal and marriage
Sabbath: I belong to YAHUAH
Exodus 31:13-17
“And you, speak to the children of Yisra’el, saying, ‘My Sabbaths you are to guard, by all means, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, to know that I, YAHUAH, am setting you apart. 14. ‘And you shall guard the Sabbath, for it is set-apart to you. Everyone who profanes it shall certainly be put to death, for anyone who does work on it, that being shall be cut off from among his people. 15. ‘Six days work is done, and on the seventh is a Sabbath of rest, set-apart to YAHUAH. Everyone doing work on the Sabbath day shall certainly be put to death. 16. ‘And the children of Yisra’el shall guard the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant. 17. ‘Between Me and the children of Yisra’el it is a sign forever. For in six days YAHUAH made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.'”
The Sabbath is our sign, our token, our wedding ring. When we do not keep Sabbath, we are taking off the ring, and pretending we are not married. we are playing the harlot.
Into the tabernacle.
By obeying the voice and keeping the covenant, the Torah – we become the manifest presence of our Messiah and Creator. Our Messiah and bridegroom can live with us, within us.
Psalm 103:18-19
To those who guard His covenant, And to those who remember His orders to do them, 19. YAHUAH has established His throne in the heavens, and His reign shall rule over all.
When we keep and do the Torah – His teaching and instruction, His Image is seen in the world.
A word about Grace and the God of the “Old Testament”
It was Grace that created Adam and Eve. It was Grace that chose Noah, brought the flood, and saved a people from destruction by mixing clean and unclean so the world could be saved. It was Grace who brought Abram out of the Chaldeans. It was Grace that gave Sarah a child. It was Grace that brought Rebecca to Isaac. It was Grace that gave Rebecca children. It was Grace that took Joseph to Egypt to save the line that would bring us the Messiah for OUR salvation. It was Grace that gave Mary the virgin birth of the savior of the World.
Grace belongs to YAHUAH Elohim! It was Grace who tabernacled with us in the flesh of a man, YAHUsha who suffered for redemption and restoration of the whole world unto Himself to those who hear, believe, and obey.
It was Grace that gave a people the Torah and Grace that gave a people Himself in the form of YAHUsha. So what does it mean to follow Him? Hear His voice and do what He did. He came to show us – was it all in vain? Let it not be so in your life!
YAHUsha kept the seventh day Sabbath, YAHUsha kept Passover, YAHUsha observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread, YAHUsha observed Pentecost, YAHUsha celebrated Day of Trumpets, YAHUsha observed the Day of Atonements, YAHUsha kept the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day, YAHUsha lived and taught the Torah, YAHUsha spoke out against Traditions of Men, YAHUsha made the money changers get out of His Father’s House of Prayer.
Does this look like our life also? It should, this is the life and testimony of our Messiah!
Don’t let anyone steal your contract. Learn it, know it, live it, obey it. That is what the Bride is doing!
October 10, 2010
segulah
Segulah's Blog 