1st of the 3rd month 2019/2020
Shalom all,
Today being Day 45 of our counting to SHAḆUOTH, means that in another 5 days’ time, we shall be celebrating the Feast of SHAḆUOTH – also commonly known as the Bread Feast! As we continue to count, we are further equipped to recognise, rejoice and celebrate this season of counting, being reminded how this day that we count to, pictures for us a ‘receiving’ of our Master’s Word into our hearts!
And so, it is with great joy and expectation, that we come together as a unified body, with a continued expectation for His infilling of His magnificent presence, to be made manifest in all of our lives, as His Spirit equips us to walk in unity, as we allow His Word to mature us, in Him!
In this season that we find ourselves in, as we count to 50, we are reminded of how we are to be a “hearing, guarding and doing, of the Torah, people”, as we diligently allow His word to be worked in and through us, maturing us to become an acceptable wave offering unto Elohim, in the hands of our Mighty High Priest and King, יהושע Messiah.
Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 23:18 “For who has stood in the counsel of יהוה, and has seen and heard His word? Who has listened to His word and obeyed it?”
יהושע Messiah came to open the eyes of the blind and open the ears of the deaf! And, in Him, we are able to ‘hear’ and ‘see’, the wonder of His truth and walk faithfully in it.
Yirmeyahu asked an extremely valid and very relevant question that is still as relevant today as it was back then, when he asked the following, “who has listened to His Word and obeyed it?”
What is such a sad picture for us today, is how so many have NOT listened and therefore, they are unable to properly obey! Many may have tried to listen, yet do not do, showing that they are simply hearers of the Word only, and are as Yeshayahu prophesied, saying that they are hearing but note hearing, seeing but not perceiving!
Ya’aqoḇ tells us to become doers of the Word and not just hearers only, lest we deceive ourselves!!!
Ya’aqoḇ/James 1:21-25 “Therefore put away all filthiness and overflow of evil, and receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your lives. 22 And become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror, 24 for he looks at himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what he was like. 25 But he that looked into the perfect Torah, that of freedom, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer that forgets, but a doer of work, this one shall be blessed in his doing of the Torah..”
As we think about the Feast of Shaḇuoth, we are reminded to celebrate the implanted Word that we have received from our Master, and as humble servants of the Most-High, we guard that good deposit by becoming doers of the Word and not only hearers!
The Greek word that is used here for ‘implanted’ is ἔμφυτος emphutos – Strong’s G1721 which means, ‘engrafted, implanted by nature, implanted by another’s instruction’, which is constructed from two Greek words:
1) ἐν en – Strong’s G1722 which is a primary preposition denoting a fixed position (in place, time or state) meaning, ‘in or on, with, by’; and
2) φύω phuō – Strong’s G5453 which is a verb meaning, ‘to bring forth, produce, spring up, to be born’.
What we are able to clearly recognise is that our Teacher of Righteousness has come and caused His word to be engrafted upon our hearts and by His Spirit He has implanted the Good Deposit that must spring up and produce the fruit of righteousness!
As we continue to seek first the reign of Elohim and His righteousness, we must make sure that we do not sow His good seed among thorns that choke out the Word, but keep our hearts pure, clean and undefiled as we put away all filthiness and overflow of evil! This we can only do when we become doers of the Word and not hearers only!!!
Sadly, so many are deceived into not doing what they should be hearing, and this further shows us that they actually have not listened as they should, nor are they interested in listening to the Word of יהוה.
Mattithyahu/Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does them, shall be like a wise man who built his house on the rock”
The Greek word translated as ‘does’ here is ποιέω poieō – Strong’s G4160 which means, ‘to make, do, accomplish, keep, work, acts’. A derivative of this word is ποιητής poiētēs – Strong’s G4163 which means, ‘a doer, a maker’, and is used in the passage I have just quoted from, in Ya’aqoḇ/James 1:21-25.
The Greek word that is translated as ‘doing’ (of the Torah), in Ya’aqoḇ/James 1:25 is also a derivative of ποιέω poieō – Strong’s G4160, and is the word ποίησις poiēsis – Strong’s G4162 which means, ‘deed, making, doing, performing, in his doing (in the obedience he renders the law)’.
These verses are very clear, in telling us that the true hearer of the word, guards it and performs it, as his obedience renders the law under which he submits!
There are many people who claim to be ‘doing’ what the Word says, yet they are simply living lawless lives as their actions reveal their clear disregard for the Torah and are merely ‘doing’ lawlessness, which is to be operating or performing acts without clear instructions:
Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 3:4 “Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”
The Greek word here, as we know, for sin is ἁμαρτία hamartia – Strong’s G266 which means, ‘sin, failure, miss the mark, to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong’, and also carries the meaning of, ‘wandering from the law of Elohim, violate the law of Elohim’. We also know, yet I will once again remind you, that the Greek word used for ‘lawlessness’ is ἀνομία anomia – Strong’s G458 meaning, ‘lawlessness or lawless deeds, unrighteousness’ and comes from the word ἄνομος anomos – Strong’s G459 meaning, ‘lawless or without law, transgressors’.
This verse spells it out very plainly, for those who seem to miss the fact that to not walk in the Torah is sin!
It is as though Yoḥanan was spelling out this fact very bluntly and was being straightforward, for those who struggle with a Greek mind-set and see no need to walk in the Torah! Well, right here, in the Greek text, it is clear – If you are lawless (that is to walk contrary to the Torah) then you are indeed sinning!
Those who are hearers only, and are not doers of the Torah, are sinners!!!
Shaḇuoth, and the proper observance thereof, reminds us that we are a redeemed Bride of Messiah, that continues to walk in His Torah and uphold His Kingdom rules, being reminded that we have ears to hear what the Spirit says to His Bride, and by having ears to hear, we know that it implies the necessary doing of what we hear! Our belief comes by the hearing of the Word and with ears that hear, the proper obedient doing thereof!
The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘listened’, in Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 23:18, is קָשַׁב qashaḇ – Strong’s H7181 and means, ‘to incline (ears), to attend to, pay or give attention to, listen, heed, mark, marked well’.
Repeatedly, throughout the Scriptures, we see the call to ‘listen’, as well as the clear rebuke for a nation who would not listen, nor give heed to the words of the prophets, who continually called a backsliding people back to the Torah.
Some translations have this word translated as ‘paid attention’!
We know that if people actually paid attention to the Word and did what it actually says, they would not find themselves in the terrible confused mess that they are being consumed in.
Most will rather listen, and pay attention, to what their twisted traditions say – traditions that have been born out of falsified interpretations that are simply designed to satisfy the selfishness of the flesh, rather than to submit to, and obey, the truth of walking according to the Spirit.
The KJV translates this word קָשַׁב qashaḇ – Strong’s H7181 as ‘marked’ – and, in many ways, I kind of like that idea of asking the question of who has marked the Word of Elohim, for it says, “… who has ‘marked’ His Word and heard it?”
Those who have ‘marked’ His Word, and continue to do so, can be a picture for us of those who have an identifying ‘mark’ that distinguishes them from others! Having the distinctive, or emphasised, character of Messiah, clearly seen in their daily living conduct, as they reveal a loving obedience to the Word, as they walk in The Torah, showing that they ‘hear, guard and do’ the Torah of Elohim!
This root word קָשַׁב qashaḇ – Strong’s H7181, emphasises the idea of being marked as true hearers of the Word, and here is why I say that: when we see this word in the ancient pictographic script, we can see this meaning being clearly presented.
In the ancient pictographic script, the root word קָשַׁב qashaḇ – Strong’s H7181 which means, ‘to incline (ears), to attend to, pay or give attention to, listen, heed, mark, marked well’, is pictured as follows:
Quph – קֹ:
This is the letter ‘quph’, which is pictured as , and is a ‘horizon’ and depicts the elements of ‘time’, as it pictures the sun in its rising and setting. It therefore carries the meaning of ‘circle’ or ‘to go around’, representing for us both, appointed cycles or times as well as eternity and speaks of continual adherence to the Appointed Times.
Shin – שׁ:
This is the letter ‘shin’ which in the ancient script is pictured as, , which is ‘two front teeth’ and carries the meaning of ‘sharp or press, chew or devour’; which is what the teeth do, and also speaks of the sharpened word that comes forth from the mouth as the teeth ‘chew’ or ‘meditate’ on the Truth, making what comes forth pure and sharp! It also carries the understanding of consuming or destroying – as teeth do to food.
Beyt – בָּ:
The ancient script has this letter as , which pictures a tent floor plan and means, ‘house’ or ‘tent’. It represents family and the importance of those who are inside the tent as opposed to the tent structure itself.
In terms of understanding the meaning of this root word that is translated as ‘marked, listened’, we can see from these pictographs, a wonderful understanding of what true hearers are marked by, as it can render for us the following:
CONTINUALLY MEDITATING ON THE WORD OF THE HOUSE!
We are the Dwelling Place/House of Elohim, being built up as living stones in Messiah, and as faithful hearers and doers of the Word, we meditate day and night on His Torah, for then we shall be blessed and be guarded to walk in, and stay in, paths of righteousness!
While we know that the Sabbath shall be a sign between יהוה and us forever, and guarding it, by all means, marks us, in Him, we also recognise that we are marked, in Him, by walking according to ALL His commands, which we are able to do, when we are true hearers that have properly listened, and continue, to pay close attentions to doing what His Word commands!
In this message, which I have called, “MARKED BY FIVES!”, I want us to take a closer look at a passage of Scripture that carries great prophetic shadow pictures of Messiah! A passage that highlights a great king, who was, in one sense, marked by 5’s!
Please turn with me to Shemuʼěl Aleph/1 Samuel 21:1-6 (Read).
This passage struck me again this week, as I looked a little deeper into what this event, of Dawiḏ and the eating of the set-apart bread, actually pictures for us, in proclaiming our Beloved High Priest and King, יהושע Messiah.
One of the many ridiculous reasons, that many try to use as an excuse to not keep Sabbath, is that they say that Dawiḏ broke the Sabbath and was blameless!
In Mattithyahu/Matthew 12 we are given the account where יהושע went through the grain fields, on the Sabbath, and some of His taught ones were hungry and so, they plucked some of the grain and ate it.
This angered the Pharisees, who had accused them of breaking the Sabbath, according to their own traditions; to which יהושע responded, by referring to this event that we have read in Shemuʼěl Aleph/1 Samuel 21:1-6, and He asks them if they had not read of this account – where Dawiḏ ate bread that only priests were permitted to eat!
Messiah was actually presenting a clear message of who He was, by pointing them back to Dawiḏ and this specific event – yet they were unable to see the Truth contained herein!
We see this interaction, between Messiah and the Pharisees, also being recorded in Luqas/Luke 6 and Marqos/Mark 2 – and in each account, we see Messiah proclaiming that “The Son of Aḏam is Master of the Sabbath”.
This was a powerful moment, in Messiah declaring who He is, yet, under the ridiculous veil of vain traditions, the Pharisees could not see this Beloved King, and Master of the Sabbath, who was right before their eyes.
The vain traditions of man continue to put a veil over so many today, who are being blinded by deceptive teachings, and sadly, they cannot see the simplicity of what the Word is revealing to us, through the Life, Death and Resurrection of Messiah.
In this message, I want to briefly highlight some very powerful insights from this text in Shemuʼěl Aleph/1 Samuel 21:1-6, as we look at a man who was, in many ways, ‘MARKED BY FIVES!’.
Ok, at this point you may be asking yourself, what do I mean by ‘marked by fives’?
I ask that you please bear with me, for as we go through this text and look at some very powerful revelations, you will understand what I mean!
The name of דָּוִד Dawiḏ – Strong’s H1732, as I am sure you know, means, ‘beloved’.
Now, what many might not know, is that the Name Dawiḏ, as spelt with the three letters: דָּוִד ‘dalet’ ‘vav’ ‘dalet’, is pictured in the ancient pictographic script, as follows:
Dalet – דֶ:
This is the letter ‘dalet’ which is pictured as , which is a ‘tent door’. It can also have the meaning of a back and forth movement, as one goes back and forth through a tent door and so speaks of an access point.
It can also carry the meaning of ‘dangle’ or hanging as the tent door would hang from the roof pole of the tent.
It speaks a great deal in terms of understanding the door of the tent of appointment as the only means of access. And we also know that Messiah is ‘The Door’, for we only are able to have access into the Kingdom through Him!
The commands are also to be written on the doorposts teaching us to remember to guard the commands of Elohim as we go out and come in, so that our going out and coming is in peace!
Waw/Vav – וֹ:
This is the Hebrew letter ‘waw’ or ‘vav’ which in the ancient script is pictured as , which is a peg or ‘tent peg’, which was used for securing or tying down of the tent or other items. The possibility of it having a Y-shape is to show that it prevents the rope from slipping off. The root meaning of this letter is ‘to add, secure or hook’.
Dawiḏ was a faithful servant of the Most-High and the Hebrew word for a servant is עֶבֶד eḇeḏ, which we have looked at before, in the ancient pictographic script, and recognise that it speaks of “One who watches at the door of the house” – and as we know – this is what our Master calls us to do – to keep watch at the door; and when we consider that יהושע Messiah is The Door, then we further see our need to continually be looking at Him, guarding to do all His commands – and this is how we too, keep watch over the House/Body of Messiah!
With the name of Dawiḏ being spelt with the letters ‘dalet–vav–dalet’, we see, in the ancient pictogrpahic script, ‘a tent door – a tent peg – a tent door’ – all representing that which gives access to, and secures our access into, the Dwelling Place of the Most High!
In the design of the Tabernacle, there are two doors!
There is the ‘gate’ of the courtyard, as described in Shemoth/Exodus 27:16-17 is translated from the Hebrew root word שַׁעַר sha’ar – Strong’s H8179 which means, ‘gate, door’, which covering was made with blue, purple and scarlet material, and fine woven linen, and had four columns and four sockets.
The 4 columns had bands of silver and the hooks were of silver and the sockets were of bronze.
The silver represents the redemption price that has been paid for our lives.
Then there is the ‘door’ of the Dwelling Place, as described in Shemoth/Exodus 26:36-37, which is tranlsated from the Hebrew root word פֶּתַח pethaḥ – Strong’s H6607 which means, ‘opening, doorway, entrance’, which covering was also made with blue, purple and scarlet material, and fine woven linen, yet this door had five columns and five sockets – with the columns being overlayed with gold and the hooks of gold, and the sockets were also of bronze.
The main difference between the two doors, is that the courtyard gate had bands of silver, while the door to the Dwelling Place was overlayed with gold and collectively, they speak of the fullness of the redeeming work of our King:
Zeḵaryah/Zechariah 13:9 “And I shall bring the third into fire, and refine them as silver is refined, and try them as gold is tried. They shall call on My Name, and I shall answer them. I shall say, ‘This is My people,’ while they say, ‘יהוה is my Elohim.’ ”
Why am I sharing this with you?
Well, here in the name of Dawiḏ, we see the shadow picture of the great redemptive work of our Beloved Redeemer and King, יהושע Messiah, who is the Door, and as we consider the design of the Tabernacle, we are able to see how we, metaphorically, come to Him, The Door, and confess our sins, repent and are immersed in Him, through water!
And we come in through the courtyard Door and accept His sacrifice, as pictured through the Slaughter-Place that is between the 2 doors in the Tabernacle. As we consider the bronze slaughter-place, and how our Master took the nails for our sins, we eat the Pěsaḥ Meal, and present our bodies as a daily living sacrifice, and are continually cleansed through the washing of His Word, which the bronze laver represents for us.
Having been cleansed and set-apart through His sacrifice, and the washing of the Word, we have further access, to come in through the Door of the Dwelling Place, as we serve as a royal priesthood! And in His Blood, the veil has been torn (that is His flesh), so that we not only come through the second Door, but in doing so, we are able to boldly come into the Most Set-Apart place, to the throne of favour, in which we now stand, in Messiah, who intercedes for us, as our beloved High Priest!
The reason for me highlighting this, through us looking at the name of king Dawiḏ, is so that we can further understand more insight into this event of Dawiḏ and the eating of the showbread.
Dawiḏ was being hunted by king Sha’ul, and here in this chapter, we see him coming to Noḇ, which was a priestly city, which can also carry the meaning of ‘fruitful, flourish, bear fruit’, and he came to the priest אֲחִימֶלֶךְ Aḥimeleḵ – Strong’s H288 which means, ‘my brother is king’.
Aḥimeleḵ asks Dawiḏ what he was doing there and Dawiḏ, in a sense, tells him that he is on a confidential mission; and in one sense, it may have been an act of caution on his part, for he may have assumed that all the priests were loyal to Sha’ul. However, I see a greater shadow picture here, in that here we have this king, who already having been anointed by Shemuʼěl as king, had not yet taken up His Kingly role, for Sha’ul was still on the throne.
What would unfold here, is a clear shadow picture of the first coming of Messiah, who would come to proclaim the Kingdom, yet not come in the capacity as King, but rather as provider, and the Door to the Kingdom.
Dawiḏ tells Aḥimeleḵ, the priest, that he had directed his men to such and such a place – which kind of sounds very odd, when translated into English as ‘such and such a place’ – which, in the Hebrew, is written as follows:
מְקוֹם פְּלֹנִי אַלְמוֹנִי – ‘meqom peloniy alemoniy’
The Hebrew root words that are used are as follows: מָקוֹם maqom – Strong’s H489 which means, ‘standing place, home’ and פְּלֹנִי peloni – Strong’s H6423 which means, ‘a certain one’ and comes from the root verb פָּלָה palah – Strong’s H6395 which means, ‘to be separated or distinct, distinguished, set-apart’ and the third word is אַלְמֹנִי almoni – Strong’s H492 which means, ‘someone, a certain one’ and comes from the noun אַלְמֹן almon – Strong’s H489 meaning, ‘widowhood’ which comes from the word אָלַם alam – Strong’s H481 meaning, ‘put to silence’.
Now, when we see that he sent his men to ‘such and such a place’, what may, at first, seem very insignificant, I believe holds a powerful message of redemption and the call to repentance, to a forsaken bride, who by her sin, had been put to silence, and Her redeemer had now come to call her home!!!
This sending his young men with a message, of redemption, is symbolic of the message of the prophets that have been sent to call a called-out nation back to the Torah!
Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 44:4 “And I sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, “Please do not do this abominable matter that I hate!”
Mattithyahu/Matthew 23:34 “Because of this, see, I send you prophets, and wise men, and scholars of Scripture. Some of them you shall kill and impale, and some of them you shall flog in your congregations and persecute from city to city”
These words Messiah said to the hypocritical Pharisees and Sadducees, after severely rebuking them!
What is clear, is that many have been sent with the Kingdom message, and the majority have not listened, nor paid attention!
Dawiḏ then asks Aḥimeleḵ, the priest, what he had on hand and tells Aḥimeleḵ to give him five loaves of bread into his hand, or whatever is found. Aḥimeleḵ then responds and tells him that there was no ‘ordinary bread’ on hand, but only the set-apart bread which was from the showbread table.
Herein lies a very powerful shadow picture of the work of Messiah, being unfolded right here, amidst a time of wickedness, under the reign of Sha’ul.
The Bread that was given to Dawiḏ and his men, was from the showbread table that was replaced each Shabbat, and it was only permissible for priests to eat!
So then what is Dawiḏ picturing for us here, by this amazing event, especially as we consider that the showbread was for the priesthood?
Wayyiqra/Leviticus 24:8-9 “On every Sabbath he is to arrange it before יהוה continually, from the children of Yisra’ĕl – an everlasting covenant. 9 “And it shall be for Aharon and his sons, and they shall eat it in the set-apart place, because it is most set-apart to him from the offerings of יהוה made by fire – an everlasting law.”
Dawiḏ, by asking the priest what he had on hand and told him to put five loaves into his hand, we see a very powerful shadow picture of the change of the priesthood that would take place by Messiah!
A change from the Lĕwitical priesthood to the order of Malkitseḏeq – The Righteous King!
Aḥimeleḵ, the priest, tells him that only the set-apart bread was available – this was the bread that had been replaced by new fresh bread!
The bread on the showbread table was 12 loaves!!! I hope that you can see the link here!
Dawiḏ asks for 5 loaves, or whatever there was, and he got the showbread and while we may not know if he got all 12, as the priests had to eat of it too, we certainly see how he, symbolically, was given 12 into his hand.
I am sure that you can all remember the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 – where Messiah took 5 loaves and 2 fish and fed the 5000, after which, 12 full baskets of leftovers was gathered up.
This miracle of the feeding the 5000, and the gathering of the 12 baskets, spoke about Messiah, the Bread of Life, who came to fully meet, and proclaim, the Torah and restore the Covenant with all the 12 tribes of Yisra’ĕl.
In this feeding, He would have also been pointing back to this event where Dawiḏ ate and supplied food for his men, thus declaring to the crowds that He was, in fact, the Rod that came forth from the stump of Yishai (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 11:1)!
This set-apart bread that was brought out from the set-apart place, also represents for us Messiah, The Bread of life which came from heaven – and unless we eat of Him, we have no part in Him!!!
Another interesting picture that we are able to see from the life of Dawiḏ, is that, in being a man who, I like to say, was ‘marked by fives’, is how we can also remember that when he went against Golyath, he picked up five smooth stones!!!
The Hebrew word for ‘five’ is חָמֵשׁ ḥamesh – Strong’s H2568 and is related to the root word חֲמֻשִׁים ‘ḥamushiym – Strong’s H2571 which means, ‘in battle array or military formation’, as used in:
Shemoth/Exodus 13:18 “So Elohim led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Sea of Reeds. And the children of Yisra’ĕl went up armed from the land of Mitsrayim.”
This being ‘armed’, signifies being equipped for battle and its relation to the word ‘five/fives’, pictures for us how the full armour that equips us to stand in Messiah, is the Torah.
Yisra’ěl came out of Mitsrayim, in an orderly manner, very disciplined and each one in his position, guided under the authority of the instructions of Elohim, as given through Mosheh!
There was no chaos! I want to make it clear that there is order in walking according to the Torah of יהוה and we cannot have everyone doing whatever he sees fit to do in his own eyes! There is order, especially as we ‘come out’ of slavery! Just because we have been released from slavery, and from man’s institutionalised religion, it does not give us licence to be lawless!!!
On the contrary, we have a clearly defined set of laws/instructions, as given by our very own Elohim and King!
Coming out in ‘fives’ not only signifies order, but can also point to the 5 books of Mosheh – the Torah – which gives us clear direction and is a light to our path! And it can also fit well, in describing the redemption price of the firstborn, as five sheqels of silver! Yisra’ĕl had been redeemed and bought at a price!
Dawiḏ was a man of order – ‘marked by fives’ – a man who loved the Torah of Elohim!
What is interesting to take note of, through the life of Dawiḏ, is the action of taking the 5 stones that he picked up and the 5 loaves that he asked for! A clear picture of showing us the analogy of stones to bread – that is a picture of the commands no longer on stone, but on fleshly tablets of our hearts – as we eat of the Bread of life. And this is what we celebrate and remember with the feast of Shaḇuoth!
After 40 days of being in the wilderness, Messiah was tempted by Satan and as you will recall, from:
Mattithyahu/Matthew 4:3-4 “And the trier came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of Elohim, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answering, said, “It has been written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of יהוה.’ ”
We must recognize that Satan knows the Scriptures (at least the letter of the Scriptures) and He was tempting Messiah to prove that He was, in fact, the expected King from the line of Dawiḏ!
Messiah did not fall for this temptation and made it clear that we live by the Word of Elohim and not by bread alone – our life comes from every word that comes from the mouth of יהוה and to disregard the need to live by the Living Words of יהוה, is to disregard life, that יהושע Messiah, The Bread/Manna from Heaven, came to give us!
The link between bread and stones, is a common theme in Scripture, as we also see in the words of Messiah, in:
Mattithyahu/Matthew 7:8-9 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened. 9 “Or is there a man among you who, if his son asks for bread, shall give him a stone?”
Our earnest seeking of our Master’s Kingdom and His righteousness, will not be met with letters that kill, but rather with the life-giving Bread that builds the Dwelling Place of the Most-High!
And so, by these parallel pictures that we see between stone and bread and how, in Messiah, we can overcome the tests and temptations that we face every day, being armed in His Torah, we can slay the giants that we face! For the weapons we fight with are not fleshly, but mighty in Elohim for overthrowing strongholds, overthrowing reasonings and every high matter that exalts itself against the knowledge of Elohim, taking captive every thought to make it obedient to the Messiah, and being ready to punish all disobedience, when our obedience is complete. (Qorintiyim Aleph/1 Corinthians 10:4-6)
As ‘Living Stones’, we do not live according to the decaying traditions of man and the lusts of the flesh, but we live by the very Living Word, as we eat our daily Bread and share in Messiah’s sufferings, and we can count it all joy when we fall into various trials and rejoice, in order that we might rejoice exultingly at the revelation of His esteem.
Kěpha Aleph/1 Peter 4:12-13 “Beloved ones, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that is coming upon you, to try you, as though some unusual matter has befallen you, 13 but as you share Messiah’s sufferings, rejoice, in order that you might rejoice exultingly at the revelation of His esteem.”
As Dawiḏ – may our lives be ‘marked by fives’ – and by that, I mean – may we take up the armour of Elohim (His Torah) and walk orderly in Messiah, as we proclaim His Good News to the nations.
Dawiḏ’s life portrayed some great prophetic insights for us, giving us the much-needed hope, we have in Messiah, our Anointed High Priest and soon coming King – and we have the joyful responsibility to be ‘marked by fives’ in our obedient worship unto our Might Master and King, amidst a wicked and crooked generation.
The kingship of Sha’ul was a wicked one and with Dawiḏ coming and asking for 5 loaves from the priest, and receiving the showbread that was permitted for priests alone, we are able to clearly see a distinctive prophetic marker, in these recorded events of Scripture, where Dawiḏ’s authority to receive the showbread and give it to his men, shadow pictures our Messiah, who is our King, who came as a servant and by His taught ones being falsely accused for breaking the law, by eating the heads of grain on the Sabbath, יהושע refers back to the events of Dawiḏ taking the showbread, which prophetically marked him as a shadow picture of Messiah, our King and High Priest in the order of Malkitseḏeq.
With Messiah, declaring that the Son of Aḏam is Master of the Sabbath, he used the events of Dawiḏ and the eating of the showbread, as a witness that He is the prophesied Son of Aḏam that has complete Authority to distribute His Bread of Life to His taught ones, so that they do not grow weary by the leaven of the Pharisees, but have life in His True Set-Apart Bread! The actions of Dawiḏ, and his authority of being able to take of the showbread and distribute to his men, was a prophetic shadow picture of the authority of the prophesied Messiah, that would come from his line, as the Son of Aḏam!
As we consider these events and the words of our Master, Elohim, High Priest and King, may we be encouraged by the imagery of being a people who are marked by fives, so to speak, as we give ear to the hearing of the Word and guard to do all that our Master commands, knowing that He sustains us with His Bread, that is His Word, that comes from above and sets us apart!!!
Are you marked by fives?
Are you serving as the royal priesthood you have been chosen and set-apart to be, as a treasured possession in the Hand of our Beloved King? What do people see when they see your life?
Can they see that you are one who has listened to the Word and continues to have attentive ears to hearing His Word, evidenced by your continual doing of the Word?
Are you are MARKED BY FIVES – that is to say that you can take up the Torah and walk according to the Spirit that gives life and not according to the letter that kills, for you have been redeemed in Messiah, the first-born from among the dead!
Messiah, our Beloved King, has given us access into the Most Set-apart Place and we are able to eat of the Set-Apart Bread forever!!! Are you eating His Torah and meditating day and night on it?
Because if you are – You will be MARKED BY FIVES!
I praise our Mighty Beloved King for giving us these wonderful insights in His Word, as He reveals His secrets, for it has been given to us to know the secrets of reign of the heavens! Let us be marked by His Kingdom rules – be MARKED BY FIVES – by being those who have listened to His Word and obeyed it – and continue to do so, without fail!!!
He who has ears to hear – hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies!!!
יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show favour to you; יהוה lift up His face upon you and give you shalom!