Scriptures

Exodus 21:1 to 24:18
Jeremiah 34:8-22; 33:25-26
Matthew 5: 38-42
Hebrews 9:15-22; 10:28-39

Mishpatim – A Definition

Mishpat is a Hebrew word for which there is no English equivalent. Mishpatim, theplural use of mishpat, are YHVH’s ethical and moral guidelines that establish a moral lifestyle for us today. They are the keys to understanding and taking hold of who YHVH has created us to be in Yeshua. They also establish YHVH’s Delivery, YHVH’s Deliverer and YHVH’s Power.

Reviewing last week, we studied the ten words called the Ten Statements or categories of YHVH’s (Mosaic) Covenant. These are similar to when a couple becomes betrothed, and when the bride and groom say their wedding vows to each other. The vows summarize the anticipated lifestyle both look forward to in their future marriage together. With this exchange, the bride and groom say, "We will obey," and the wedding part of the relationship can now take place, as they have already entered into a covenant relationship.

The three phases to a Hebrew marriage: the betrothal, the wedding and the celebration are realized in the relationship between the children of Israel and YHVH. This truth serves as a perpetual illustration of how the bride (Israel) is chosen by her Bridegroom (Yeshua), is set-apart for Him (in her departure from Egypt), and is led to her betrothal by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit). In preparation she washes herself, takes off her dirty garments (sinful nature) in exchange for pure, spotless robes (righteousness), and comes under the chuppah in agreement to the marriage covenant. There she says, “I will obey” (Exodus 19:5-6; 20:1-17).

At this time the couple is legally married, but not living together. This is called the betrothal stage. For the next stage, the wedding, Moses leads the bride to her wedding day by instructing her about her covenant and how to enter the marriage. Without this teaching and instruction given at Mount Sinai, how can the bride prepare herself? The bride approaches her wedding day in the spirit of Elijah (Malachi 4:4-6). The Bridegroom recognizes His bride as the one who is walking in the precepts of Torah Moses taught her at Mount Sinai. His bride will not only have the Torah on her heart and look like the bride who entered into covenant with Him at Mount Sinai, but she will have the Messiah in her heart and look like His original bride in the Garden. As Adam looked for a mate like himself, Yeshua is looking for His destiny mate.

For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words? (John 5:46-47).

Moses wrote out the marriage covenant (Exodus 19-24). It was this testimony given to him by YHVH that showed the bride how to live out her life with her Bridegroom. Moses gave this written copy, called a ketubah in Hebrew, to the bride for her to keep as a remembrance of their vows. This copy of the vows, the Ketubah, can also be identified as the Torah, the five books of Moses, or, in a fuller sense, the whole Word of God. The bride’s name is Israel. The testimony he wrote, that is, Genesis to Revelation, is a witness of YHVH’s faithfulness to the bride. The bride’s part is to relate to the agreements of this covenant she made with Him at Mount Sinai in every aspect of her life, allowing it to shape and form her everyday life, a lifestyle that will delight her Husband. In effect all generations of Israel stood and received the betrothal covenant at that time (Acts 3:25-26). This betrothal covenant still stands today and is the one we made a vow and an oath to when Yeshua came into our hearts (Deuteronomy 29:14-15).

This week YHVH continues expanding on the Ten Statements for the bride to fully understand her covenant and help her get to know her Bridegroom.

Exodus 21:1 Hebrew Servants

YHVH’s heart is for His people. Hebrew slaves are ones who have come into difficulty and have had to sell themselves in order to pay their debt. We are the Hebrew slaves; our debt was huge, Yeshua has paid it for us in full.

You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men (1 Corinthians 7:23).

Luke 15:11-32 The Prodigal Son

Then He [Yeshua] said: "A certain man had two sons [Judah and Ephraim]. And the younger of them [Ephraim] said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son [Ephraim] gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." '

"And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son' (repentance). But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.

"Now his older son [Judah] was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’

"But he [Judah] was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "

Trespassing against YHVH’s results in debts (Exodus 21-23). The same laws are repeated in Matthew 5:1 through 7:27 and in Luke 6:20-49 with an even fuller in-depth explanation, as the Living Word, Yeshua, expounded on the original context of the Ten Statements in Exodus 20 at Mount Sinai on the Mount of Beatitudes.

Again, we are the Hebrew slaves. We are the ones who struck our brother, either physically, by our words, mannerisms or attitudes. We are the ones who personally robbed our neighbor of the love and respect due him, and did not assist him when he was in need. We are the ones who brought the spiritual/physical death upon our neighbors and ourselves. We have hurt innocent people with our own sins, spiritually abandoning them, and maiming many with our tongues and behavior. We become easily offended and, as a result, caused offenses in response to our friends and families for their lack of covering, understanding and compassion. Why? Because many of us have hearts that are not mended and yet unhealed. Life can only come when we surrender our hearts and repent (heart circumcision), by getting rid of all unforgiveness and bitterness (filthiness) in our lives. Following this, we must learn to walk in the footsteps of Yeshua, the healer of our souls.

What we sow by our words and our behavior will come back to us. The bridal cup is the cup of redemption and the chance to walk in a redemptive lifestyle given us by Yeshua. What we do with it will determine the outcome of our lives in this world and in the world to come. Yeshua drank our cup and offered redemption to us in return. He drank the cup of bitterness described in Numbers 5 that was the test for a wife suspected of adultery, which was witness against us because of our unfaithfulness to Him. If we do not drink Yeshua’s cup but continue to drink from the cup of adultery (by walking in our own ways and not His), the cup we drink will be the cup of jealousy. In life’s circumstances it could be easy to come into agreement with sins such as envy and bitterness. Sins like these, however, can often lead to disease in our bodies and even lead to death (spiritual and physical). Scripture says we will become sick and weak if we harbor these sins while partaking in His body. Some may even fall asleep (speaking of death) (1 Corinthians 11). Yeshua drank our cup of jealousy, blotting out our sins forever. May we be found drinking the cup of redemption that gives life, and leave our old sinful ways of unforgiveness and bitterness behind us.

Yeshua paid our debt and took away our guilt of being the adulterous bride (Numbers 5:5-31). He died that He might remarry us. Now that Yeshua has paid the ultimate price on our behalf, will we forgive our brother and go the extra mile? Will we love our wives as Yeshua loved His wife? Will we serve with a whole heart without grumbling or being asked? Will we bring life to those who have no hope or love? Will we help remove the veil of doubt and despair and help others walk in a renewed hope of a Redeemer who loves them? Or will we follow in the sinful past of our ancestors? To walk in a renewed hope, to give and serve freely, and help others live for the sake of the Glory of the Bridegroom, Yeshua, is the lifestyle of the redemption of all Israel.

The covenant that was written on stony hearts is now being written on hearts of flesh (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:8-10).

Yeshua said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Then Yeshua said to her, "Your sins are forgiven" (Luke 7:44-48).

"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.

"Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins (redemption) and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Yeshua told him, "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:30-37).

Exodus 22:22-23 Widows and Orphans

Taking care of the widows and orphans in our midst is key to all societies on earth, for it is a universal law in YHVH’s Word. Blessings come as a result of walking in obedience to this directive. In the actual, physical realm: When there is a widow or orphan among us who is not properly cared for and they cry out against us, we will suffer the consequence of our families becoming fatherless. In the spiritual sense: If husbands forsake their responsibilities in our own homes toward their wives and children, making them spiritual widows and orphans, and they cry out against the injustice, YHVH’s anger will burn against us. The Word says lives will be taken for acts of injustice against widows and orphans. Acts of heartlessness committed against the poor will lead to poverty in our own lives. This is a sobering thought. How we treat our families and those around us affects our very lives. All of us are to take care of one another, just as the second greatest commandment instructs us to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Exodus 23:10-13 Sabbath Laws

The Sabbath laws not only applied to the seventh day when man and beast were to rest and not work on that day but to YHVH’s feast days as well. The beginning and ending of feast days were called Sabbath days. Sabbath laws extended still further, pertaining to the years as well. The seventh year called Shmita in Hebrew is to be a Sabbath year of agricultural rest, and the fiftieth Sabbath year called Yovel (seven Sabbath years) was a year when all debts were erased and slaves were set free. These Sabbaths are pictures pointing to, and preparing the people for, the Millennial Kingdom. Today the Shmita and Yovel years are being restored in the land of Israel and the ground is beginning to flourish. Coming back to YHVH’s order, His principles for life, and His lifestyle brings abundant blessings upon the land and people of Israel, and the nations around them. As our hearts come back to YHVH, health and prosperity return to the land and His people. (Leviticus 23)

Exodus 23:14-17 Three Annual Festivals

We are to come to YHVH in celebration and worship at His appointed times. His feasts are eternal appointments for each generation and are prophetic in nature, designed like a roadmap to bring the bride to her wedding.  Three times a year YHVH’s people are to come before Him to celebrate His feasts: Passover/Unleavened Bread, Shavuot/Pentecost and Sukkot/Tabernacles. The Passover and the seven-day celebration of Unleavened Bread reflect the calling forth of the bride of the Messiah and her consecration (as a royal priesthood). The counting of the omer (forty-nine days plus one day, or seven weeks) leads the bride of the Messiah to her betrothal and the receiving of her marriage covenant, which was given at Mount Sinai during the Feast of Shavuot, also called Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. And thirdly, the Children of Israel were to come together to worship in the fall at the Feast of Ingathering or Tabernacles, also called Sukkot or Booths, the time when the betrothed bride comes to the wedding ceremony and celebration.

Coming into these celebrations, with Moses’ writings and the Sabbath as our guides,leadsthe bride to her wedding, preparing her every step of the way to that special day. These Feasts are also called paths of righteousness. When the Feasts are not celebrated or honored, the bride can be unprepared and may even miss her own wedding day. These feasts are rehearsals until the actual day arrives. The more she rehearses them the more prepared she will be for the main event. The difference between those who are the bride and those who are the wedding guests is obedience to YHVH’s Word. Obedience will bring the bride in to her wedding in holiness.

"Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast" (Exodus 23:18). When we come together to remember Yeshua with the bread and wine, the bread we partake in should have no leaven.

Which Cup do we Celebrate?

Shabbat is the sign of the Mosaic Covenant and is considered the wedding ring of the bride, the sign of her devotion to the Covenant she made at Mount Sinai with her Bridegroom, Yeshua.

The Cups of Passover

The First Cup:

In Luke 22:17 Yeshua celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples. “During that [Passover] meal He took the cup and gave thanks saying, ‘Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ And he took (unleavened) bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ ”

The Passover meal is once a year in the 14th day of the first month (Nisan) on the Hebrew calendar (March/April Gregorian calendar). It is this cup spoken of in Luke 22:17 that we drink during the Seder meal at Passover as a memorial of Yeshua’s sacrifice as the Lamb of YHVH who took our sins upon Himself. The term kingdom of God describes Yeshua’s movement on the earth. It is also a reference to the Word of YHVH in the flesh, Yeshua, the personification of YHVH. When Yeshua said, "I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes," He was telling His disciples of His return as the Bridegroom for His bride and the cup He would drink again with them at the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).

The Second Cup:

In the same way, after the Passover meal he [Yeshua] took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:20).

When Yeshua had finished the Passover meal He then shared with His disciples the cup of the covenant–made possible because of the His shed blood for us. As the bride keeps the Sabbath (likened to wearing her wedding ring to show she is a faithful bride), she drinks this cup in agreement to the vows exchanged earlier at Mount Sinai at Shavuot. This drink was a vow that she would be faithful to her betrothal when she said, "Everything YHVH has said we will do.” And that was, firstly, to obey Him fully, and secondly, to keep His covenant (Exodus 19: 5-8; 24:5-8; 24; 3-11, Jeremiah 31:31-33; Hebrews 8:8-10).

The Third Cup:

Later that evening, Yeshua went to the Mount of Olives, there He prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42).

This cup was the cup for the suspicion of the unfaithful bride called the law of jealousy in Numbers 5:5-31. The cup for the bride, if she were unfaithful, would cause her stomach to swell and her thigh to rot, and she would die. If the bride were faithful, the cup she drank would not harm her. Both Houses of Israel (the House of Judah and the House of Israel) have been unfaithful to their wedding vows (Jeremiah 5:11). This cup that Yeshua grieved over in the garden of Gethsemane was the cup of the unfaithful bride that Yeshua drank at His crucifixion. Drinking her cup brought about his death. Yeshua drank our cup and died our death, taking our sin upon Himself that we might have life. That is how much Yeshua forgave us and how much He loves us.

Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Yeshua said, "I am thirsty." A jar [cup] of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Yeshua’s lips. When he had received the drink, Yeshua said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit (John 19:28-30).

The cup we drink on Sabbath, or as often as we remember Him (and His Covenant), is both the second and third cup that Yeshua drank with us. The second cup (the cup of the renewed covenant) lets our Bridegroom know we intend to honor our wedding vow. Drinking it confirms our intention to walk in His ways. We also drink the third cup (of the adulterous bride), which exposes us if we choose not be faithful to our Covenant with Him. If we drink the cup and have no intention of keeping the marriage covenant we have made with Yeshua and insist on doing our own thing and going our own way, then what Paul spoke about in 1 Corinthians 11 will be evident and apparent among us (Numbers 5:5-31).

Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Messiah in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Messiah. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning Yeshua’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep [reference to death] (1 Corinthians 11:27-30 ref. Hebrews 10:29).

Drinking the cup of the adulterous bride, also called the cup of bitterness, reveals what is in our heart, such as unforgiveness, which produces bitterness. Diseases can enter our lives through a diseased spirit caused by unforgiveness and bitterness in our hearts. If our heart is unchecked and not repentant, when we drink the cup of the betrothal to YHVH, we will literally be drinking a cup of truth that exposes our hearts. That cup then becomes a bitter cup to us that may cause our soul/flesh to eat away within us, and could eventually cause death spiritually or physically. This is YHVH letting us know we have been adulterous before him. (See Deuteronomy 28 and 29 for descriptions of the curses of disobedience in contrast to the blessings for obedience.) If we repent of our sinful nature before Him, He is quick to forgive. When we drink the cup of the Covenant with a pure heart we will be made new by Yeshua’s blood and be free to live life fully and abundantly in Him (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:17; Exodus 19:5-8; 24:5-8; 24:3-11)

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled (Hebrews 12:14-15).

If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of YHVH honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in YHVH; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of YHVH has spoken (Isaiah 58:13-14).

If you love me you will obey what I command, whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. If you remain in me and my words remain, you will be my disciples (John 13:34-15:17).

What commandments did Yeshua keep and what commandments did Yeshua ask us to keep? Yeshua’s commandments were spoken at Mount Sinai through Moses. Yeshua’s commandments are YHVH’s commandments as Yeshua is the voice of YHVH. "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me" (John 5:46).

When celebrating in the Passover Seder (dinner), four cups of wine are shared during the recitation and singing of the haggadah (story) of the exodus from Egypt. As previously mentioned, a Hebrew wedding comes to pass in three phases: betrothal, wedding and celebration. Each cup at the Passover Seder represents these wedding stages of the bride to her Bridegroom. The first cup of the Passover is the cup of sanctification. The second cup is the cup of deliverance. The third cup is the cup of redemption. When the bride is betrothed she is also redeemed, or, bought at a price. In the case of YHVH and His bride, this all happened at Mount Sinai. But then we see in Scripture the bride became a harlot with the making of the golden calf (Exodus 32:8). Under biblical law the groom could not remarry his bride. The husband had to die, leaving the bride free to remarry again. This is what Yeshua did for us. He died our death for the adulterous bride, canceling the debt of death upon us, so that He might rise from death to remarry us. Yeshua will marry a repentant, redeemed, virgin bride. Thus the third cup of the Passover is the cup of Redemption as the bride has been redeemed. The fourth cup is the cup the bride will drink at her wedding celebration in the millennium with her Bridegroom. This is the cup of praise. (See Exodus 32 and the book of Ruth concerning a kinsman redeemer, as well as Hebrews 4:1-13.)

Exodus 23:20-31 YHVH’s Angel

See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him" (Exodus 23:20-21).

In the wilderness YHVH never leaves us nor forsakes us, this is why the "angel" was and is Yeshua. "Yeshua is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:5-8; Deuteronomy 31:6; Psalm 118:6-7).

IF you listen carefully to what He says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.Worship YHVH your Elohim, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span. I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. I will establish your borders from the Sea of Reeds to the Mediterranean and from the desert to the Euphrates I will hand over to you the people who live in the land and you will drive them out before you.

Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. Do not let them live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you (Exodus 23:32-33).

Exodus 24 The Covenant Confirmed

YHVH now called the leaders of Israel forward and had Moses meet the people to share all he had been taught by YHVH. The people responded, "Everything YHVH has said we will do."

With the Covenant between both parties agreed upon, the betrothal was firmly established not only for that generation in Exodus but also for the generations to come after them through the promised seed of Abraham, our generation included! (References for promises to Abraham’s seed: Genesis 21:12; Psalms 105:6; Luke 1:55; Acts 3:25; Romans 4:13, 16; 9:7; 11:1; 2 Corinthians 11:22; Galatians. 3:16; Hebrews 2:16.)

I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, but with him who stands here with us today before YHVH our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today (Deuteronomy 29:14-15).

Therefore, since a promise [to Abraham’s seed] remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it [the Covenant]. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it (Hebrews 4:1-2).

“Moses then wrote down everything YHVH said to the Israelites” (Exodus 24:4). This written statement is a called the ketubah, the Torah, or the Bridal Covenant, and belongs to the bride.

After writing the Covenant out, the next morning, Moses built an altar and “set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel.” He sent young Israelite men to sacrifice the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to YHVH as a Covenant was always sealed with blood. Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls and the other half he sprinkled on the altar (Exodus 24:5-6).

Then he took the newly written Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded again, “We will do everything YHVH has said; we will obey" (Exodus 24:7).

Moses took the rest of the blood and sprinkled it [the blood] on the people saying, "This is the blood of the Covenant that YHVH has made with you in accordance with all these words” (Exodus 24:8; Luke 22:20).

All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" (Matthew 27:24-25).

Yeshua laid His own life down for us. The ones who shouted they would take His blood upon them were the believers in the mixed crowd who knew His blood had to be on them, just as their ancestors had the blood sprinkled on them at Mount Sinai by Moses, the representative of Yeshua. Yeshua’s blood covering was the renewal of the Covenant for the adulterous bride. You want His blood to be upon you!

The Apostle Peter, in his first letter, addressed the Twelve Tribes of Israel as those “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Yeshua Ha Mashiach/Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.” In saying this, Peter was letting the recipients of the letter along with all believers know that they were all part of Israel, as only the twelve tribes of Israel were sprinkled by the blood at Mount Sinai (1 Peter 1:1-2).

Exodus 24:9-11 Sealing the Covenant

The ceremony for the Covenant was sealed when Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu with seventy elders of Israel "went up and SAW the God of Israel. Under His feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself.” There they entered into Covenant with Him by eating and drinking, completing the sealing of this union between the bride and the Bridegroom.

Leaving the leaders, Moses continued up the mountain. The cloud, the witness of YHVH, enveloped him. Here he was given the stone tablets with the statements on them for their instruction. He stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights (Exodus 24:12-18).

For this reason Yeshua is the mediator of a new [renewed] covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance-- now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. In the case of a will, [same Greek word as covenant]; it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will [covenant] is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living (Hebrews 8:8-10).

This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says YHVH. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds (Jeremiah 31:33).

Shabbat Shalom
Carl and Julie Parker

References:

Redeemed Israel – Reunited and Restored by Batya Wootten

Torah 101 and B’reishit 2004 by Rabbi Ralph Messer

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