Pekudei
Torah Portion Ex 38:21-40:38
Halph Torah Portion I Ki 7:51-8:21
Brit HaDasha Rev. 15:5-8
In chapters 38 – 40,
The tabernacle was completed and assembled. As the preparations to gather, construct, and assemble they should have seen as the groom prepared Himself for the bride. We are to prepare ourselves to meet with the groom. Our preparation must not be some haphazard approach to meeting Him, rather we are to be mindful of who He is and strive to find out from Him what pleases Him. Far too often the body of Messiah thinks that it does not matter how we address Him.
They are lazy and often are bored with the whole aspect of GOD. When we give Him our second best and sadly to say most of the time we don’t even do that. Our best is often given to what we love the most and our desire is only to please ourselves. If time permits, we might “throw up a quick prayer” we offer to Him, the King of Kings and Lord of lords, our pocket change. If it is only our second best that we give our Elohim, what does it say about our relationship with Him?
I know that there are times would seem that our best would seem like our second best. I am not saying by any means to judge anyone. Rather we often don’t even bother to give anything to anyone. Do we turn a blind eye to those in need? Sure, there are some who just out to something for free a handout. They are not interested in bettering themselves rather they only want what they want. If we are Kingdom-minded then we will make sure all that is done for the Kingdom of YHVH. Do not expect YHVH to bless us for only doing things in our ways. We must put the needs of others ahead of our desires. Be aware of those around you.
Mat 6:25-34 EHV
(25) “For this reason I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
(26) Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
(27) “Which of you can add a single moment to his lifespan by worrying?
(28) Why do you worry about clothing? Consider how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin,
(29) but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these.
(30) If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not clothe you even more, you of little faith?
(31) “So do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’
(32) For the unbelievers chase after all these things. Certainly your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
(33) But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
(34) So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” How we treat our fellow man directly reflects our view of YHVH.
Mat 24:48-51 EHV
(48) But if that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’
(49) and he begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards,
(50) the master of that servant will return on a day when he does not expect it and at an hour he does not know.
(51) The master will cut him in two and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
If we treat our fellow servants in this manner, who we can see, then what we are saying is that we would treat the creator of all that we see, in the same manner. That is saying He would permit it. Think again. He is the righteous YHVH who is above all. We must take the time in preparing to meet the King. As in the case in point of Esther who met the King and became his wife. Would she be able to come off the streets and be brought in before the King? Well, I guess if she had a death wish.
Est 2:12-14 EHV
(12) Every young woman received a turn to go to King Xerxes after she had received the prescribed twelve months of beauty treatments. For six months they used oil of myrrh; for six months perfumes and other beauty treatments for women.
(13) Then the young woman went to the king. Everything she desired was given to her when she went from the harem to the king’s palace.
(14) She went to the king in the evening. In the morning she returned to the second harem, under the supervision of Sha’ashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She did not return to the king unless he was delighted with her and she was summoned by name.
The church in general believes that we can approach YHVH at any time in our way and time. We dictate to GOD and He obeys. We made our own appointed times and feast days and thumbed our noses at Him. Yeah, the one who created us in His image. We trashed His word and disregarded His commandments unless it suits us and when we want to obey them.
Exo 23:14 EHV
(14) Three times a year you shall observe pilgrimage festivals for me:
Exo 23:17 EHV
(17) Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD God.
Deu 16:16-17 EHV
(16) Three times a year all of your males are to present themselves before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, at the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Shelters. They are not to present themselves before the LORD empty-handed,
(17) but each person is to have in his hand a gift that is in keeping with the blessing that the LORD your God has given you.
2Ch 8:13-14 EHV
(13) in keeping with the day-by-day requirement for burnt offerings commanded by Moses for the sabbaths, for the new moons, and the appointed festivals three times during the year, namely, the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Shelters.
(14) He appointed the divisions of the priests to serve according to the regulations of his father David, as well as the Levites for their offices of praise and service in the presence of the priests, in keeping with each day’s requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers by their divisions, gate by gate, because this was the command of David, the man of God.
Lev 10:1-2 EHV
(1) Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his incense pan, put coals on it, and laid incense on it, and they presented unauthorized fire in the LORD’s presence, which was not according to his command.
(2) Then fire came out from the LORD’s presence and consumed them. This is how they died in the LORD’s presence.
In these passages, we see that YHVH has His set apart times and He expects us to be there. We are not to go empty-handed, rather we are to make preparations beforehand. We to ready ourselves not just physically but in our hearts. Repent is the primary message He has for us. Because we have sinned before Him. We must make it right with our fellow man before we can approach Him.
Mat 5:23-24 EHV
(23) “So if you are about to offer your gift at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you,
(24) leave your gift there in front of the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother. Then come and offer your gift.
This Torah Portion shows the detailed work of every aspect of the Tabernacle. We need to examine our lives to see if we are a reflection of YHVH or if people can only see our flesh. We are to be as the refiner’s gold or silver. The result is when the refiner can his face. This is why we must give our best. That is we are to purge our lives of the wickedness in our hearts. In all of this, if we are not preparing ourselves to meet the King, then I am afraid that we will be determined unfit to enter the Kingdom. So, how are we to prepare ourselves for presenting ourselves to the King?
Mat 5:3-12 EHV
(3) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(4) Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted.
(5) Blessed are the gentle, because they will inherit the earth.
(6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled. (7) Blessed are the merciful, because they will receive mercy.
(8) Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God.
(9) Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God.
(10) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(11) “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
(12) Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. That is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Before you go and start patting yourself on the back, saying I always do that, think again.
Mat 25:32-46 EHV
(32) All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
(33) He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
(34) Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
(35) For I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
(36) I was lacking clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’
(37) “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink?
(38) When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or lacking clothes and clothe you? (39) When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
(40) “The King will answer them, ‘Amen I tell you: Just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.’
(41) “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his angels.
(42) For I was hungry and you did not give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you did not give me anything to drink.
(43) I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, lacking clothes and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not take care of me.’
(44) “Then they will also answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or lacking clothes or sick or in prison and did not serve you?’
(45) “At that time he will answer them, ‘Amen I tell you: Just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’
(46) And they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
This is how we are to prepare ourselves to meet the King by becoming a living breathing Torah. We must change our hearts from the stoney to a heart made of flesh and eat of the tree of Life. We must learn to do as He has commanded us. Yes, it is easy to say that we must speak love, but unless we live what He says in His word.
We must be like Him and know what it will take to please Him as Esther and Ruth did. They learned what it means to become humble and righteous. And place His desires above ours. When we learn and do what He does. That is to Love what He loves and Hate what He hates then we will be changed into Him.
Jer 31:3-10 EHV
(3) The LORD appeared to me from a distance, saying: I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with mercy.
(4) I will build you up again, and you will be built up, O Virgin Israel. You will pick up your drums again, and you will go out to dance with those who are joyful.
(5) Again you will plant vineyards in the mountains of Samaria. The planters will plant and will enjoy its fruit.
(6) For there will be a day when the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim cry out, “Come, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.”
(7) This is what the LORD says. Sing with joy for Jacob, and shout for the greatest of the nations. Make your praises heard and say, “LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel!” (8) Watch, I will bring them from a land in the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. The blind and the lame will be there, the pregnant woman together with the woman in labor. They will return as a huge community.
(9) They will come weeping. They will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water, on a level path where they will not stumble. For I am a father to Israel. Ephraim is my firstborn.
(10) Hear the word of the LORD, you nations. Declare it in the distant islands. Say that he who scattered Israel will gather him and watch over him like a shepherd watching his flock.
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