Pekudei (Accounts). Exodus (Shemot). Exodus 38:21–40:38; 1 Kings 7:51–8:21; Hebrews 8:1–12

Shalom All, Welcome to this week’s Torah / Bible study section, which is called Pekudei (Accounts). This is the last reading in the Book of Exodus (Shemot). Exodus 38:21–40:38; 1 Kings 7:51–8:21; Hebrews 8:1–12 Last week in section “Vayakhel”, the people donated the required materials for the building of the Mishkan in such abundance that Moses had to tell them to stop giving. This week’s section, Pekudei, an accounting is made of those materials, and the eight priestly garments are made according to the specifications in section Tetzaveh. The Mishkan (sanctuary) is also completed and a cloud appears over it; Yahweh’s Divine Presence has come to dwell within it. The Glory of God. “Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as YHWH had commanded. So Moses blessed them” (Exodus 39:43). Pekudei addresses the mystery of how an unlimited, eternal God who transcends all time and space can possibly take up residence within the limitations of a man-made building. Ofcourse, the building does not contain Him fully, but His presence is there. 1Ki 8:27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? Once Moses and the people finished the work of constructing the Mishkan, the Glory of God filled it: “So Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the meeting and the glory [kavod] of God filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:33–34). The word for glory in Exodus 40:34 is kavod, and it is related to the Hebrew words for honour (kaved) and heavy (kaved). When you give someone kaved, it means to give them honour or respect. To treat them as a person of substance, importance, of great value. This same word used in one of the Commandments, “Honour (kaved) your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). In this Torah reading, God chose to place His Glory or Shekhinah in the finite space of the Mishkan (Sanctuary). His Presence was unmistakable and of great substance. It was heavy and inspired reverence. The Presence of Yahweh was so weighty, in fact, that Moses himself was unable to enter. “And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of meeting, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:35). As the children of Israel moved on from the foot of Mount Sinai, where they received the revelation of the Torah (YHWH’S righteous living instructions which we call laws), the manifestation of God in cloud and fire that hovered over the mountain now moved with them to cover the Tabernacle. This sign reassured the people of His continual Presence and guidance throughout all the rest of their journeys. “For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and there was fire therein by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys” (Exodus 40:38). Exo 40:38 For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys. This brings to mind what the presence of Yahweh around you brings Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Similarly, Yeshua will always be with us. He promised, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). So we are not to fear what man can do to us who walk in the commandments of God. As Believers in Yahshua, we do not need to drift aimlessly upon a storm-tossed sea of trials and tribulations alone; the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) has been sent to lead and guide those who are His (and sincere seekers) and to be with them forever. Speaking to His apostles He said "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever” (John 14:16). You may remember they came out of Egypt about 14 days after the beginning of their year, at Passover; our end of March / beginning of April [Exo 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you]. One year later they were setting up the Holy sanctuary from where god would forgive their sins [Exo 40:2 On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. Exo 40:3 And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail. Exo 40:17 And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up]. I am not sure if there is any significance; but it is similar period of a year Noah left the old world, stayed I the ark and emerged into the new after the flood. Gen 7:6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. … Gen 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. Gen 8:13 And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: … Gen 8:14 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried. Gen 8:15 And God spake unto Noah, saying, Gen 8:16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee]. Sometimes the Ark is referred to as that of the “testimony”. I wonder if the book of the copy of the law that was put inside this “testimony” is what is used to “testify” against us. Whether our repented sins (transgressed laws) have been forgiven and which ones remain, the unrepented. Exo 40:21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded Moses. Other times it is called tabernacle of the congregation as in Exo 40:12 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. 1Ki 8:4 And they brought up the ark of the LORD, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up. The Glory of God Falls on Solomon’s Temple. “When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of Yahweh filled his temple” (1 Kings 8:10–11)(see also 2 Chron 5:13-14). During the time of Zedekiah the Glory of Solomon’s temple departed (Ezek 11:22-23) and will not return until it again fills the millennial Temple (Ezek 43;1-9). In this Temple, God promises that the “latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former… and in this place I shall give peace”. See also Haggai 2:6-9). In the Haftarah (Prophetic portion of the Law and Prophets study) for this week, the Shekhinah Glory of God filled the Temple in Jerusalem once the work had been completed, just as it had filled the Mishkan in the wilderness when the work was completed. As in this study section reading, it was the end of the work that brought the supernatural outpouring of God’s presence, not the beginning. Starting any kind of project is usually relatively simple, if accompanied by zeal and enthusiasm; but the true blessing comes upon finishing the work. This requires patience, diligence, and endurance. Like the Israelites, Believers have also been given a job to finish: “My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task Yahshua has given me; the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace” (Acts 20:24). It is those who endure to the end that get the prize whether you come first or last in the race your reward is there for merely completing in obedience. Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. The Author and Finisher of Our Faith. When Yahshua died on the Roman execution stake, His final words were, “It is finished”. He knew that He had completed the work He had been sent to this world to accomplish. He had fulfilled His calling; He had glorified His Father, which was His heart’s earnest desire: “I have glorified You on the earth; I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4). That work involved being the author and FINISHER of our faith! (Hebrews 12:2). He is the Aleph and the Tav, the beginning and the end. HalleluYAH! (In Greek it is Alpha and Omega, in English it is A and Z). We can be secure in the knowledge that God always finishes what He starts. He did not just begin the work of creation; He finished it: “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array” (Genesis 2:1). Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Messiah Yahshua” (Philippians 1:6). God is faithfully at work in each one of us, as well. He will bring the work He began in us through to perfect completion if we simply obey. Quench the attacks of the deceiver by putting on the whole armour of God an essential part of which is truth [Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;] and denying temptations that come from self [Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed]. When we come to the end of our lives, even if it seems like there is yet much work to be done here on earth, may we be able to declare like the apostle Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) From Slavery to Freedom. The book of Exodus (Shemot) begins with the Israelites enslaved in Egypt. It ends with a visible demonstration of the Shekhinah Glory of Yahweh God! Those who follow the Master, Yahshua HaMashiach (the Messiah), have personally experienced freedom from slavery. Of the mentality of the world which is mostly bondage. Before we knew Yahshua, we were enslaved to sin, longing to be delivered from the kingdom of darkness. Similarluy to being in Egypt. God took them out of Egypt’s bondage and set them free to live in a land of His righteous ways of live (His TORAH / Laws). Now His Torah is written on our hearts and His Ruach HaKodesh dwells within us, transforming us into the people He has called us to be. The spirit He gives to those who obey Him Act 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Hebrews 8:1-13. As I have said before, Yahshua the Messiah replaced the former animal sacrifice system for the forgiveness of sins. Same principle, faith in the word of God. Before God said He would forgive sins through the sacrifice of an animal and those of that time were to have faith and believe He would honour that promise. Then He gave a better sacrifice of His son and again told us of today to have similar faith / belief in that Lamb would get us forgiveness of our repented sins. Hebrews chapter 8 is one place where this is narrated. However, the translators have inserted their own beliefs into the scriptures by inserted words they thought would help you understand the verse. One such word is “covenant”. I have put two of them in red itallics to show they are inserted. Heb 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; Heb 8:2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. Heb 8:3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. Heb 8:4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: Heb 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. Heb 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. Heb 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. Heb 8:8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Heb 8:9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: Heb 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

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