Parsha Diary--Tetzaveh, You shall command

The pointer and decorative "breastplate" that adorns the Torah scroll

Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Your godly ones sing for joy. 

Psalm 132:9

Dear Parsha Diary,

This week I just loved reading Parsha Tetzaveh!  I learned so much from the Holy Spirit guiding as I enjoyed delving into the parsha.  I am continually in awe not only the beautiful details of the parsha in themselves, and especially, oh the priestly garments and the loving instructions from God to Moses on how they are to be made!! But also how everything points to our lives in Messiah Yeshua, and how alive His word is.  I know some people call this the "Old" Testament, but Lord this is all so new and alive and relevant to who we are in Messiah Yeshua!!! 

Make them holy in the truth.  Your word is truth.  John 17:17

Tetzaveh   You shall command

There is a commandment in the first line of the parsha for the olive oil to be brought to keep the light of the menorah burning forever before the LORD (Exodus 27:20~21).  After that, a good part of this parsha details the intricate and beautiful descriptions of the priestly garments God instructs Moses—though note that in this parsha Moses is not named—-to have made for Aaron and his sons.  Over and over in the tabernacle descriptions, God instructs that all be made by spirit-filled craftsmen  who are wise-hearted.  Each element of both the Tabernacle and the garments has special significance that speaks volumes about God’s heart and the love and meaning that is put into every detail of His word and instructions for our lives in service to Him, all for His Glory and to reveal His beauty!!

Our High Priest Yeshua is revealed in each item of garments, and the ministry of intercession that is our Messiah’s ministry is also passed down to us.   As a people, nation of high priests we are commanded to put on the Armor of God(Ephesians 6:10~23).   It is striking to read the passages in this parsha (for example the breastplate of judgement, Ex. 28:15) and to see how Paul's description of the armor in Ephesians is so deeply rooted in these instructions and all of the Torah.

True priests in service of Messiah always are to keep the light of God shining and lit, and to put on the priestly garments of justice, righteousness, truth and Salvation, always ready and with the Good News of Shalom to intercede and pray in the Ruach on every occasion (Ephesians 6:18)!  May we be clothed in Messiah Yeshua, shining our light and armed for intercession as we set out in our prayer time today!
  
Here is a prayer to pray for your child or loved one to be clothed in the armor of God! Put that person's name in the dotted lines in the prayer below.

May................................be strong in the LORD and in His mighty power.
May .......................put on the full armor of God so that ............................can stand against the schemes of the devil.  May.....................always buckle the belt of truth around his/her waist, and put on the breast plate of righteousness.  May .........................strap up his/her feet in readiness with the Good News of Shalom.  Above all, may...............take up the shield of faith with which he/she will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  And may...................take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.   from Ephesians 6:10~17

Readings from Parsha Tetzaveh:
Exodus 27:20 ~ 30:10
Ezeikel 43:10 ~27
Hebrews 9:6~14

Notes:  Ruach is the Hebrew word for Spirit, or Wind, here referring to the Holy Spirit.

Take ...unleavened cakes with oil mixed in....    from Exodus 29:2, note to myself, the word for cakes in Hebrew in this verse is "Challah"

Notice the "Challah" this week, it has an unleavened look to it, actually I tried making challah using rice flour that I got from a local rice grower, and was surprised at the result how it didn't rise.

I have a "souvenir" Torah Scroll from Jerusalem. I confess I can't really read it but I can follow along enough to see where we are and listen along to the Hebrew as I "read" it for each potion, and some words do "pop out" and it is good Hebrew study as well for listening and following along and seeing!!!

Parsha Tetzaveh

Meditating on God's splendor and majesty and His clothes of righteousness; and on being clothed in the Armor of God.

You shall make a breastpiece of decision, worked into a design; make it in the style of the ephod:  make it of gold, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and of fine twisted linen.  It shall be square and doubled, a span in length and a span in width.  Set in it mounted stones, in four rows of stones.  

Exodus 28:15~17 

 

Postcards from Parsha Tetzaveh and from this morning

You are to make holy garments for your brother Aaron, for splendor and for beauty.

---Exodus 28:2

This morning in my prayer and praise time I was reading from the scripture 
"I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty and Your wonders", 
from the Psalms 145:5. 
 

During that time I got a call from my Dad from the US.   He asked what was I doing.  I said " I'm spending time in prayer with Yeshua,  meditating on the glorious splendor of His majesty and His wonders."
There was a time that I woudn't have just come out and said that, and if I did my Dad would not quite know how to receive it....but now I can and I am so thankful my Dad replied by asking if I was o.k. to talk.   I am so thankful that Yeshua cares so much about families,  I felt His presence speaking to us both at that moment, to me, saying, Yes, share your love of Me to your Dad, and to my Dad, He gave that heart of respect for me, as He  intercedes exquisitely to bring all our families and loved ones to Him.


Blessings in 
Yeshua, our High Priest Forever. 


Love,

❤️
Shayndel

The Ume Tree is back! notes

Praise God!
The ume tree is back and planted in nourished soil.
The workers who do the planting take such care of the garden work.
When I told my Japanese teacher about the gardeners, he said there is word to describe that in Japanese, Shokunin Kata-gi. 職人気質。He explained that it means  the spirit of a traditional craftsman.  

That word and the whole work of the gardeners and the blossoms and moving the tree reminds me of the spirit filled craftsmen we are reading about in the Parashat about the Tabernacle.
There are so many times the word "spirit filled craftsmen" is used in these parsha.

You know that everything reminds me of the parsha, when I walk through the days.  I have mentioned before how I also love the description of the blossom crafted menorah.  I am just copying a part of it here, just to copy it and honor the beauty of it and in the season of blossoms and the work of the craftsman, to the glory of God. 

I also think of the scriptures about restoration  and re-building, from Jeremiah.

I am happy that the Ume tree is back.

God brings order to our lives.   He plants and He uproots.
And He rebuilds and restores.

Blessings and Shabbat Shalom!

Love,
♡
Shayndel

You are to make a menorah of pure gold, by hammered work.   Its base, stern, cups, bulbs and flowers are to be one piece.  There are to be six branches coming out of the sides, three branches of the menorah out of one side and three branches out of the other.  There are to be three cups shaped like almond blossoms in one branch, each with a bulb and flower, then three cups made like almond blossoms in the next branch, each with a bulb and flower, and so forth for the six branches coming out of the menorah.  Whithin the menorah will be four cups made like almond blossoms, with bulbs and flowers.  Exodus 25:  31~34