Abraham Did What??

 It's been almost two years since I have posted, and I have been sensing that it is time to get back to it.  My husband did point out to me that I published a book during my absence, so there is that.  Back to blogging... 

I've been pondering the near-sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22.  Judaism calls this the binding of Isaac, or the akedah (Hebrew for binding).  This word is only used once in scripture.

I know people who refuse to put their trust in God because of this account. Their logic is this:  Why would God ask someone to sacrifice their child?  If child sacrifice is wrong, then God is wrong to ask it.

It is a legitimate objection.  On the surface, it seems like God is commanding something heinous, especially to our modern sensibilities (even though those modern "sensibilities" seem to have no problem with the rampant child sacrifice that goes on in our culture today via abortion, but I digress - sort of).

Why didn't Abraham protest?  Why did he go along with it, seemingly without any complaints at all?

The culture.

Abraham lived in a time when child sacrifice was a normal thing in most cultures of the ancient world. He even came out of one of those cultures - Chaldea.  The sacrifice of a child was intertwined with the worship of a pagan deity, often a fertility god/goddess.  Worshipers sought to obtain a blessing from their deities. For instance, when rain was desperately needed for crops, or there was an impending battle, people would sacrifice what was important to them to get the gods to respond to them favorably.

This practice was found among the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Moabites, the Aztecs, Incas, the Druids... just to name a few.  There were many more. It was pervasive in the ancient world.

Abraham was so steeped in this ideology that when the request came, he complied without surprise or a fight.

But why did God do it?

I believe that the LORD was setting up the situation as a demonstration.  He was introducing to Abraham (and the world) what NOT TO DO.  God could have just told him, don't sacrifice children. God was testing Abraham's heart for obedience, but that was not all.  In a dramatic way, the LORD was officially putting a STOP to the evil practice of child sacrifice.

STOP, Abraham!  There is going to be a better way.  The LORD said, here is a ram for now, caught in a thorn bush, but I will provide MYSELF, the Lamb, who will someday wear a crown of thorns. In this whole dramatic scenario, the LORD puts a stop to the practice of child sacrifice, but He also foreshadows a day when He, the LORD will come to earth and become our sacrificial Lamb.

There are other foreshadows in the story.  It was a three day journey to the land of Mount Moriah. Isaac did not protest, but laid down willingly on the altar.  He even carried the wood for the sacrifice.  Abraham announced to his servants that both he and Isaac would be back. Did Abraham believe there would be a resurrection?  Perhaps so.  But he knew that the LORD would somehow take care of it, because Abraham had been promised descendants as numerous as the seashore.

Genesis 22:12 says, He (the LORD) said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."

Verse 14 says, So Abraham called the name of that place, 'The LORD will provide,'  as it is said to this day, 'On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.'

Abraham named the place the LORD will provide. Or in Hebrew, YHWH Yireh.  Or in English transliteration, Jehovah Jireh.

Someday, the LORD would not withhold His Son from mankind, in that very same place.  He is asking us to trust in Him, in the same way that He challenged Abraham to trust in Him and His provision.

Six then Seven

For years, I have been observing biblical patterns that occur over and over again, from Genesis to Revelation.  God's patterns are woven so deeply into the very tapestry of the scriptures that it would be impossible for the 40+ authors, writing over a period of 1500+ years, to have come up with them on their own. 

 I woke up this morning with an insight that is so obvious that I wonder how it never occurred to me before.  As the title of this post suggests, it has to do with the pattern of six and then seven, which is probably my favorite biblical pattern.

This pattern is established right off the bat in Genesis with the account of creation.  God did the work of creation in six days, and then He rested, instituting the Sabbath day.  Six then seven.

The observance of the Sabbath was written into the Sinai Covenant.  To this day, the Jewish people (and many non-Jews) work six days and then observe a day of rest.  Six then seven.

Biblically speaking, human history can be traced back just about six thousand years to Adam and Chava (Eve).  The bible also speaks of a coming millennium of rest (see Revelation 20:1-7).  Six then seven.

The Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho for six days, and on the seventh day, they circled the wall seven times and then God took the walls down when they sounded the shofars.  Six then seven.

Six is the number of man. Man was created on the sixth day.  Man is incomplete without God.

Seven is the number of perfection, or completeness.  The number seven points to Him.  God rested from His work on the seventh day.  I believe that God and man began to fully enjoy their relationship that day, before Adam's sin came along and messed everything up.

The thought that woke me up this morning was this:  Yeshua hung on the cross for six hours.  For six hours, He travailed in order to pay for our sin.  At the end of six hours, He said "It is finished," and took a final breath. As the seventh hour began, He rested from that incredible work that now reconciles us to Himself.  Just as God worked for six days in order to create fellowship with mankind, so too He worked for six hours to restore fellowship with mankind.

In Matthew 11, Yeshua declares, Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

The book of Hebrews elaborates on the idea of Yeshua being our ultimate rest. The context begins in chapter 3, speaking of the unbelief of the Israelites, and then chapter 4 says, For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.  So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

In Leviticus 23, YHVH entrusted the Israelites with His seven appointed times, all of which point to the work of the Messiah and tell the story of human redemption.  These seven appointed times culminate with the Feast of Tabernacles, when Yeshua will once again dwell on earth in peace with His people.

Six then seven.

Plant-Based Theology

I heard a sermon a couple weeks ago that spoke of the sacrifice of Cain that was not regarded by God, whereas God showed regard for the sacrifice of his brother Abel.

Genesis 6:2 tells us that Abel was a keeper of sheep and Cain worked the ground.

It didn’t seem fair. Gardening is hard work, even today with all the convenient tools at our disposal. I can’t imagine how tough it was a an early human, fresh out of the Garden of Eden, with no John Deere tractors to lighten the burden.  Cain gave an offering that was from his table, earned by the sweat of his brow. What was wrong with that?

The speaker basically concluded that it was a matter of the heart. Abel demonstrated faith, giving the firstborn and best of his flock, and Cain did not offer his best. (Then the rest of the message was about tithing.)

On my way home, I was asking myself why Abel was even raising sheep in the first place. Their diet was plant-based (such a buzz word today). Man didn’t eat meat until after the flood, according to Genesis 9:3.

It then occurred to me that there wool of the sheep would have probably been used for clothing. This was followed by an aha moment... their clothing was made from the skins of the animal. (I’ve written about Cain and Abel before, but sometimes I get new insights so I repeat myself in order to provide context).

Their covering.

Mural from the Painted Church, Kona, Hawaii
Adam tried to revive Abel.
Note the wardrobe.

In Genesis 3:7, Adam and Eve had tried to cover themselves with fig leaves after they sinned.  A plant-based wardrobe. It didn’t fly with the Almighty.

God Himself had covered Adam and Eve with animal skins in Genesis 3:21. Blood, the first blood spilled on earth, had to be shed for their acceptable covering.  The Hebrew Word for covering is kaphar- also meaning atonement.

Do you see a common theme here? Blood must be shed to provide a sufficient covering over of sin.

This is why Cain’s plant-based offering was not regarded by God, and why Adam and Eve’s plant-based wardrobe was not sufficient to cover them in the eyes of God.

Genesis gives us these prophetic pictures that foretell of the sacrifice that would cover our sin once and for all -Yeshua and His atoning (covering) death on the cross.

Isaiah 64:6 tells us what God thinks of our own striving to reconcile ourselves to God via “plant-based” efforts: 

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 

Cain’s offering of grain and Adam and Eve’s attempt at the leaf wardrobe both demonstrate  the concept of man working for his own salvation. Neither attempt was regarded by God.

Only blood sacrifice was, and is, acceptable.

The gardening comes later as we work out (not for) our salvation.

The Gospel In the Lion’s Den

I was doing my daily reading the other day, which included Daniel 6.

Daniel in the Lion's Den... it's a story that many of us have heard since before we could walk, and usually it is ripped out of the context of a righteous man living in pagan Babylon.

As I was reading through it this time, new insights flew off the page for me that I had never noticed before.

The chapter opens with King Darius elevating Daniel to a high position.  This is the third time Daniel was promoted; it happened with Nebuchadnezzer after interpreting the king's dream, and then with Belshazzar after interpreting the writing on the wall.  (Granted, the second promotion only lasted an hour or two).  I wonder what Daniel did to impress Darius?  Maybe Darius just heard testimonies about Daniel, his God, and his steadfastness.  Who knows?

Anyway, Daniel's promotion irritated his fellow governors and satraps.   They knew Daniel was a righteous and faithful man, filled with integrity - so they declared that they would have to trip him up in regard to his God's law.

So these schmucks approached Darius with a piece of legislation that they knew Daniel would disobey.  They appealed to Darius' ego, suggesting that for 30 days, nobody be allowed to worship any man or god but Darius himself.

Darius fell for the ploy, and signed the bill into law.  The unchangeable Law of the Medes and Persians.  It was a ridiculous law that Daniel rightfully refused to obey.

Daniel prayed toward Jerusalem

I have often had this fleeting thought while reading about the Law of the Medes and Persians:  why exactly were the laws unchangeable?  Why then, at that point in history?  Many despotic rulers have come and gone and have had no problem changing laws.  Several modern guys come to mind - Stalin, Mao, Kim Jung Un, Hitler.

King Darius was the head honcho.  Why  could he not reverse the law with a kingly declaration?  (This happens again later in the Persian Empire, under King Artaxerxes in the Esther story).

Maybe God is showing us something with the Law of the Medes and Persians.  Maybe it is to demonstrate how His own law is set in stone and unchangeable.

When evil comes, another route must be taken because of the unchangeable law.

C. S. Lewis speaks of this immutable law and the way around it in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  The White Witch declared, "You know that every traitor belongs to me as my lawful prey and that for every treachery I have a right to a kill … that human creature is mine. … His blood is my property."

The Witch in the story was quite right. She had legal claim to Edmund's soul because of his treachery. But Edmund would not die for his sins. Instead, Aslan offered to lay down his life in place of the boy.  In the story, the unchangeable law is called the Deep Magic From the Dawn of Time.  Aslan had to take a different route.

Daniel was condemned by an unchangeable law. The king was forced to obey his own law, even though he liked and respected Daniel. Against his wishes, he had to toss Daniel into the lion's den, because the law required it.  Verse 17 says that a stone was put in front of what looked to be Daniel's tomb, and sealed. (Where have we heard that before?)

Daniel in the cave with lions

Thankfully, YHVH intervened and closed the mouth of the hungry felines.  Daniel was spared.

God has made a law that declares the penalty for sin is death. It is immutable. It cannot be changed. And unless we still happen to be on earth when Yeshua returns, we will pay that penalty through the first death.

But, God did provide a means to get around the immutable law. He provided Himself. He came to earth in the flesh as Yeshua, the Son of Man,  and He paid the penalty for the broken law for us, so that by accepting His payment, we will be raised to life immortal.  We will not suffer the second (and permanent) death.  Yeshua came as the sacrificial Lamb of God. in order to circumvent God's unchangeable law for us.

But Yeshua is no longer the meek Lamb.  Someday soon, He will return to earth as the mighty Lion of Judah, and He will destroy His enemies - just as the enemies of Daniel were destroyed by the lions in Babylon.  He will then rule and reign from Jerusalem, and those who belong to Him will rule and reign with Him.

Isaiah Post 48, Genesis Post 1 - Building a Bridge With ET

I have been pondering how to wrap up the book of Isaiah, having just finished my final post on chapter 66 a few days ago.

Funny, I didn't plan for 48 posts.  It just happened that way.  Forty-eight is a very special number.  If you do the biblical math, you will discover that Abraham was born in the year 1948 from creation.  And modern Israel was born in the Roman year 1948, fulfilling the nation's rebirth as foretold in Isaiah 66.

So today's post will wrap up with what I hope will be a bridge to Genesis.  I am also hoping this post comes across with clarity, because today's subject is just SO BIG!!

Deep breath... here goes:

Three times in Isaiah, YHVH - God Himself - is referred to as the First and the Last.  Isaiah 48:12-13 links this idea to the creation of the world.  It is a term that means the whole story.

“Listen to Me, O Jacob,
And Israel, My called:
I am He, I am the First,
I am also the Last.

Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth,
And My right hand has stretched out the heavens;
When I call to them,
They stand up together.

While I was studying the first and last connection to creation in the Hebrew scriptures, I found evidence of this concept hiding in plain sight - right in the very first sentence of Genesis.

Genesis 1:1 is comprised of seven Hebrew words.  This doesn't surprise me.  Scripture uses this number often, and it means completeness.  Here is my transliteration of Genesis 1:1, with definitions:

Beresheet – in the beginning

Bara – created (from nothing, not formed with already-created elements)

Elohim – God (plural word, unity in a diversity)

Et – unstranslatable as a word, but lends to understanding in the grammar (we’ll come back to this)

Hashamayim – the heavens

Ve-et – and/a connector (there is that et again)

Haaretz - the land/earth

Now those seven words give us a picture of completeness on their own, being that the number seven is one of God's favorite ways of showing completeness.  But take a look at that untranslated word et, right there in the very middle, spelled alef tav - the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Et has been a word that stumped the ancient scholars of the Hebrew scriptures.  The word is peppered throughout the Tanakh (aka old testament) over 7000 times! The ancient scholars were not clear on what to do with this word.  Our English translations simply don't translate it. It is hidden.

The word et expresses the understanding of a total and all-encompassing completeness. It is equivalent to saying "from  a to z, from first to last, from beginning to end.

Additionally, the word et appears many times paired with objects or names of biblical characters, as a hyphenated compound word.  However, in such cases it is hidden and continues un-translated.  Here are several examples of the appearance of et:

• In the book of Ruth, her name appears twelve times.  The first 10 appearances are just her name by itself - Ruth.  But the last two mentions are hyphenated thusly:  Et-Ruth.    It appears this way only after she is redeemed by Boaz.  You cannot see this in any of the English translations.
• The name Esau appears numerous times as Et-Esau, but only until he gives up his birthright.  After that, his name only appears alone.  Again, it is hidden in the English, and not really understood in the Hebrew.
• The word appears right in the center of the shema - the Jewish statement of faith found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5.  Love et the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and might.
• Et appears in the middle of one of my favorite scriptures that foretell of the salvation of Israel:  Zechariah 12:10:  They will look upon Me et whom they have pierced. (I will come back to this)
• Et appears in numerous places that speak of the destruction of Sodom.  See Genesis 13:10, Genesis 19:14, Isaiah 13:19, Jeremiah 50:40, and Amos 4:11. 
• The only one of the ten commandments to feature et is the fourth one, on keeping the Sabbath, which was the covenant sign  at Mount Sinai. 

Et appears to be a covenant word.  A hidden signature of the Messiah, so to speak.

The ancient alef was an ox head representing the strong leader,
and a powerful symbol of God Himself. 
The ancient tav was a cross.
What a powerful picture of what our God has done for us!
(Hebrew reads from right to left)

Where does this word et show up in Isaiah?  Verse 1:4 tells us that they have et (completely) forsaken the LORD.  Remember, Isaiah started out with a bunch of bad news.  The next occurrence is in Isaiah 6:1, in the vision that sets the stage for the rest of Isaiah’s prophecies.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled et the temple.

On the very day that I was pondering this concept (and not really getting the clarity that I wanted), I opened my daily devotional that I get from George Whitten, a pastor who lives in Israel.  Here is what he wrote.  (Seriously, only God can orchestrate this).  The devotional is in blue:

Friend, trust him to complete what he started!

Gen 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
(B're'shiyt bara Elohim 'et (Aleph - Tav) hashamyim v'et ha'aretz.)

Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. (I'd been looking for this verse!)

Rev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

Rev 21:6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

The Bible begins with the creation of the heavens and earth, and ends with the creation of a new heavens and a new earth. Thus the Word of God delineates a complete story of everything from the beginning of the created world to the unending eternity toward which we are headed. The scripture also identifies Yeshua as the firstborn over all creation, [Colossians 1:15] and thus the Lord of all time.

In the book of Genesis, the very first verse of the Bible contains the Hebrew word formed from the first and last letters of the alphabet, i.e. aleph-tav. Interestingly, this word is not translated, even though it serves a grammatical purpose as a preposition pointing to the direct object of the sentence. Aleph-tav, nevertheless, may carry an important, if somewhat hidden, meaning, as some commentators see in these Hebrew letters an agent of creation, Yeshua, the image of the invisible God by whom all things were created; [Colossians 1:15-16], the "Aleph and the Tav"...

This identity of our Lord is explicitly expressed in the book of Revelation, for the Bible concludes with the statement that Yeshua (Jesus) is the "Alpha and the Omega". Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet. From the beginning to the end of the biblical narrative, then, we receive the revelation that, as the agent of Creation, Yeshua truly encompasses all that is, and as such, it is only in Him that we find our completeness; as the author of Hebrews declares, He truly is "the author and finisher of our faith; [Hebrews 12:2].

While we're here on earth we are still not completed but remain in the midst of a journey, begun in Him, and pressing, even groaning, toward the blessed hope, the resurrection of our earthly bodies when we will be truly complete. Yes, it is quite obvious -- He's not finished with us yet!

But the Alpha and Omega, in Whom resides all power and wisdom has not yet finished His good work in us. So be encouraged this day – for we can certainly trust the words of Paul when he said, "He that began a good work in you will bring it to completion" [Philippians 1:6], His very identity as Lord of all time and eternity, Aleph-Tav, and Alpha-Omega -- guarantees it!

I love how the mystery alef tav of the Hebrew Scriptures is revealed in Revelation, which the old testament era scholars did not yet have.  No wonder they were perplexed!

Revelation 1:7-8 says this:
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Compare this passage to Zechariah 12:1 that I mentioned earlier, in which et shows up in the middle of  they look upon Me et who they have pierced. The alef tav of the Tanakh IS the alpha omega of the New Covenant - the Messiah!

Yeshua calls himself the alpha and omega three more times in Revelation. One more time in chapter 1, and then twice near the end of the book, in chapters 21 and 22.  Revelation opens and closes with alpha and omega, and the entire scriptures open and close with this very same concept.

John 1:1 wraps up this concept nicely. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

The very signature of the Messiah runs from Genesis to the end of Revelation! He truly is on every page of our bibles.

Now that’s a great way to finish Isaiah and head into Genesis!

To move on in Genesis, click here.

If you would like to read all 48 posts on this walk through Isaiah, you may click here to start at the beginning.

Yom Kippur and Our High Priest

We interrupt our walk through Isaiah to stop and pause for the holiest day on the Jewish calendar - Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement.

This was the one day a year when the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of the bull and goat on the mercy seat. Let's look at Leviticus 16:6-10 for context:

“Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house.  He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.  Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat.  And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering.  But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness.

First, Aaron the High Priest had to make an offering for himself via the bull.  Then he was able to continue with God's directive to cast lots for the two goats - one which would die for the sins of Israel (known as the Goat of the Lord), and one which would be set free and sent into the wilderness (known as the azazel, or scapegoat).

Fast forward to the ultimate sacrificial death of Yeshua our Messiah.  Most believers would acknowledge that He became our Passover Lamb.  But is there also a picture of His high priesthood at His death?

Yes.

When Yeshua stood before Pontius Pilate, Pilate wanted to wash his hands of the matter and take no blame for what happened.  So Pilate offered the people a scapegoat - Barabbas.  The people accepted the scapegoat and Barabbas was set free.  Yeshua the Messiah then became the Goat of the Lord, the sacrifice that would take away the sin of the whole world.

Some ancient manuscripts of the gospel of Matthew have the full name of Barabbas written as Yeshua Bar Abba.  Early church father Origen was troubled by this and declared that the name Yeshua must have been added in by a heretic.  It is likely that later scribes removed this reference.

 It is interesting to note that Yeshua Bar Abba means Jesus, Son of the Father.  Even without the name Yeshua, we are still left with the term Son of the Father. 

So we are left with a picture of two similar goats with similar names, one chosen to die and one chosen to be set free, in the very same manner as the two goats in Leviticus 16.

It gets even more interesting.

According to the Talmud (Jewish oral law that was codified in the second century AD and expounded upon), there were several signs by which people would know whether or not God had received their sacrifice and forgiven their sins. 

First, the priest would draw lots from an urn as outlined in Leviticus 16.  One lot was written, For the Lord. The other said To the Scapegoat.  The priest would pull both lots out of the urn - one in each hand.  If the priest drew the lot For the Lord in his right hand, that meant that God had received the sacrifice.  However, if it showed up in the left hand, it meant the opposite - that God had rejected the sacrifice. 

The Talmud records that from 30 AD to 70 AD, the same result showed up every time - rejected.  The odds of this happening 40 years in a row are over one in one trillion.

Another sign was that a scarlet thread was tied to the horn of the scapegoat, and it would supernaturally turn white when God received the sacrifice.  Part of the red thread would be actually tied to the temple doors - this way the people could see if it turned white or not. 

The Talmud also confirms that the thread did not turn white during those 40 years, and then the temple was destroyed in 70AD. 

So from the death of Yeshua to the destruction of the temple, the Talmud itself confirms that God rejected the sacrifices, beginning in the year 30.

Yeshua truly IS both our Passover Lamb and our Atoning High Priest.

But Messiah came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.  Hebrews 9-11-12

Thanks to Ron Cantor of Messiah's Mandate for the Talmudic information.

A Trilogy of Messiah

I was at a conference awhile back that had a bookstore on site.  One of the books featured was the "Jesus-Centered Bible."  I had to chuckle a little... aren't they all?

Maybe the publishers
 ran out of marketing ideas?

The Messiah is evident all throughout the scriptures, from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21.

One of my favorite places in the scriptures is the book of Psalms.  I have been hanging out there this month, just enjoying His presence there.

Did you know that the word salvation appears 63 times throughout the book?  And did you know that the Hebrew word for salvation is Yeshua, which also happens to be the name of the Messiah?  The name we English speakers know is Jesus, which is a transliteration of the Greek word Iesous.  (Note:  the letter J didn't show up until the 16th century.  The Hebrew letter is a yod, which sounds like a y).

Anyway, the grammar police in me digresses.  I want to visit a particular section in the psalms that gives us a complete picture of the Messiah.  Throughout history, the Jewish sages have been perplexed at the two very different portrayals of the Messiah.  Some concluded that there were two Messiahs.  Others thought that perhaps there was one Messiah, but He came twice.  These two pictures of the Messiah have names - Messiah ben Yosef (son of Joseph, the Suffering Servant), and Messiah ben David (son of David, the Reigning King).

He is the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah

In Psalm 22, He is portrayed as the Suffering Servant.  When you read it, you see such a clear picture of His death.  When Yeshua spoke the first line of this psalm while He was suffering on the tree, it was His way of calling our attention to the entire psalm.  My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?

The psalm describes the sort of death He would suffer... hundreds of years before crucifixion was even invented by the Romans as a form of execution. It also foretells the division of His garments.
I am poured out like water
And all My bones are out of joint
My heart is like wax; it has melted within Me
They pierced my hands and My feet
They divide My garments among them
And for My clothing they cast lots

During His first advent, the Messiah suffered, died, and rose again in order to atone for the sin which entered the world back in the garden.  He then went back to heaven so that the good news of salvation by His finished work could circle the globe.

Psalm 24 speaks of His glorious return as the King of Kings.  Scripture tells us that He will return to the Mount of Olives and enter Jerusalem.  Today, the Eastern Gate is sealed.  But the psalm tells us,
Lift up your heads, O you gates.
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of Glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD (YHVH), strong and mighty.

The Muslims sealed the gate and put a cemetery in front of it.
This will not stop the Messiah.

This King of Glory is indeed returning soon. 

But let's not forget one of the most famous of the psalms, Psalm 23.  Sandwiched between the Suffering Servant Psalm and the Returning King Psalm is a beautiful passage that comforts us and assures of of His presence while we wait for Him to return.  Additionally, we need our Good Shepherd because like sheep, we are restless, prone to wander, always searching for greener grass, and to often oblivious to danger.

Let the familiar words wash over you today as you read them.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil
For You are with me
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

This beautiful psalm ends with the prophecy that leads right into His glorious return in Psalm 24.  Forever we will dwell with Him!

The Armor of God

I have had this subject floating around in my head for weeks now.  And the Lord keeps putting things in front of me to remind me to write it down!  Just this week, the kids and I were reading about the ancient Greeks and Cretans and how they were workers of iron to make weapons that were better than bronze.  And last Saturday, I heard a keynote speaker on the Armor of God.  Ok, ok, I get it, Lord.  So here goes...

Most believers are quite familiar with Ephesians 6:14-17, which speaks of the Armor of God.  For reminder's sake, here it is:

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

As I was studying the words, I realized that the first three pieces of armor are already in place. They were provided to us at the moment of redemption, when we are born again in Messiah. We are already armed with the truth (by which we realized Yeshua IS our savior), the breastplate of righteousness (Yeshua made us righteous), and our feet have been prepared with the good news of peace in Messiah. At the moment our justification, we were armed with good armor!

The Bible instructs us then, having been armed thus far, to take up the remaining pieces. We must arm ourselves with that shield of faith day by day, because those fiery darts are constantly aimed at us. The helmet of salvation is a picture of renewing our mind and taking every thought captive to Yeshua (Romans 2:12, 2 Corinthinans 10:5). And finally, the sword - the Word of God - is our spiritual bread that sustains and arms us. These three pieces are available to us as we are sanctified (a lifelong process), but we must actively take them up. We need them as we work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12).

Notice that there is no armor for our backs. I believe it is because God does not want us to retreat from the battle, and also because He has got our back!

I find it interesting that spiritual armor was not just a clever idea made up by Paul in Ephesians. He was a Torah scholar, and was well familiar with the concept. Here is a passage from Isaiah 59, which is clearly foreshadowing the Messiah:

Then the Lord saw it [man's sinfulness] and it displeased Him
That there was no justice. He saw that there was no man,
And wondered that there was no intercessor;
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,

And was clad with zeal as a cloak.

Isaiah clearly shows that our Intercessor - provided by the LORD'S own arm, was armed and clothed for the job that He was sent to do. I love that Isaiah included a piece of armor for both justification and sanctification in this passage, showing that salvation is not simply a one time deal, but an ongoing process that began the moment we were justified. Our salvation will be complete at the resurrection when we receive our new imperishable bodies.

Another piece of the Ephesians armor can be found in Isaiah 52:7:

How beautiful upon the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace,
Who brings glad tidings of good things,
Who proclaims salvation,
Who says to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”



In closing, let's go back to the beginning of Ephesians 6 and be reminded of just Who is in charge and who we are battling:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Burning the Bones and Tearing Down the High Places

God's timing makes me smile.  Again.

Last night, my daughter and I were having a conversation about cremation.  I shared with her that I don't believe it's God's first choice for us.  As an example, I talked about the bones of Joseph being carefully brought up from Egypt, and also the imagery of the dry bones in Ezekeil resurrecting and coming to life.  I also mentioned that the remains of King Saul were burned and that the connotation was negative.  Saul's body had been desecrated by the Philistines, and the valiant people of Jabesh Gilead came and burned the body of Saul and his sons because of what had been done to them.

Also, Jewish law requires that the body of a dead person be buried within 24 hours of death.  The remains of cremated individuals are not allowed to be interred in a Jewish cemetery.  Additionally, I was surprised to learn that the traditional Jewish laws of mourning are not observed in orthodoxy if a person's remains were cremated.

Finally, the Shoah (the Jewish term for the Holocaust).  Not only were the Jews tattooed with numbers- which was in itself an affront to what was written in the Torah - but also, the bodies of murdered Jews were burned in crematoriums.  I believe the cruel men who came up with this atrocity knew exactly what they were doing, and knew how this would be such an evil insult to the victims and their families.  Even if the Nazis didn't know it, the demonic beings working in the spiritual realm and influencing their actions certainly knew.

Let me just stop right now and say, if you are reading this and have different convictions on cremation, I am not condemning you.  My mother and stepfather were both cremated, and I believe that God can and will put them back together out of the dust of the earth at the resurrection.  After all, He formed man from the dust of the earth in the first place.  But it's never too late to learn what the Word of God has to say about any given subject.

So anyway, back to God's timing...

My reading today took me to 2 Kings 23, which recorded the major reforms of King Josiah.  He was one of only two kings of Judah who were willing to tear down the high places.  Many kings previous to Josiah had been good kings, but they left the high places alone, not wanting to stir up trouble among people who were so attached to their traditions.

The high places were generally up on hills, and in groves of green trees.  If you have ever studied what went on in these places, you know what an affront they were to the Lord God.  On the high places, all manner of fornication took place under green trees.  If you have ever been to Cesaerea Phillipi in Israel, you can still see remnants of where some of this pagan worship took place.  It is also the location of a giant cave, which in ancient days was known as the Gates of Hades.  How fitting it is that Yeshua was in that very place when Peter declared Him to be Messiah, and Yeshua declared that the Gates of Hades would not prevail against His ekklesia.

The former pagan grove of Banias, temple of Pan, home of the Gates of Hades in Caeserea Philippi

In 2 Kings 23, verse 7 speaks of how the king tore down the houses of the qadeshim that were in the house of the Lord - the temple!  Qadeshim were literally sodomites... male prostitutes.  So you get an idea of how depraved the pagan worship had become, and why Josiah was so diligent to eradicate it.

Verse 10 tells us that King Josiah also wrecked the places in the valley of Hinnom, which is a place in Jerusalem where people would actually sacrifice their children through burning them (known in Greek as Gehenna, which is also translated into the word hell in some versions of the New Covenant),  Perhaps this is another reason why the burning of bodies is such an affront to God.  Here is a link to another blog post in which the writer tells of the process a pagan worshipper had to go through to sacrifice their child to Molech.

The pagan practice of child sacrifice to Molech in the Valley of Hinnom

Josiah was so thorough in tearing down the high places that he even stepped out of his jurisdiction. He went to Samaria, where the first king of the divided kingdom of Israel -  Jeroboam - had established a high place of worship so that his people would not go down to Jerusalem to worship.

In verse 16, we see Josiah taking the bones of those idolaters out of their tombs and burning them on the altar there.  Suddenly, he came to a gravestone that made him stop.  Look at verses 17-18:

Then he said, “What gravestone is this that I see?” So the men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel.”And he said, “Let him alone; let no one move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria.

My study Bible led me back to 1 Kings 13, where we read of a righteous and unnamed prophet foretelling this very incident, 300 years earlier, even naming King Josiah by name!  This is what it says:

And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’” 

So the bones that Josiah refused to burn were the bones of the very prophet who had prophesied that all the other bones would be burned by someone from the line of David named Josiah!  

Is that mind boggling, or what?

In closing, I just want to say one more thing about the high places, and this one will definitely step on toes.  Consider the connection of pagan worship to the green trees, and all that was associated with that worship.  As I mentioned earlier, only two kings were willing to tear down high places... most were not.  They didn't want to upset the proverbial apple cart among their people.  But consider the words of Jeremiah 10 and ask the Lord if this might be a high place that needs tearing down in your life.

That Other Kinsman with the Shoe

As I return from the land of Israel, I am marveling at how my daily Bible reading has been matching up with what I just experienced while in the land.

Two things jump out.

First, a visit to Shiloh coincided with my reading of the account of Hannah, Samuel, and Eli the priest.  Having now seen Shiloh - the place where the miskhan (tabernacle) stood for 369 years, the passage has become much more vivid in my mind.  The rise of the prophet Samuel marks the end of the Shiloh tabernacle.

I just want to mention one thing about Shiloh before moving on to the second thing.  The spot where the tabernacle rested is surrounded by low mountains.  Pilgrims would offer their sacrifice and then eat their portion of the sacrifice on one of these hills, while looking at the mishkan.  Their pottery plates, oily from the meal, would then be broken on the site.  If millions of people broke pottery here every year for 369 years, you would expect to see evidence of pottery shards.  

And can we?  Yes!  They were EVERYWHERE on those hills... pottery shards from the time of the Judges.  I only had to stoop down and pick them up.  The crazy thing is, those shards could only be found on the side of the hills that were facing the mishkan.  The back side of those hills?  Not a single shard to be found.

Ancient pottery shards lying on the ground at Shiloh

The second thing to jump out for me is the story of Ruth, which is read in synagogues at Shavuot (which also coincided with our visit and with my own reading of Ruth).  Ruth is one of my favorite books of the Bible, so I happen to write about her often.  You can re-read my first post about Ruth here if you'd like.

There is one thing that has always stumped me in the story of Ruth.  What was with that other kinsman redeemer that was closer to Naomi's line than Boaz?  I had never given it too much thought before, but I was curious this time and asked the Lord to give me wisdom as I read through it.  The Lord did not disappoint... here is what He showed me.  It's quite simple, actually.

Someone else had a legal right to Naomi's family land and to Ruth.  Boaz was willing to be a redeemer, but he had to go through proper channels to ensure that his redemption of Ruth was legal.  

In the same way, all the earth is legally under the rule of the evil one, ever since the Garden of Eden.  The devil is the default.  Our Redeemer Yeshua, however, came and redeemed the world from sin and death legally, in a way that satisfied God's holy law.  He shed His blood for us to fulfill what is written. Leviticus 17:11 and Hebrews 9:22 show us that God's legal way of redemption for us is the blood of atonement.

It is interesting to note the custom of the shoe.  The close relative gave Boaz his sandal to confirm that he was giving up his rights to Ruth and to the land.  There is a custom in the Middle Eastern world regarding shoes.  To throw a shoe at someone is considered the WORST. POSSIBLE. INSULT. EVER. The bottom of the shoe is covered in dirt, and throwing a shoe at someone is like throwing dirt at them.  It is the ultimate in uncleanness.  Is there a connection somehow to that other kinsman?

Shoe-wielding protesters

We really don't relate to the shoe/insult custom here in the West.  But I find it interesting that there is another reference to the shoe in the scriptures.  Note the words of the Lord in Psalm 60 verse 8:

Moab is My washpot;
Over Edom I will cast My shoe.

Afikomen, The Hidden Bread

This year's Passover has come and gone and is now part of history, but I still have thoughts in my head that are rattling around, and I feel like they won't be history until I put them in writing.

First of all, I love the Feasts of the Lord.  I am stating this fact for anyone who might be new to my blog.  If you've been around awhile, you know this.  The word for "feast" means appointed time.  In the scriptures, the Lord God has  made an appointment with His people.   And rightfully so, because like everything written in the scriptures, they point clearly and dramatically to the Messiah.

One of the highlights of the Passover meal (called a Seder, which means order) is the presentation, breaking, and hiding of the Afikomen (ah fee KO men). How did this traditional part of the Seder arise?  If you asked Tevye, he might say "I don't know.  But it's tradition!"

Here's the story.  The word Afikomen is Greek, and has the meaning of "He has come, or that which is yet to come."  During the Seder, Jewish people all over the world take three pieces of matzah (unleavened bread which has been striped and pierced), and place them in a three compartment linen cover called a Matzah tosh -  one piece in each section.

(I asked a Jewish person once what the three pieces stood for, and he wasn't completely sure.  He guessed Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.)

At one point in the Seder, the leader removes the middle piece of matzah and breaks it in half.  One of the broken pieces gets wrapped in linen and hidden.  The other piece remains hidden in the middle slot of the Matzah tosh.  After dinner, the children seek the piece hidden by the leader, and the winner returns the piece to the leader to redeem it for a prize.

The clear picture of Yeshua in the Afikomen is astounding to one who knows Him.  He is our unleavened bread - striped and pierced for us - wrapped in linen, and hidden in the ground.  (Note:  leaven in scripture represents sin.  Our Bread of Life, Yeshua, is sinless).  That which was hidden was found and redemption occurs.

This year, however, a friend who joined us for our Seder asked me why the other half remains hidden in the Matzah tosh.  I didn't have a ready answer for her.  However, the next day, as I was researching something else completely, the answer to that question fell into my lap via Google!

Yeshua is still hidden, for the most part, from the Jewish people.  Romans 11:25-27 has this astonishing message:  For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  And so all Israel will be saved,  as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”

How awesome will that day be when He reveals Himself to them and "uncovers the hidden part" of the Afikomen for them, so to speak.

If some of the Jewish people today believe that the three pieces represent Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I find it interesting that the broken piece would be representative of Isaac, who himself is a foreshadow of Yeshua when nearly sacrificed by his father Abraham.

It seems that the tradition of the Afikomen contains mysteries for both Jew and Gentile.

The Priesthood of John

John the Baptist.  It doesn't sound like a very Jewish name... he sounds more like a Presbyterian.  But who was he, and what did he represent?  I was listening to a recent message by Jonathan Cahn and wanted to share some of his amazing insights.

First, let's go back a bit.

In Genesis 22, Abraham was asked to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac.  It was a test, which Abraham passed. Scripture records Abraham declaring that the Lord would provide Himself a lamb.  At the time, the Lord provided a ram (notice, not a lamb - yet).  The ram was caught by its horns in a thicket of thorns.  On that day, one ram was substituted for one man.

(Isaac was probably older than this)

Fast forward to the children of Israel, enslaved in Egypt.  On the night of their escape, we see the sacrificed lambs providing salvation for each family through the blood on the doorpost.  On that night, one lamb provided for one family.

Fast forwarding again, we see the rise of the Levitical priesthood and the tabernacle and temple worship.  The  Levite priests would sacrifice the Passover lamb (and also the Yom Kippur goat, as well as other sacrifices througout the year) on behalf the entire nation.  At Passover, the lamb had to be examined and declared to be an acceptable sacrifice by the priest. On that day every year, one lamb was sacrificed for the nation.

Levites at work in the chamber of lambs

Do you see the progression so far?  So what does John the Baptist have to do with any of this?

John was the miracle child of Zechariah and Elizabeth.  Zechariah, as we know, was a Levite and a priest.  His wife was also of the tribe of Levi.  Any son of theirs would also be a priest according to the law of Moses.

The two of them remained barren for many years, so that the hand of the Lord would be clearly evident when the time came.  Zechariah was visited by Gabriel while offering incense in the temple.  This was a once-in-a-lifetime event for a priest, to be called upon to enter the Holy Place and burn incense, and this was Zechariah's time.  It is no surprise that the Lord used Zechariah's time of major significance to announce another event of major significance.

Zechariah means The Lord Remembers.  Elizabeth means The Oath of the Lord.

The son's name would be Yochanan (John).  It means The Lord is Gracious.

There had been about 400 years of silence from the Lord, and now His hand was moving.   Yehovah had not forgotten His people.  Their names tell the story:  The Lord remembers His oath.  How gracious He is!

Baby John is the first to celebrate the Messiah.  Remember how he leapt in Elizabeth's womb when newly-pregnant Miriam (Mary) arrived at her home?  A prophetic moment for sure.  Yeshua's forerunner - announcing Him even from the womb!

Fast forward many years.  John is immersing repentant people in the Jordan River.

Side note:  Baptism (a Greek word) was nothing new.  Jews had been immersing for years.  It was an outward sign of cleansing, of new birth (and emerging like a newborn), of the start of something new.  Each time they worshipped at the temple, they would first visit a mikveh.  (Hundreds of these mikvot have been excavated all over Israel, including around the Temple Mount and also where the Essenes lived by the Dead Sea, and it is thought that John lived as an Essene for awhile).

So anyway, John the Immerser is going about his business, preparing people for something new. Malachi 3:1 speaks of him:   I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

Suddenly, Yeshua appears at the Jordan River, and what does John say?    John 1:29 records it: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

John, fulfilling his priestly role, declares the acceptable and final sacrifice.  Not just for one man, not just for one family, and not even just for one nation.  For. The. World.

The oath of the Lord, made in Genesis 3:15, is about to take place.  The head of the serpent is about to be crushed.

There is also great significance to the Jordan River.  But that is another post. Click here to read it.

Blessing the Brethren, Part 2

If you have not yet read part one, you may click here for it.

This second post will explore the church's responsibility toward Israel - the Jewish people - according to the scriptures.  Are we to be indifferent, judgmental, or even hostile?  By no means! 

According to Romans 11, the Jews as a nation were blinded in part so that we, the gentiles (the rest of the nations), could be grafted into the faith.  Romans 11 goes on to promise that someday, Israel as a nation will finally be redeemed by the Messiah when the fullness of the gentiles has come in.  God will keep the promises that He had made to Israel through the Abrahamic covenant, which is everlasting and unconditional (see Genesis 17:7).  Romans 11 says that we are not to be arrogant against the broken-off natural branches.  In fact, the opposite is true.

God has ordained through the Word that His people, today’s believers under the New Covenant, are to do the following in regard to Israel:

 

Bless Israel

Genesis 12:1-3 says, 

Now the Lord had said to Abram:  “Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will *curse him who *curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

This is repeated (narrowed down) to Isaac in Genesis 26 and Jacob in Genesis 28.  Jacob’s name was changed to Israel.  Again, the Abrahamic covenant (see Genesis 17) is an everlasting covenant.

*It is very important to note that there are two different Hebrew words translated curse.  The first actually means curse, and the second means to treat as unimportant, ignore, lightly esteem.  A more accurate reading would be “I will curse him who treats you as unimportant.”

Comfort Israel

Isaiah 40:1-2 says

Comfort, yes, comfort My people!”
Says your God.  (Think of the pronouns here; He is talking to believers about Israel)
 “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her,
That her warfare is ended,
That her iniquity is pardoned;
For she has received from the Lord’s hand
Double for all her sins.”

Matt 25:37-40

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’  (The Greek word for brethren means close kinsmen)

Make Israel Envious

Deuteronomy 32:21, Romans 10:19

But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; (yep - us)
I will move them to anger by a foolish nation. 

Romans 11:11 - I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.

Romans 11:14 (Paul) if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.

Intercede for Israel:

Psalm 122:6 –  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.

Is 62:6-7 - I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
They shall never hold their peace day or night.
You who make mention of the Lord, (that’s us!) do not keep silent,
And give Him no rest till He establishes
And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

Support Israel

Acts 11:27-29

And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea.

Romans 14:27

For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they (we) owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings

Romans 15:25-27

But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.  It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.

1 Cor 16:1-3

Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.  And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.

Share the Gospel with Israel

Romans 1:16

 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

The Apostle Paul, apostle to the gentiles, always followed this model by preaching to the Jews in the synagogues first.  Even when the Jews rejected him at Antioch in Acts 13 and Paul declared he would then go to the gentiles, he specifically meant the gentiles at Antioch.  In the very next chapter, he headed to Iconium and went straight to the synagogue.

We are not called to:

Judge Israel

Boycott Israel

Highlight Israel’s failures

Lightly esteem (ignore) Israel

There is a warning in Zechariah 2:8-9

For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you (Israel); for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.

The "apple of the eye" is the pupil.  Have you ever been poked in the eye?  It is one of our most sensitive parts.  God does not wish to be poked in the eye.

I will end with this.  About a year and a half ago, I sent this information to the missions committee at the church I have been attending.  (I did this because the sanctuary was FILLED with flags of the countries where missionaries were being supported, and there was NO Israel flag.)  To the great credit of the committee, and the pastoral leadership, they acknowledged the truth of this oversight.  They have since added mission support to (and the flag of) Israel.  Since that time, the congregation has seen tremendous growth, not only in numbers but in faith as well.  

This pouring out of blessing is NOT a coincidence!  Genesis 12:3 is a faithful promise from the Lord!