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| 7.10.23 |
Immediately after creation events Torah introduces readers to the mystery of its Messianic plan.
אֵ֣לֶּה תוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם בְּי֗וֹם עֲשׂ֛וֹת יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶ֥רֶץ וְשָׁמָֽיִם׃2:4 Such are the generations of heaven and earth when they were created. When the LORD God prepared earth and heaven.
You can learn the unique elements of this verse in this previous post. Relevant here is the term 'generations' spelled in its full form only in one other verse of the 24 books of Torah - the Book of Ruth, where it refers readers to the Messianic blood line of King David.
Another verse shares an odd grammatical distribution with the Book of Ruth. The word Kaniti is the source of the name Cain.
וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וַתַּ֙הַר֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־קַ֔יִן וַתֹּ֕אמֶר קָנִ֥יתִי אִ֖ישׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָֽה׃ 4:1 Now Adam knew his wife Eve, she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have acquired a person with the help of God”
Then, Cain murdered his brother Abel.
Eventually God gifted Abraham the land of Canaan as his rightful inheritance, but that presented challenges. With few relatives and a small household how would Abraham settle his land? What did Abraham do? He reached a peace-pact for the Philistine King and his people to stay in his land including in Aza, that pact was extended to future generations by Abraham's son Isaac.
Isaac's son Jacob escaped his angry brother, left his fathers land and after 20 years began his return with his wives, 12 children and a large wealth in cattle. His estranged brother Esau encountered him and in a strained conversation about their respective aquisitions, his brother Esau claimed he had everything and didn't need Jacobs gift, Jacob urged him to take it stating he had been blessed with much.
Jacob entered the holy land where he immediately built a house, which he called Succot including shelter for his cattle. Then, his daughter Dina was raped in the nearby fields by landowner Shechem. Jacobs sons Levi and Shimon defended their land and honored their sister in a revenge that eliminated 24000 Shechemites. Jacob was concerned for their regional safety and very disturbed by their act.
God appeared to Jacob to remind him of the covenant he had made 22 years earlier, before leaving his the land, that on his succesful return he promissed to build The House of God. Essentially saying; Have you forgotten the One who blessed you with your success? Realizing the error of his tardiness, Jacob instructed members of his household to bury the idols and treasures they posessed under a tree near their house (a common practice in ancient times). Unholy idols that Rachel had stolen from her father and others were now buried in the holy land.
The family made its way to Beit El, Jerusalem where Jacob attempted to fulfill his belated House of God covenant. But, tt wasn't to be! Within six months of arriving, Jacob's mother, Rebecca, died. The family left Bet El and on the way to her funeral in Hebron, near Bethlehem, Jacob's wife Rachel died giving birth to his 13th child Benjamin. The tragedies continued, Benjamins brother, Joseph was kidnapped, by his older brothers, sold into slavery and all 70 members of their family was exiled to Egypt where Jacob died.
210 years later Moses led more than two millions Israelis out of Egypt toward their land. But, not on the coastal route through Aza, land of the feared Philistines. Instead Israel diverted inland on a journey that took 40 years longer than it could have. Eventually Joshua led Israel into its holy land, immediately they conquered Jericho, but failed to conquer Beit El, Jerusalem. On each attempt the occupants reminded Joshua about the peace-pact Abraham and Isaac had entered with their Philistine descendants permitting them to stay in the land.
The rear-guard tribe, Dan was allotted the coastal land including Aza (today's Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Bat Yam). The other 11 tribes had already settled their land and failed to assist Dan conquer the powerful Philistines. Samson became the leader of Dan and also the nations senior judge. Singlehandedly he tried to draw attention to Israel's tribal apathy. He travelled to Aza where he tore off the citys' gate, carried it to the graves of Israel's Patriarchs and Matriarchs, in Hebron and pleaded their spiritual help. Sadly his demonstration did not inspire other tribes to help. Dispossessed of their land, some of Dan's tribal leaders established an idolatrous temple opposite the nations temporary sanctuary in Shilo. Samson continued to belittle the Philistines until God afforded him the opportunity to destroy their temple of idolatry and perish along with their leaders and thousands of congregants.
The Philistines took revenge, they raided Israel's strongest tribes and targeted their holy temple in Shilo. Daringly and brazenly they stole the nations most holy possession, handed down by Moses - The Ark of Israel's Covenant with God! A thousand years after Abraham and Isaac the Philistine peace-pact was shattered! But, Dan and Israel were dispossessed of their land and never returned to conquer Aza.
After King David arose in Hebron he conquered Jerusalem where he lived alongside the conquered Jebusite King. He recovered the Ark that had been abandonned by the Philistines, unified Israel's tribes and dreamed to fulfil Jacob's mission to build the House of God, but it wasn't to be. Instead, his son Solomon committed Israel to virtual slavery, for 7 years, to fulfill Jacob's House of God mission. Critically, Solomon was more lavish with his ornate palace that it took 12 years to build!
The House of God was finally inaugurated and King Solomon took to the public square to teach his nation the wisdoms of Torah. During Succoth, the most positive, joyous festival, Solomon taught from his book of Ecclesiastes, Kohelet, he opened: Meaningless, meaningless everything in life is meaningless... the acquisitions are meaningless true meaning can only be found when fulfilling the commandments of God's holy Torah. Solomon's House of God and the final Herodian Jewish Temple, in Syria-Palestina, as the Romans had named Israel, were ultimately destroyed.
This year 2023, being 2848 years after Solomon's House of God inauguration, Israel experienced its most rambunctious political and social divisions. People violently protested, vehemently defended their points of view, openly and widely publicized their disdain for each other. The Supreme court ruled against traditional religious practices in public spaces, which gave impetus for some protestors to denigrate Israel's holiest day of the year. On the day following Succot, during the joyous Simchat Torah festival of 5784, (7.10.23), 3 KM east of Aza, hundreds of party revelers naively danced before a giant Buddha juxtaposed were those who elsewhere danced with the nations traditional Torah.
In these tragic hours God closed the final spiritual gates of all Israel's sophisticated defense, border, police, air, ground, sea surveillance systems and the human forces that operate these and protect Israel. He blocked the ears and eyes of the public and caused all of Israel to fall. At the same time the spiritual gates for Hamas operatives to enter and carry out their barbarian savagery were left wide opened. In the right time these events will be disected and analyzed in fine and gory detail. However, for most people that Hamas was not spotted, or thwarted on the fence, in the sky or on ground in the 3KM gap, will remain mysterious, probably inexplicable. Regardless, Israel's resolve and response will usher in a new positive reality for Gaza, Israel and the world.
We are mostly ignorant of Torah's spiritual realms and mortals dare not tie any to the harsh reality before us. But, our national lows often parallel past events and this horror cannot escape us as we look to the spiritual realms to find meaning and purpose. Please God, soon a King will arise to expound the mysteries and wisdoms of Torah that will motivate us to change our sensitivities, considerations and priorities toward each other and God. Then, Israel will finally be ready to build a befitting House of God for all people.
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