This weeks reading is from Parashat Terumah (Shemot / Exodus 25:1-27:19), the Lord tells Moshe to tell the Sons of Yisrael to raise a contribution for the Lord (25:1, דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ-לִי תְּרוּמָה מֵאֵת כָּל-אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ תִּקְחוּ אֶת-תְּרוּמָתִי) of gold, silver, and bronze, linen materials of purple and scarlet, rams skins, and acacia wood. Here, the name of this week’s portion is Terumah (תְּרוּמָה) and is derived from the word תרם meaning “to donate or contribute.” Terumat hamaaser is the tithe offering (תרומת המעשר) is a rabbinical Hebrew term based on the commandment in the Hebrew Bible to give a tithe maaser of 10% to the Levites. Terumah Gedolah is the “great offering” (תרומה גדולה) which is, usually, a food item given to the Cohen (Priest), as a gift. In this week’s study, according to the way the text is written, we learn God calls for the people to offer a “Volitional Terumah” (gift offering) to the Lord for the purpose of the construction of the Tabernacle. The Lord then states that a sanctuary (Tabernacle) be made so that He can dwell among the people (25:8). The Lord shows Moshe the pattern of the tabernacle and the furniture for the tabernacle (25:9-27:19). Specific details on the construction of the Ark of the Covenant is given (25:10-22), how the priestly garments are to be made, and the construction of the walls to the Tabernacle.
כתבי הקודש / The Holy Scriptures
ספר שמות פרק כה
א וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָֹה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר: ב דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ-לִי תְּרוּמָה מֵאֵת כָּל-אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ תִּקְחוּ אֶת-תְּרוּמָתִי: ג וְזֹאת הַתְּרוּמָה אֲשֶׁר תִּקְחוּ מֵאִתָּם זָהָב וָכֶסֶף וּנְחֹשֶׁת: ד וּתְכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן וְתוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי וְשֵׁשׁ וְעִזִּים: ה וְעֹרֹת אֵילִם מְאָדָּמִים וְעֹרֹת תְּחָשִׁים וַעֲצֵי שִׁטִּים: ו שֶׁמֶן לַמָּאֹר בְּשָֹמִים לְשֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה וְלִקְטֹרֶת הַסַּמִּים: ז אַבְנֵי-שֹׁהַם וְאַבְנֵי מִלֻּאִים לָאֵפֹד וְלַחֹשֶׁן: ח וְעָשֹוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם:
Shemot / Exodus 25:1-8
25:1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 25:2 ‘Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution. 25:3 ‘This is the contribution which you are to raise from them: gold, silver and bronze, 25:4 blue, purple and scarlet material, fine linen, goat hair, 25:5 rams’ skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood, 25:6 oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 25:7 onyx stones and setting stones for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 25:8 ‘Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. (NASB)
In this week’s reading, we are given a summary of the details on the construction of the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, the table of Show bread, the altar of incense, the altar for the burnt offering, and the Menorah. Prior to the construction of these things, the Lord spoke to Moshe saying ב דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ-לִי תְּרוּמָה מֵאֵת כָּל-אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ תִּקְחוּ אֶת-תְּרוּמָתִי: 25:2 ‘Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution. (NASB) These Scriptures reveal to us how the Lord uses our gifts (our lives) that we present to Him for His construction plan (His kingdom). Thus far in the Scriptures (from Genesis to Exodus) the enemies of God have consistently attempted to destroy Israel and thwart the work and redemptive plan of God. Tehillim / Psalms 83:2-5 speaks of the enemies of God saying 83:2 For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves. 83:3 They make shrewd plans against Your people, And conspire together against Your treasured ones. 83:4 They have said, ‘Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more.’ 83:5 For they have conspired together with one mind; Against You they make a covenant (NASB) We hear even today, thousands of years later, the nations are saying the same thing “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation.” God’s plan can be seen throughout the history of Israel, His plan is for Redemption, and today in this week’s reading the establishment of the Tabernacle, the dwelling place of God, the place where He has established His name, this is the way we are to make atonement for our sins. Moses wrote that he set the Torah before the people of Israel saying “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity” Devarim / Deuteronomy 30:15. The reason this week’s portion is so important is that in the detailed instructions on the construction of the tabernacle we see God laying out His Plan for Israel and this matters for us today because we too have a need atonement from sin. In God’s redemptive plan we are told of the substitutional atonement of the priesthood, of the sacrifices, and of the saving power of the Lamb of God. All of these things were designed to direct our attention to the Salvation of God. The Lord God Almighty sent His only Son in whom He established His name, and based upon the procedures for atonement prescribed in the pages of the Torah, He stood in our place, bearing our sins, and making atonement for our sins before the Lord. Today look to God’s Salvation, Yeshua the Messiah! BTT_Parashat Terumah-2013
