{"id":2815,"date":"2014-02-16T14:32:01","date_gmt":"2014-02-16T14:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.matsati.com\/?p=2815"},"modified":"2014-02-16T14:32:01","modified_gmt":"2014-02-16T14:32:01","slug":"bits-of-torah-truths-parashat-vayakhel-is-the-church-something-new","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/bits-of-torah-truths-parashat-vayakhel-is-the-church-something-new\/","title":{"rendered":"Bits of Torah Truths, Parashat Vayak\u2019hel, Is the Church something New"},"content":{"rendered":"

This weeks reading is from Parashat Vayak\u2019hel (Shemot \/ Exodus 35:1-38:20<\/em>), Moshe assembled the entire congregation of Israel and said \u201cThese are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do.\u201d (NASB)<\/em>\u00a0 They are to keep the seventh day as holy to the Lord, no work is to be done on the Shabbat.\u00a0 A Terumah (contribution) is to be made to the Lord like it was described in Parashat Terumah.\u00a0 Gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple, and scarlet material, goats hair, rams\u2019 skins, porpoise skins, acacia wood, olive oil, incense, and onyx stones for the setting of the ephod and breastplate (35:5-9<\/em>).\u00a0 Moshe describes the construction of the Tabernacle (35:10-19<\/em>).\u00a0 Moshe called Bazalel and Oholiab to begin the work of building the sanctuary (35:26-36:2<\/em>).\u00a0 The scripture details the construction of the curtains (36:9-18<\/em>), the walls of the Tabernacle (36:19-37<\/em>), and the Ark of the Covenant (37:1-15<\/em>).\u00a0 The utensils used for the daily sacrifice were constructed (37:16<\/em>) and the menorah was constructed (37:17-22<\/em>).\u00a0 The altar of incense was constructed from acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold (37:25-29<\/em>).\u00a0 The altar for the burnt offering was constructed next (38:1-7<\/em>) and it was overlaid with bronze and the laver was then constructed (38:8<\/em>).\u00a0 The remainder of the Parashah details the construction of the court of the Tabernacle (38:38:9-20<\/em>).\u00a0 Moshe gives an accounting of the materials used in the construction of the Tabernacle constructed by Betzalel and Oholiab.\u00a0 Following the construction of the Mishkhan, Moshe assembles everything, anoints them with oil, and commissions Aaron and his sons into the priestly service.<\/p>\n

Studying both the Apostolic Writings (Hebrew NT) and the Torah together in Hebrew, it is interesting to take note of the first distinctive Hebrew Word in this week\u2019s portion \u05d5\u05d9\u05e7\u05d4\u05dc<\/span> (Vayak\u2019hel) and how it is used in both the Hebrew Torah and the NT texts.<\/p>\n

\n

\u05e1\u05e4\u05e8 \u05e9\u05de\u05d5\u05ea \u05e4\u05e8\u05e7 \u05dc\u05d4<\/span><\/strong>
\n \u05d0 \u05d5\u05d9\u05e7\u05d4\u05dc \u05de\u05e9\u05d4 \u05d0\u05ea \u05db\u05dc \u05e2\u05d3\u05ea \u05d1\u05e0\u05d9 \u05d9\u05e9\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc \u05d5\u05d9\u05d0\u05de\u05e8 \u05d0\u05dc\u05d4\u05dd \u05d0\u05dc\u05d4 \u05d4\u05d3\u05d1\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05e9\u05e8 \u05e6\u05d5\u05d4 \u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4 \u05dc\u05e2\u05e9\u05ea \u05d0\u05ea\u05dd:\u00a0 \u05d1\u00a0 \u05e9\u05e9\u05ea \u05d9\u05de\u05d9\u05dd \u05ea\u05e2\u05e9\u05d4 \u05de\u05dc\u05d0\u05db\u05d4 \u05d5\u05d1\u05d9\u05d5\u05dd \u05d4\u05e9\u05d1\u05d9\u05e2\u05d9 \u05d9\u05d4\u05d9\u05d4 \u05dc\u05db\u05dd \u05e7\u05d3\u05e9 \u05e9\u05d1\u05ea \u05e9\u05d1\u05ea\u05d5\u05df \u05dc\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4 \u05db\u05dc \u05d4\u05e2\u05e9\u05d4 \u05d1\u05d5 \u05de\u05dc\u05d0\u05db\u05d4 \u05d9\u05d5\u05de\u05ea:<\/span><\/p>\n

Shemot \/ Exodus 35:1-2<\/em><\/strong>
\n 35:1 Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said to them, \u2018These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do:\u00a0 35:2 \u2018For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a sabbath of complete rest to the Lord; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. (NASB)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Over the years, I have heard it taught that the \u201cChurch\u201d<\/em> is something new that was created after the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah and specifically after Pentecost (Shavuot).\u00a0 However, if we carefully study the Scriptures, is this really the case?\u00a0 Is the Church something New?\u00a0 Let\u2019s examine this a little closer.<\/p>\n

In order to study this topic, we need to examine the Hebrew, Greek, and English translations of both the NT and the Torah.\u00a0 \u201cThe Englishman\u2019s Hebrew Concordance of the Old Testament\u201d by George V. Wigram<\/em> and \u201cA Concordance to the Septuagint: And the Other Greek Versions of the Old Testament (Including the Apocryphal Books) (Greek Edition),\u201d by E. Hatch and H.A. Redpath<\/em> were used to facilitate the comparison of the Hebrew and Greek texts for this study.\u00a0 (Alternatively you may use http:\/\/www.blueletterbible.org<\/a>)<\/p>\n

In the Scriptures, the word \u05e7\u05d4\u05dc<\/span> Qahal (Strongs H6951) is generally translated as \u201cassembly\u201d<\/em> or \u201ccongregation\u201d<\/em> in the Torah, whereas in the Hebrew NT it is translated as \u201cChurch.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 The word \u1f10\u03ba\u03ba\u03bb\u03b7\u03c3\u03af\u03b1 Ekklesia (Strongs G1577) is defined as \u201can assembly, congregation, or church.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Thayers Greek Lexicon states \u201cthe \u1f10\u03ba\u03ba\u03bb\u03b7\u03c3\u03af\u03b1 Ekklesia in the Septuagint is often equivalent to Qahal \u05e7\u05d4\u05dc, the assembly of the Israelites, Judges 21:8; 1 Chronicles 29:1, etc, especially when gathered for sacred purposes, Deuteronomy 31:30 (Deuteronomy 32:1); Joshua 8:35 (Joshua 9:8), etc; and in the N. T. in Acts 7:38; Hebrews 2:12.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 One example where the words \u05e7\u05d4\u05dc<\/span> Qahal and \u1f10\u03ba\u03ba\u03bb\u03b7\u03c3\u03af\u03b1 Ekklesia are equivalent is found in Devarim \/ Deuteronomy 23:1-4<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\n

Devarim \/ Deuteronomy 23:1-4<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Hebrew<\/strong><\/em>
\n\u05d0\u00a0 \u05dc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05e7\u05d7 \u05d0\u05d9\u05e9 \u05d0\u05ea \u05d0\u05e9\u05ea \u05d0\u05d1\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d5\u05dc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05d2\u05dc\u05d4 \u05db\u05e0\u05e3 \u05d0\u05d1\u05d9\u05d5:\u00a0 \u05d1\u00a0 \u05dc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05d1\u05d0 \u05e4\u05e6\u05d5\u05e2 \u05d3\u05db\u05d4 \u05d5\u05db\u05e8\u05d5\u05ea \u05e9\u05e4\u05db\u05d4 \u05d1\u05e7\u05d4\u05dc<\/strong> \u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4<\/span>:\u00a0 \u05d2\u00a0 \u05d0 \u05d9\u05d1\u05d0 \u05de\u05de\u05d6\u05e8 \u05d1\u05e7\u05d4\u05dc<\/strong> \u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4<\/span> \u05d2\u05dd \u05d3\u05d5\u05e8 \u05e2\u05e9\u05d9\u05e8\u05d9 \u05dc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05d1\u05d0 \u05dc\u05d5 \u05d1\u05e7\u05d4\u05dc<\/strong> \u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4<\/span>:\u00a0 \u05d3\u00a0 \u05d0 \u05d9\u05d1\u05d0 \u05e2\u05de\u05d5\u05e0\u05d9 \u05d5\u05de\u05d5\u05d0\u05d1\u05d9 \u05d1\u05e7\u05d4\u05dc<\/strong> \u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4<\/span> \u05d2\u05dd \u05d3\u05d5\u05e8 \u05e2\u05e9\u05d9\u05e8\u05d9 \u05dc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05d1\u05d0 \u05dc\u05d4\u05dd \u05d1\u05e7\u05d4\u05dc<\/strong> \u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4<\/span> \u05e2\u05d3 \u05e2\u05d5\u05dc\u05dd:<\/span><\/p>\n

Septuagint (Greek)<\/strong><\/em>
\n23:1 \u03bf\u1f50\u03ba \u03b5\u1f30\u03c3\u03b5\u03bb\u03b5\u1f7b\u03c3\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b8\u03bb\u03b1\u03b4\u1f77\u03b1\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03ba\u03b5\u03ba\u03bf\u03bc\u03bc\u1f73\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b5\u1f30\u03c2 \u1f10\u03ba\u03ba\u03bb\u03b7\u03c3\u1f77\u03b1\u03bd<\/strong> \u03ba\u03c5\u03c1\u1f77\u03bf\u03c5<\/span> 23:2 \u03bf\u1f50\u03ba \u03b5\u1f30\u03c3\u03b5\u03bb\u03b5\u1f7b\u03c3\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u1f10\u03ba \u03c0\u1f79\u03c1\u03bd\u03b7\u03c2 \u03b5\u1f30\u03c2 \u1f10\u03ba\u03ba\u03bb\u03b7\u03c3\u1f77\u03b1\u03bd<\/strong> \u03ba\u03c5\u03c1\u1f77\u03bf\u03c5<\/span> 23:3 \u03bf\u1f50\u03ba \u03b5\u1f30\u03c3\u03b5\u03bb\u03b5\u1f7b\u03c3\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u0391\u03bc\u03bc\u03b1\u03bd\u1f77\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u039c\u03c9\u03b1\u03b2\u1f77\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03b5\u1f30\u03c2 \u1f10\u03ba\u03ba\u03bb\u03b7\u03c3\u1f77\u03b1\u03bd<\/strong> \u03ba\u03c5\u03c1\u1f77\u03bf\u03c5<\/span> \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f15\u03c9\u03c2 \u03b4\u03b5\u03ba\u1f71\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u03b3\u03b5\u03bd\u03b5\u1fb6\u03c2 \u03bf\u1f50\u03ba \u03b5\u1f30\u03c3\u03b5\u03bb\u03b5\u1f7b\u03c3\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b5\u1f30\u03c2 \u1f10\u03ba\u03ba\u03bb\u03b7\u03c3\u1f77\u03b1\u03bd<\/strong> \u03ba\u03c5\u03c1\u1f77\u03bf\u03c5<\/span> \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f15\u03c9\u03c2 \u03b5\u1f30\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03b1\u1f30\u1ff6\u03bd\u03b1 23:4 \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u1f70 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03bc\u1f74 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u1fc6\u03c3\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u1f51\u03bc\u1fd6\u03bd \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u1f70 \u1f04\u03c1\u03c4\u03c9\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f55\u03b4\u03b1\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2 \u1f10\u03bd \u03c4\u1fc7 \u1f41\u03b4\u1ff7 \u1f10\u03ba\u03c0\u03bf\u03c1\u03b5\u03c5\u03bf\u03bc\u1f73\u03bd\u03c9\u03bd \u1f51\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f10\u03be \u0391\u1f30\u03b3\u1f7b\u03c0\u03c4\u03bf\u03c5 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f45\u03c4\u03b9 \u1f10\u03bc\u03b9\u03c3\u03b8\u1f7d\u03c3\u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03bf \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 \u03c3\u1f72 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u0392\u03b1\u03bb\u03b1\u03b1\u03bc \u03c5\u1f31\u1f78\u03bd \u0392\u03b5\u03c9\u03c1 \u1f10\u03ba \u03c4\u1fc6\u03c2 \u039c\u03b5\u03c3\u03bf\u03c0\u03bf\u03c4\u03b1\u03bc\u1f77\u03b1\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03c1\u1f71\u03c3\u03b1\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u1f77 \u03c3\u03b5<\/p>\n

English<\/em><\/strong>
\n 23:1 \u2018No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly (CHURCH) of the Lord<\/span>. 23:2 \u2018No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly (CHURCH) of the Lord<\/span>; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly (CHURCH) of the Lord<\/span>. 23:3 \u2018No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly (CHURCH) of the Lord<\/span>; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly (CHURCH) of the Lord<\/span>, 23:4 because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. (NASB)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When comparing the Hebrew text to the Septuagint, we find the phrase \u201ckahel YHVH,\u201d<\/em> is equivalent to \u201cekklesia Kuriou\u201d<\/em> meaning the \u201cassembly of God \/ Lord.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 In addition to this, the word \u201cekklesia\u201d<\/em> (Church) is found 73 times in the Septuagint, almost as many times as it is found in the Greek New Testament.\u00a0 The Greek NT shows Paul writing to the Corinthians says \u201cekkleisia tou Theou\u201d<\/em> translated to mean \u201cChurch (ASSEMBLY) of God.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

1 Corinthians 1:2<\/em><\/strong>
\n1:2 \u03c4\u1fc7 \u1f10\u03ba\u03ba\u03bb\u03b7\u03c3\u1f77\u1fb3<\/strong> \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03b8\u03b5\u03bf\u1fe6<\/span> \u03c4\u1fc7 \u03bf\u1f54\u03c3\u1fc3 \u1f10\u03bd \u039a\u03bf\u03c1\u1f77\u03bd\u03b8\u1ff3, \u1f21\u03b3\u03b9\u03b1\u03c3\u03bc\u1f73\u03bd\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2 \u1f10\u03bd \u03a7\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u1ff7 \u1f38\u03b7\u03c3\u03bf\u1fe6, \u03ba\u03bb\u03b7\u03c4\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 \u1f01\u03b3\u1f77\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2, \u03c3\u1f7a\u03bd \u03c0\u1fb6\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd \u03c4\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 \u1f10\u03c0\u03b9\u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5\u03bc\u1f73\u03bd\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78 \u1f44\u03bd\u03bf\u03bc\u03b1 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03ba\u03c5\u03c1\u1f77\u03bf\u03c5 \u1f21\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f38\u03b7\u03c3\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03a7\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u1f10\u03bd \u03c0\u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u1f76 \u03c4\u1f79\u03c0\u1ff3, \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f21\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd:<\/p>\n

1 Corinthians 1:2<\/em><\/strong>
\n To the church of God<\/span> which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: (NASB)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In addition to this, the earliest use of the word Kahel in the Bible is found in Bereshit \/ Genesis 28:3<\/em> which says 28:3 \u2018May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company (CHURCH) of peoples. (NASB)<\/em>\u00a0 The \u201cChurch\u201d<\/em> is known as the assembly of faithful people, those who believe in the God of Abraham.\u00a0 Would it be unreasonable to say that God was promising Jacob that He would make him to be a \u201cChurch of peoples\u201d<\/em> revealing prophetically the promise that the children of God are those who live by faith in the Messiah?\u00a0 The Hebrew word used in the NASB for \u201ccompany\u201d<\/em> is Qahal, which the Greek translation of the Old Testament often renders as ekklesia (church).\u00a0 During the wilderness journey, the Lord God declared the Israelites to be His treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Shemot \/ Exodus 19:5\u20136<\/em>) and we read the same thing in the Apostolic Writings (i.e. Revelation 1:6<\/em>).\u00a0 The most significant promise is recorded in Jeremiah 31:31-33<\/em> that speaks of a spiritual transformation of God\u2019s people whose unresponsive hearts would be changed into new hearts under a new covenant by an outpouring of God\u2019s Spirit (Ezekiel 36:22\u201328<\/em>).\u00a0 In addition to this, in the book of Acts, Stephen said to the Sanhedrin referring to Israel after the exodus as \u201cthe Church (ekklesia) in the wilderness\u201d<\/em> (Acts 7:37<\/em>).\u00a0 The verses in Devarim \/ Deuteronomy 9:10 and 18:16<\/em> become very profound when understanding the Scriptures from this perspective.<\/p>\n

Devarim \/ Deuteronomy 9:10, 18:16<\/em><\/strong>
\n 9:10\u00a0 And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the Church<\/span>. … 18:16\u00a0 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the Church<\/span>, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. (LXX)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The point of this week\u2019s Parashah is that the men of ancient times (before Yeshua) were saved looking forward to the coming of Messiah.\u00a0 Today, we are saved looking back at the Messiah.\u00a0 The Lord has been working in and through the Church \/ Assembly of believers from since the beginning of time.\u00a0 This emphasizes the importance of the non-Jew having been grafted into Israel (Romans 11:11-31<\/em>) to become a part of the family of God as the children of God.\u00a0 So what is new?\u00a0 What is new and good news is that Salvation is offered to all men in Yeshua the Messiah, and those who believe are empowered by the very Spirit of God Himself, to overcome sin and to have love for one another.\u00a0 Halelluia! BTT_Parashat Vayak\u2019hel-2014<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This weeks reading is from Parashat Vayak\u2019hel (Shemot \/ Exodus 35:1-38:20), Moshe assembled the entire congregation of Israel and said \u201cThese are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do.\u201d (NASB)\u00a0 They are to keep the seventh day as holy to the Lord, no work is to be done on the Shabbat.\u00a0 A […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2815","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-bits-of-torah-truth"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2815"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2815\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}