Lesson #14 - "Ye Shall Be a Peculiar Treasure unto Me"

Manna is sometimes referred to as the "bread" that kept the Israelites alive.

"From Talmudic times, it was the special duty of the housewife to bake the bread for the Sabbath. This bread, usually prepared from white flour, is also called "hallah." Two such loaves are placed on the festive Sabbath table as a symbol for the double portion of manna which the Israelites in the wilderness received every Friday, and because of the Showbread in the Temple, which was displayed each Sabbath." Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.

When the children of Israel complained that there was not enough water, Moses provided them with a miracle source of water as he struck the rock. The greatest lesson he learned - so that he could teach the Israelites - was that he, Moses, was not their "deliverer." The deliverance always comes from "The Rock of Salvation," "The Fountain of Living Waters."

"The reading from the Torah describes the sacrifices brought by the princes at the dedication of the sanctuary, and the kindling of the candelabrum; special haftarot are prescribed for the Sabbaths of Hanukkah. In the Ashkenazi rite, a hymn called Ma'oz Zur (O Fortress, Rock of my salvation) is sung." Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.

The expression "Bread of Life" is about the leaven which makes the dough "rise" or come to life. During Passover, the Israelites where to have nothing in their presence that had leaven or could rise. That was done to concentrate on how the Lord had them rise out of bondage and to look forward to a future "rising" that would be greater than deliverance from Egypt.

In a religious Jewish home, every Sabbath Eve begins with an old ritual of a blessing and pouring of a little pure wine (or living [spring] water if wine is not available). That is followed by a blessing, breaking and eating of a little piece of the "Hallah" bread. This procedure is called "Kiddush." The father or grandfather in the home always partakes first, then others receive the Kiddush.

" The table is set for the festive meal, with the Sabbath candles glowing in polished holders. The family stands and the father raises the brimming silver cup to say Kiddush, the blessing and sanctification over wine. This age-old ceremony is in fulfillment of the biblical command, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." (Exodus 20:8)"

"Kiddush is recited on the evening of the Sabbath, or the festival, before the start of the meal. Nothing may be eaten before Kiddush. On Sabbath eve, the first paragraph of Kiddush includes a phrase from the end of the first chapter of Genesis and the passage at the beginning of the second which describe God's completion of Creation and His sanctification of the seventh day as a day of rest. Kiddush continues with the benediction for wine, preceded by the word savri (Attention!) so that all present, men and women, may fulfill the requirement of Kiddush by listening carefully to the recital of the prayer and by responding "Amen" afterwards." Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.

Consider the leadership of the children of Israel with Moses, Aaron & Hur, a Council of Twelve Elders and a Council of Seventy. It is comparable to the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The latter-day Israelites led now by the tribe of Ephraim (Joseph) are also organized with a "First Presidency (3), a Quorum of Twelve and a Council of Seventy.

Some excerpts from Daniel Rona’s upcoming book, HOLY LANDS REVEALED may also be of value in understanding this lesson.

Manual of Discipline: The best preserved of these Qumran scrolls is called The Manual of Discipline, a sort of doctrines and covenants of these religious people. It describes their organization that included a Teacher of Righteousness and two assistants. There was also a council of twelve overseers. Their priestly system included two castes: One of a higher authority that connected with an order of the Melech Zedek (righteous king), and another of lesser authority that connected with the Levitical, or order of Aaron. They were bound by a strict order of unity. An Essene’s membership in a kibbutz-like united order came into effect only after a two-year trial period. The Essenes kept copies of the scriptures, interpretations of the scriptures, and their own scrolls of doctrines and covenants.

Teacher of Righteousness and Council of Twelve: The scroll of their principles and vows , The Manual of Discipline, describes their organization which included the office of a Teacher of Righteousness who had two assistants, a Council of Twelve overseers, as well as a system of higher and lesser authorities. Some people suggest that this governing system was copied by Jesus, and that he may have studied with this sect. It seems highly unlikely that this is the case. However, Jesus did use the same system of government that was given to Moses, a system that partially continued to exist in other Jewish traditions up to and at the time of Jesus.

And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; LUKE 6:13

After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. LUKE 10:1

And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. EXODUS 24:1

Presidency of Three: The Qumran community did not follow the Mosaic governmental pattern completely. Jesus did. For example, Moses had a governing leadership of three persons, Moses and his two assistants, Aaron and Hur.

And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have matters to do, let him come unto them." EXODUS 24:14

Moses had a governing body of twelve elders, one from each tribe.

These are those that were numbered . . . and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: each one was for the house of his fathers. NUMBERS 1:44

This order was continued after Moses as well.

Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. JOSHUA 3:12

 

A previous Gospel Doctrine discussion in this series compares the modern Jewish concept that the Law of Moses is for the Jews and the Law of Noah (Noachide Laws) are for the Gentiles. The Apostle Paul explains the proper perception of the same law for everyone as he spoke to King Agrippa at Caesarea.

"Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles." Acts 26:22-23

 

Some thoughts on gold and the golden calf may also be interesting.

"According to the midrash, God created gold specifically for use in the Temple . . . On account of the idolatrous worship of the Golden Calf, gold became a symbol of sin and was not to be used to sheath the shofar mouthpiece. On the Day of Atonement there was no gold on the vestments of the high priest; he officiated in robes of pure white linen. International treaties were inscribed on bronze tablets. Corinthian bronze, famous for its luster and quality, was used for the Nicanor Gates of the Herodian Temple in Jerusalem." Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.

 

 

Lesson #15 - "Look to God and Live"

For Judaism, "looking to God" and "revelation" are almost figurative and in modern times have become unexplainable.

"Revelation, the act by which the hidden, unknown God shows himself to man. There is no specific term corresponding to "revelation" in the Bible or in rabbinic Hebrew. God is said to "appear" to the patriarchs and prophets, and the appearances are described by a series of anthropomorphic (i.e., human) expressions and concrete images. Sometimes God manifests Himself "in a vision" or "in a dream" or he appears through the mediation of an angel. however, the Bible emphasizes that no direct, sensory perception of God is possible. Thus, various phrases are used when describing appearances of the Divine, for example kavod ("glory") or shekhinah (. . . "Divine Presence") or davar ("word" of God)."

"Any event in which the Divine presence is felt is called a revelation, but the term is applied more particularly to communications of the Divine will as revealed through God's messengers, the prophets. The Bible itself, and later the rabbis, discerned among the prophets a hierarchy of form and degree, with that of Moses as supreme and unique. At Sinai, the principal revelation of God to man took place. At that time, all the assembled "heard" the Voice of God, and through the mediation of Moses (who, according to the rabbis, functioned there as a scribe), received the complete text of the Torah and its interpretation, the Oral Law." Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.

When Moses sent the spies into the land of Canaan, two came back with a good report and evidence of a fruitful land. They were Caleb, of the tribe of Judah and Joshua, of the tribe of Joseph. In Israel today, the Israeli government uses the symbol of Caleb and Joshua carrying a huge clump of grapes between them as the official seal of the Ministry of Tourism.

"TU BE-AV or the 15th day of the month of Av, was the date of a minor festival, observed only in the days of the Second Temple, which marked the beginning of the grape harvest in Erez Israel."

"In the Talmud, several additional reasons for the festivity of Tu be-Av are given. It was believed to be the day on which the Israelites in the desert ceased to die for the sins incurred following the return of the spies sent to spy out the land of Canaan . . ." Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.

It is significant that Caleb and Joshua who reflected faith in Moses prophecies and brought back the good report were the only original emigrants from Egypt that were allowed into the promised land. They maintained their faith throughout the wilderness journey. That journey introduced symbols (like the serpent) to maintain faith in the Lord.

"The Mishnah states that the copper serpent (nahash nehoshet in Hebrew) was not the power which cured the people. Rather it was when the people finally turned their eyes upward toward Heaven and listened to the will of God that they were cured. After the plague ended, the nahash nehoshet served as an ever-present reminder of the dangers and evils which could befall the people in the desert were it not for God's constant loving care."

"The people kept the copper serpent when they settled in Erez Israel and remembered its significance. However, when they began to look up to it instead of gazing beyond it to heaven, King Hezekiah had it destroyed so that it should not lead to idol worship."

"Seals employed from the beginning of historical time as the most common means of identifying property, appear both functionally and incidentally in various biblical stories, and many seals from biblical times have actually been uncovered by archaeologists. "

"Jewish seals were distinguished from others by their inscriptions in Hebrew and the absence of the human figure."

"Sometimes seals . . . bore emblems with . . . a serpent on it, since the Hebrew word for snake was numerically equivalent to the word for Messiah." Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.

When the Brigham Young Jerusalem Center was completed, Apostles Howard W. Hunter and James E. Faust, who were the LDS General Authorities in charge of the project, related the miracles of its approval and construction. After a marvelous meeting recounting the solid approval of the Israeli Government and the failure of a small religious band to thwart the completion of the Jerusalem Center, Elder Faust hastened to say, "We take no credit for these miracles - we want to enter the "promised land".