October 30, 1998
Shabbat Shalom! This is a greeting and salutation that one hears echoing over Israel every Friday and Saturday. Is there a prophetic proclamation when this is being spoken? We know that it announces the coming day of rest, the Shabbat rest that YHVH established after He completed His work. “And on the seventh day Elohim ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And Elohim blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because in it he had rested from all his work which Elohim created and made” (Gen 2:2-3). Inherent in the seventh day is a blessing. So if we enter into this seventh day rest we are blessed.
When our forefathers “passed over” (the root “avor” is also used in the word “Hebrew”), and came out of the Land of Egypt and into the wilderness (Exodus 16:22-28), YHVH, established His ordinance of a seventh day rest. This was the first test of obedience that the children of Elohim (Israel) had to pass. They had to trust Him for their daily provision. If they tried to collect manna for a second day, it spoiled. However, when the sixth day arrived they were allowed to collect a double amount, so that they would have enough for the seventh day. Amazingly this extra amount did not spoil. If any went out searching for manna on the seventh day, none was found. Here again we see that the Shabbat contains a blessing, but it is also YHVH’s first test of obedience in our walk with Him towards the promised place of rest. Please note: obedience to the voice or word of YHVH is not legalism, it is the mark of love in that relationship.
“You will bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, in the place, O YHVH, which You have made for Yourself to dwell in, the Sanctuary, O YHVH, which Your hands have established” (Exodus 15:17). The Hebrews were on their way from slavery to a place of rest, but they had to cross, or pass through the wilderness, which was a place of no natural provision. YHVH promised He would bring them out of Egypt and plant them in the mountain of His inheritance, the place that is made for His dwelling, the sanctuary which His hands have established.
Where and what is YHVH’s mountain dwelling, or sanctuary? “For YHVH has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. This is my resting place forever: here will I dwell for I have desired it“ (Psalm 132:13-14). Coming into the place of YHVH’s dwelling is coming into rest; His rest, His peace. This place of “Shabbat Shalom” is a place of total trust and abiding in “He who is my life” (Colossians 3:4).
We, as the body of the redeemed Israel of Elohim, are to call out: “Arise, let us go up to Zion to YHVH our Elohim!” (Jeremiah 31:6). In other words, it is a call to a “Shabbat Shalom”. This call means to come into His presence, to Mount Zion, to enter into His rest, into an eternal blessing. How do we get there? “Those who love His name will dwell in it” (Psalm 69:36b). Here we see that when Moshe and Yeshua laid down the first of all the commands which is “to love YHVH our Elohim with all our heart and with all soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength”, they were in essence saying, “come abide in YHVH’s dwelling place, in His Shabbat Shalom”. This eternal rest is then seen in the next blessing, when we love our neighbor-brother as our own self (that is to assume that you love your self as He loves you). Be doubly blessed, as we enter into a peaceful relationship with our Elohim and with our brothers.
Arise and come out of the wilderness. Come and gather at the river where the Lamb is the Life; come to the river that flows from His throne; to His Mountain of blessing, to His Shabbat Shalom.
The next time we say “Shabbat Shalom”, may we be declaring prophetically: “Come let us love Him, and let us go up together to worship YHVH our Elohim, that is His nature of righteousness, peace and joy, in His holy mountain (Zion) of rest.” Shabbat Shalom!
Ephraim
P.S. “How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity....for in this God commands the blessing life eternal” (Ps. 133).
Shabbat Shalom! This is a greeting and salutation that one hears echoing over Israel every Friday and Saturday. Is there a prophetic proclamation when this is being spoken? We know that it announces the coming day of rest, the Shabbat rest that YHVH established after He completed His work. “And on the seventh day Elohim ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And Elohim blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because in it he had rested from all his work which Elohim created and made” (Gen 2:2-3). Inherent in the seventh day is a blessing. So if we enter into this seventh day rest we are blessed.
When our forefathers “passed over” (the root “avor” is also used in the word “Hebrew”), and came out of the Land of Egypt and into the wilderness (Exodus 16:22-28), YHVH, established His ordinance of a seventh day rest. This was the first test of obedience that the children of Elohim (Israel) had to pass. They had to trust Him for their daily provision. If they tried to collect manna for a second day, it spoiled. However, when the sixth day arrived they were allowed to collect a double amount, so that they would have enough for the seventh day. Amazingly this extra amount did not spoil. If any went out searching for manna on the seventh day, none was found. Here again we see that the Shabbat contains a blessing, but it is also YHVH’s first test of obedience in our walk with Him towards the promised place of rest. Please note: obedience to the voice or word of YHVH is not legalism, it is the mark of love in that relationship.
“You will bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, in the place, O YHVH, which You have made for Yourself to dwell in, the Sanctuary, O YHVH, which Your hands have established” (Exodus 15:17). The Hebrews were on their way from slavery to a place of rest, but they had to cross, or pass through the wilderness, which was a place of no natural provision. YHVH promised He would bring them out of Egypt and plant them in the mountain of His inheritance, the place that is made for His dwelling, the sanctuary which His hands have established.
Where and what is YHVH’s mountain dwelling, or sanctuary? “For YHVH has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. This is my resting place forever: here will I dwell for I have desired it“ (Psalm 132:13-14). Coming into the place of YHVH’s dwelling is coming into rest; His rest, His peace. This place of “Shabbat Shalom” is a place of total trust and abiding in “He who is my life” (Colossians 3:4).
We, as the body of the redeemed Israel of Elohim, are to call out: “Arise, let us go up to Zion to YHVH our Elohim!” (Jeremiah 31:6). In other words, it is a call to a “Shabbat Shalom”. This call means to come into His presence, to Mount Zion, to enter into His rest, into an eternal blessing. How do we get there? “Those who love His name will dwell in it” (Psalm 69:36b). Here we see that when Moshe and Yeshua laid down the first of all the commands which is “to love YHVH our Elohim with all our heart and with all soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength”, they were in essence saying, “come abide in YHVH’s dwelling place, in His Shabbat Shalom”. This eternal rest is then seen in the next blessing, when we love our neighbor-brother as our own self (that is to assume that you love your self as He loves you). Be doubly blessed, as we enter into a peaceful relationship with our Elohim and with our brothers.
Arise and come out of the wilderness. Come and gather at the river where the Lamb is the Life; come to the river that flows from His throne; to His Mountain of blessing, to His Shabbat Shalom.
The next time we say “Shabbat Shalom”, may we be declaring prophetically: “Come let us love Him, and let us go up together to worship YHVH our Elohim, that is His nature of righteousness, peace and joy, in His holy mountain (Zion) of rest.” Shabbat Shalom!
Ephraim
P.S. “How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity....for in this God commands the blessing life eternal” (Ps. 133).
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