When the angel Gabriel, who had
been sent to earth by YHVH, arrived in a little Galilaean town called Nazareth he announced to
a young girl that she was to conceive a son by Divine intervention. This young
maiden was to name her baby Yeshua (salvation).
Keep in mind that this was not the first time that YHVH intervened in a
woman's womb so as to bring forth life for His purposes.
Isaac's was another miraculous
birth, as his mother and father were too old to have children. Not only was his
mother too old, but she had also been barren all of her life. Jacob's mother, Rebecca, was also barren, and
in need of the touch of the Spirit of the Father. And of course Jacob's beloved Rachel, who
became the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, needed that divine healing touch as
well.
However, the situation was a
little more dramatic in Miriam's case, as she had not had sexual relationships
with a man. Today we do not think much
of the status of a virgin, but in those days a maiden could forfeit her life by
stoning, if her husband found her to be without blood on the wedding day. In
the case before us, YHVH Himself was to supply the life force that would become
His only begotten Son. He therefore sent a messenger to announce the purpose
for bringing forth this son at that time.
"You shall call his name
Yeshua, which means salvation, and He would be great, and He will be called the
Son of the Most High God, He will be given the throne of His father David. He
will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no
end" (Luke 1:31-33).
It is not the promise that Yeshua
would succeed to the throne of David which is puzzling, but rather the wording:
"throne of His father David," is what makes this
announcement somewhat curious. How could Yeshua be David's son, when we know
that He was not of the sperm of natural man?
His mother, who was Jewish, had relatives connected to the priesthood,
which most likely made her a Levite (see Luke 1:36). Joseph, the man she was betrothed to, was of
the seed of David (Luke 1:27). However, as you know, he had a bit of a problem
with this bride of his, who (just happened) to be pregnant before their
marriage was consummated. Being a righteous man, Joseph was ready to take the
necessary steps and have her put away according to the Torah if it were not for
another angelic visitation, in which he was told to take Miriam as his wife. By doing so he in essence adopted the child
that she was carrying, as his own. Thus,
through adoption, Yeshua entered the lineage of David, who, in a very real and
legal sense became his (fore)father, just as we, who are sons of Abraham,
become sons of God through adoption (see Rom 8:15, 9:4; Gal. 4:5).
Why was it so important that Joseph adopt this
child? Couldn't redemption have been
accomplished anyway through a Levite, or a Benjamite or for that matter through
a Syrian? As we know, Yeshua came as a kinsman redeemer to redeem a lost
inheritance. Whose inheritance? His Father's! What or who belonged to His
Father and had gotten lost, so as to be in need of redemption? Apparently at
some time or another YHVH must have owned something that had ‘gotten lost’. The
principle that all first fruit belong to Him is very evident in Torah (see Ex.
22:29-30, 23:16-19; Deu. 26:2 and many more).
Because these first fruit belong to YHVH He places His name on them,
marking them "for His name sake", thus claiming rightful ownership of
them.
The following scriptures indicate
that the entire nation of Israel
was and is YHVH's possession and inheritance. "But YHVH has taken you and brought you out of
the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance as you are
this day," (Deut. 4:20). "Yet they are Your people and Your
inheritance, whom You brought out by Your mighty power and by Your outstretched
arm," (Deut. 9:29). Not only were the people His inheritance, but so
was a place called Mount
Zion
In order for Yeshua to become the
redeemer of YHVH's inheritance, in this case Israel , He would have had to have a
very specific legal status in the family. He could not be a son randomly
chosen, from 'any old' family in humanity because YHVH is a law-giver, and
everything that has been created in the heavens and the earth is governed by
His laws. This is especially true concerning the laws of redemption. Regarding
our justification we are not under
Law, (that is laws of sin and death) yet Elohim’s Law should be under us, as it were, giving us a firm
foundation!
In the book of Revelation we see
YHVH the Mighty One sitting on His throne with a scroll in His hand (Rev.
5:1). It says about this scroll that it
was inscribed on both sides and was sealed with seven seals. What was this
seven-sealed document? It must have been extremely important, as the legal
qualifications to open it were so high that no one could be found, in heaven or
on earth, worthy of taking it and of opening its seals (ref. Rev 5:3). The
thought of no one qualifying was so grave, that it caused the prophet to weep
uncontrollably. Most scholars agree that
this scroll was the scroll of redemption. Such a scroll was seen when Jeremiah
redeemed a piece of property by purchasing it (Jer. 32). A scroll of redemption was usually written on
both sides; the one side had the title deed to the property and the other, the
qualifying requirements of its redeemer. Please notice that the Father had the
scroll in His hand, as a judicial guardian over the inheritance, until the one
qualified would come and take the scroll.
What was written on that scroll?
What were the regulations that qualified the Redeemer to take the scroll and
open its seals? What does all of this have to do with us?
Ephraim
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