בס”ד

Parashat Ki Tisa (for you shall lift up) Exodus 30:11-34:35

Maftir: Numbers 19:1-22

Haftarah: Ezekiel 36:16-38

Shabbat Parah (Cow, as in the Red Heifer)

Recently I had a discussion with a man that said he was tired of hearing teachings on the nation of Israel. He said that Israel is no longer important, what should be the focus is the Kingdom of G-d. I, too, think that the Kingdom of G-d is HaShem’s focus, but Biblically speaking there is a connection between them. G-d has a plan and although ultimately this plan is complete in the establishment of the Kingdom of G-d, i.e. the New Jerusalem, one must recognize that there are stages to this becoming a reality. There is the age we are living in at present, then the end times which will be as Yeshua taught in Matthew chapter 24 full of troubles and wars, then the Millennium Kingdom, and finally the New Jerusalem. It is impossible to skip one or more of these stages in order to arrive at the New Jerusalem sooner. Remember what Yeshua said, “These things must be….”

The Prophets speak that in the last days G-d will return the descendants of Jacob to the land of Israel despite the objections of the world. In this week’s prophetic reading it says,

“And they shall say, ‘This land which was desolate has become as the Garden of Eden and the cities which were destroyed and desolate and ruined have become fortified and inhabited!”. Ezekiel 36:35

G-d is not finished with the people of Israel or their land. It may not be important to many Christians, but thank G-d there is a growing number of followers of Yeshua that choose to base what is important upon the prophetic word of G-d and not an oversimplification of Scripture.

I am not a prophet, but I can use prophecy to make observations about the times in which we are living. I see people going in two very different directions. The first one is a greater commitment to HaShem, guided by His word which leads to a desire to please G-d and place importance on what He says is important; while the second one is rooted in a superficial religiosity that is nothing more than an attempt to use distorted Biblical principles to achieve one’s own desires.

This Shabbat is Shabbat Parah. It reminds us of the need to purify our lives. This purification process was not just on the physical, but mainly on the spiritual. Today we do not have the ashes of a red heifer to do this, but HaShem has given us His Word,

“That you might be sanctified and cleansed with the washing of water by the word” Eph. 5:26

In other words, it’s time for a bath and the bar of soap is the Scripture!

Shabbat Shalom