Parsha "VaYAKHEL" (and he assembled) EXODUS 35-38

PARSHA "VaYAKHEL" (and he assembled)

EXODUS 35:1-38:20                1 KINGS 7:13-26             2 COR 9:6-11

We see in this parsha that Moshe asks for an offering of "willing hearts" and the response was overwhelming! everyone gave! Moshe even had to tell the people "bring no more offerings, we have enough" the offerings consisted of gold, silver, bronze, precious stones, fabric, and wood. All these things were for the building of the Mishkan (tabernacle) and just where did the people get all this stuff? Right, you guessed it, from "Egypt" The Egyptians, without realizing it, had sponsored, financed the building of "God's House" (Beit El, El ha Mishkan) when the Israelites "spoiled" the Egyptians, YHVH had this in mind.

YHVH chose a few individuals to build the furniture and the articles of the Mishkan. In today's synagogues/churches/Kehilot etc, God equips people for certain tasks, the synagogues/churches have pastors and rabbis, teachers, evangelists, administrators, music people, sound people, janitors, maintenance guys and gals, etc, "all are for the functioning of the ministry and building" like a well oiled machine

When we see the tabernacle and its furnishings, we see "Yeshua HaMashiach" in all of it, so , just a brief overview;

TABERNCALE/MISHKAN)   YHVH's dwelling place among his people, Today, YHVH dwells in the hearts of believers and is manifested especially when we gather together in Yeshua's name, be it on Shabbat, Sunday, or any day of the week
ARON HA KODESH (Ark of the testimony) kept the tablets of the Torah, a pot of mannah, and Aron's rod, made of gold inside and out, We see Yeshua in that "gold" symbolizes purity, He is "Pure/sinless" inside and out, He is the "Living Torah" and the "Bread of Life" and our "Good shepherd" our leader
TABLE OF SHOWBREAD; made of gold, for holding 12 loaves of bread, Yeshua is "gold" pure, and he is the "bread of life" and was/is the "bread of life" for all 12 tribes of Israel, which has extended to all of us today, who are part of the commonwealth of Israel through being grafted in. A person is either part of Israel
or not, either saved or lost, there is no middle ground.
MENNORAH/GOLD LAMPSTAND: made of gold, 7 branches, to hold oil and light the Mishkan with fire from the 7 branches. Yeshua is pure, he is , like the number "7" perfect in all ways, He has the oil which symbolizes the Ruach ha Kodesh
(the Holy Spirit) we also are symbolized by the branches, we are the "wicks" that need to be in contact with oil to give "light" Yeshua said,. "Ye are the Light of the world"
ALTAR OF INCENSE: made of gold, to burn incense, symbolizes our prayers which go upward to YHVH through Yeshua
ALTAR OF BURNT OFFERINGS: Made of hard wood, covered with bronze, at the very entrance of the tabernacle, "wood" stands for the humanity of Yeshua, and his crucifixion.  "bronze" stands for "judgment" as fire also stands for judgment as Yeshua was "judged" for our sins, on the cross, as the perfect animals that were sacrificed and burned, also symbolized.
BRONZE LAVER: to wash the hands and feet of the priests who did the sacrifices, symbolizes that we are "washed clean" of our sins by the blood of Yeshua, in this case, it is "water" as Yeshua is the "Living water"
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1 KINGS 7:13-26

As the Tabernacle was made by the Israelites, Solomon also made the Temple, using skilled artisans, like Hiram, from Tyre, It was very elaborate, very beautiful it must of been, the Temple that Solomon had built. It is called "Solomon's temple".
But it is really" YHVH's Temple" which Solomon had built.
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2 COR 9:6-11

Rav Shaul admonishes the believers in Corinth to "give cheerfully" remembering the story in the Torah that we just read, "God loves a cheerful giver" one can not out give God. We do not "give" to "get back" although that is what usually happens in one way or another, but we should "give" because we want to, and to help those that need help, maintain the ministry, missionaries and volunteer workers that go abroad, etc..

all are welcome to our Erev Shabbat service (in Spanish) this Friday at 7:30pm)

SHABBAT SHALOM....................Rabbi Ben Avraham