Monthly Archives: December 2014

The Repairer of the Breach

Posted on December 26, 2014 by K. Gallagher

I promised this article in The Biblical Role of Women Part IX. Though this post is directly related to the building/destroying discussed in my last two posts on women, I felt this post was important enough to warrant its own title. I hope it brings you renewal.

Before I get into the meat of this post, I have to tell you something that happened as I was writing this article. I had just finished writing five pages and I hit the “print” button to proofread what I had written. I then hit “save” and POW, the entire document changed into a strange mixture of Asian symbols, English letters, and Arabic numerals. Someone more computer savvy than myself might be able to explain this odd phenomenon with computer science. I, however, have no idea how or why this happened. I searched and tried to recover the document to no avail. All my “saves” were contaminated with the gibberish I mentioned above.

But I did have the intact document in that single print I made. I would have to retype the whole thing to post it on the blog. My husband and children were witnesses to this fiasco and all were sorry for me, LOL. But I believe it happened for a reason. You see, in the original article I had written a lot about how we “react” to life’s interruptions and seeming setbacks. That cannot be a coincidence! I’ve pondered on this and have set out to do more than retype the original. Being a repairer of the breach requires more than a rebuild. It requires strengthening the area where the breach occurred.

What is a Breach?

Photo 16657749 / Breach Wall © Oleg Shipov | Dreamstime.com

A breach is a gap in a wall, barrier, or defense. In warfare or agriculture, a breach is a place where the enemy comes in to destroy or where the sheep break out and get lost. It’s that one weak spot in the levy that gives way to the flood. It doesn’t take much digging to discover that God’s House is to be maintained, and that includes repairing breaches. The accounts of King Jehoash,[1] King Josiah,[2] and the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem in Nehemiah all teach us about how and why we are to rebuild what has been breached. And sometimes, due to great opposition, we must rebuild with a sword in one hand and our tools in the other.

Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. (Neh. 4:17)

If you’ve read my latest articles on the Biblical Role of Women Part VIII and Part IX, then you know that their themes are related to building. Sometimes, a breach occurs in the walls we have built. This implies two things. First and foremost we must GUARD what we have been building. If watchmen were/are needed in the natural, you better believe that they are needed in the spiritual realm. And secondly, we must be prepared to maintenance or repair any weak areas or outright breaches. We are fools if we don’t think this will be an ongoing endeavor in our lives. Thus, we must diligently search and inspect our building projects. Sometimes, things can be improved or strengthened. All of this is to prevent the enemy from having opportunity and to prevent us from straying.

Who is the Repairer of the Breach?

In my mind, I’ve always thought of Yeshua as being the Repairer of the Breach. And this is true; He does indeed mend what has been broken. He applies the salve we need to endure and the comfort we desire from the battle. However, it is YOU and I that are called to be His hands and feet in the earth! As His followers, we are meant to be the ones that shore up the holes in the wall. We are to repair His House! Our focal passage in this post is from Isaiah 58. Let’s begin by looking at the first eight verses. These serve as the context of our focus, so please don’t skip over them.

Is. 58:1-8  “Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression And to the house of Jacob their sins.  (2)  “Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me for just decisions, They delight in the nearness of God.  (3)  ‘Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’ Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And drive hard all your workers.  (4)  “Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high.  (5)  “Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD?  (6)  “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke?  (7)  “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?  (8)  “Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Do you recall from Part IX how that the rabbis often infer from the text that the HOUSE is a reference to the women? If that is true in this case, then the “people” are in rebellion, but the House or women are in sin. Women can represent the intimacy of a relationship. In this passage, YHWH is truly speaking about intimacy or the lack thereof. The people desperately want to know why their cries and worship are not bringing YHWH near or close.

The problem, as YHWH has pointed out, is a heart issue. They may be doing what is required, but their motive is all wrong. Even their fasting has been for selfish reasons. YHWH goes on to delineate the true reason for fasting. I love these verses and have recounted them often. But now, I’m wondering if some of my own fasts have also been for the wrong reasons. Yah help me! So that we can recognize how we are to be repairers of the breach, I will enumerate the true reasons for fasting:

  1. To loosen the bonds of wickedness.
  2. To undo the bands of the yoke.
  3. To let the oppressed go free; to break every yoke.
  4. To divide your bread with the hungry.
  5. To bring the homeless poor into the House.
  6. To cover the naked.
  7. To not hide yourself from your own flesh.

I’m not going to analyze these seven things, but I would like you to notice the fourth reason – it is directly related to repairing the breaches in our own lives. Bread is more than physical sustenance. As we know, “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of YHWH”.[3] Interestingly, this quote from Deuteronomy also mentions humbling ourselves and our clothing (coverings).

Now for the key verses:

Is. 58:9-12 “Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,  (10)  And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday.  (11)  “And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.  (12)  “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

I wonder how many of us consistently call out to YHWH and feel that He is not listening. I wonder how many of us stumble through life in the darkness of depression, oppression, and “gloominess”. How many of us wallow in self-pity, without direction or satisfaction? What is missing? Why don’t we know what to do with ourselves? Why are we unsatisfied, lonely, and afraid? Why do we believe that everyone else “has it together” when we do not? Isaiah 58 has some answers if we are willing to receive it.

How Do I Get YHWH to Answer Me?

I think that too many of us stumble from one stream of chaos to the next. We are tossed to and fro; and we are tired. What is the root behind all this despair? We have a “breach” in our wall and we’ve not repaired it! The truth is that every single person will have to deal with one or more major “breaches” in their life. Sadly, many of these occur in our childhood and have left us maimed for decades. These gaping holes have left us less than whole. Every relationship is colored by our past experiences and our wounds just won’t seem to heal. The destruction from the breach continues to wreak havoc in our thought life and our relationship with God and others.

So, we cry out to YHWH and beg Him to take the pain away! But sometimes the pain remains, why? What are we missing? Based on our passage in Isaiah, there is something WE must do. Sure, God could supernaturally take it all away in one clean brush stroke. So, why doesn’t He? Perhaps, Isaiah can help us.

There are four things mentioned for us to do in verses 9-12. The text says, “IF” we do these things, “THEN”, our darkness and gloom will become as bright as the midday. The question is: do you want to get out of that pit? If so, let’s follow these words of our King and not only find that quench for our own thirst, but become the spring that never fails. Here are the four:

  1. Call upon Adonai.
  2. Remove the yoke from your midst (heart).
  3. Stop pointing the finger of blame and speaking wickedly.
  4. Give yourself to the hungry and the afflicted.

Call Upon Adonai

If you have a relationship with Abba, I’m sure you’ve been acting on number one rather frequently. That is, unless you are bitter with the Almighty. And you know if you are. If you can’t even bring yourself to worship or cry out to the King, then you will remain in that pit. You must forgive God for that breach. He didn’t cause it, and He hasn’t forsaken you. We live in a fallen world where hurting people hurt other people. It’s a nasty, vicious, and unholy cycle. And, it’s not fair. But, it isn’t God’s fault. He is still the Redeemer, Deliverer, and Savior. Whether your breach was caused by the loss of a loved one, sickness, abuse, disappointment, or some other major struggle, God can and will bring you to a place of renewal, if you are willing. But, in order to get to that place, the first step is forgiving God.

Sometimes, we don’t even realize that our hearts have been harboring unforgiveness toward Adonai. Here are a few signs that you are: 1. You believe that God loves others more than you. 2. You expect good things to happen to other people, but not you. 3. You feel worthless and deserving of the bad things that have happened to you.

If you believe one or more of the above, you are in bondage to a lie(s). Your heavenly Father is no respecter of persons. He is not partial, like beings of flesh. That is the truth of, “it is written.” He would leave the 99 sheep, just to go find you. Our wounds and immense pain make this especially difficult to internalize, because it feels like we have been singled out for misery, not the joy of our salvation. If this is you, step one requires you not to simply call upon Adonai, but to forgive Him for anything you’ve accused Him of that isn’t from “it is written,” and instead has come from the realm of “I think, I feel.”

I know this isn’t simple. But the reason it is not, is for one reason: flesh and the pride of life. I know that stings, because the last thing a dejected, wounded person feels is pride. But pride also manifests as self-pity, which is the opposite of the humbleness of wisdom. Both self-pity and wisdom perceive the obstacles we have faced (or are facing), but they react to these challenges quite differently. Wisdom chooses to believe that God is Sovereign and Good, and that He will enable us to overcome if we trust Him. Self-pity chooses to not even try; and instead, focuses on how worthless and powerless one is. It even goes as far as to think (consciously or subconsciously) that God wants me fail – to hurt – to remain in pain. Self-pity makes endless excuses to remain in the pits of despair, because it knows nothing else. One feels entitled and righteous in their victimhood, but this is a frozen, cold place of being. The trap prevents one from taking responsibility for what they can and from escaping the broken record in their mind that endlessly repeats the stories of blame and shame.

The only way out of the self-pity cycle is to repent for the pride of believing such lies. Make haste. Don’t wait for your feelings to catch up with, “it is written,” or the cycle will continue to suck you under. Step one is to call upon Adonai – even if you don’t feel like.  Call upon Him in your pain and grief over life. Worship Him even though you don’t feel like it. (Especially if you don’t feel like it!) By making your FLESH do what your spirit knows to do, you are mastering your lower, beastly nature. Eventually, if you’re consistent, your flesh will fall in line with your spirit. Though your past won’t change, how you perceive it will. How you go forward in life will change for the better too. Like a strong and wild stallion, your flesh can be mastered. And true release will come!

Remove the Yoke from Your Midst

A yoke is a devise used to pair two beasts together at the neck to carry a load or plow a field. The Bible uses the imagery of yoke to explain what it is that controls us or directs our heads. There is the yoke of the enemy and the yoke of Yeshua. The former is nothing but slavery and bondage; whereas, the latter is light and easy. Yeshua’s yoke brings the protection of the Master’s House. His Kingdom has boundaries, but His walls ensure our safety and security. In order to receive His protection, we must choose to be lifelong bond-servants. For it truly is better in the Master’s House!

Photo by Paul Jai on Unsplash

But, to become His bond-servant, we must remove any other yoke we have attached ourselves to. Did you notice that the first verses of Isaiah 58 on fasting also mentions “undoing the bands of wickedness and the yoke?” Adonai is serious about this. When we fast, it is our FLESH that must suffer. Fasting is one way in which our spirits can take back the upper hand and rule over our beast (flesh). Our flesh doesn’t like to feel hungry. It wants to RULE where we turn our heads. And it is the primary “enemy” you will deal with until death.

Beloved, the more I study, and the more I pursue a life in Torah, the more I realize that after coming into relationship with YHWH, everything is about this. The question of whether you will be a beast or a man (in the image of God) created on Day 6 of Creation is in nearly every single story of the Bible, culminating in the Book of Revelation with the “woman” and the “harlot who rides the beast.” The harlot gives her power to the beast.[4] But, God’s people have taken authority over (their) beast (flesh). They instead, have taken upon the yoke of Messiah.

Whip that flesh into submission! (I’m speaking to myself here as much as I am to you!) Force it to conform into the image of the Messiah. This is our calling. Go back and read the epistles in the Brit Chadashah. (N.T.). Notice the constant call to stop being carnal. Grow up by making your flesh submit. It’s time to build and no longer destroy. (As I’ve mentioned before, mussar is an awesome tool to help you “tame” your beast!)

Stop Pointing the Finger of Blame and Speaking Wickedly

The blame game. We all play it from time to time. The flesh ALWAYS has an excuse for its rotten behavior. Our favorite scapegoat is…  everyone else. They’re not doing what they should be doing; thus, I’m justified in my own stinking actions. I was provoked. They hurt me. They won’t stop doing this or that. They always make me feel… you fill in the blank. They take advantage of me. They made fun of me. They… this or that. There is always a reason that we don’t do what we know to do.

The problem is that “they” are not who we are supposed to master. We aren’t responsible for “their” behavior, no matter how crappy they treat us. YHWH says, “STOP!” Just stop pointing the finger. No matter what happened to you at the hands of some other person, we cannot use them as an excuse for our own bad actions. Go back and look at number seven in the list of fasting requirements. It says, do not hide yourself from your own flesh. While this can mean not to neglect the needs of your own spouse/family, it can also be read as a literal directive to not hide from your own flesh nature. Don’t justify your own carnal nature while pointing out everyone else’s failures. That is being a hypocrite. Mercy is nonexistent in these scenarios.

The second clause in this statement is also true. If you’re pointing the finger, you are also running your big, fat mouth. You’re telling anyone and everyone “why” you are the way you are. And it’s all someone else’s fault. STOP. You will never find the healing and deliverance you so desperately seek while engaging in this relentless behavior. Hurting people hurt people. If you’re hurting right now, please stop and consider your actions. Don’t continue this cycle of chaos and destruction. Choose differently.

Either Messiah has set you free or He hasn’t. You either wear His light yoke or you keep yourself yoked to your lower nature (flesh). Who is steering your head? Who dictates where you walk and what you say with your mouth? Who is at the helm of your ship?

STOP, says YHWH. Turn back and REPENT!

Give Yourself to the Hungry and the Afflicted

I’m not sure if you noticed this or not, but in the first verses of Isaiah 58 on fasting, and in our focal verses on becoming the repairer of the breach, the fourth thing required is to give bread to the hungry. Creation Gospel students understand the “authority” and “governing” aspect of the number four. It is actually a picture of seven and wholeness. You can read my article on The Rivers of Eden, to learn a little more about this number.

Photo 108323831 © Denis Andreev | Dreamstime.com

Four is also a picture of the fullness of the Holy Spirit and the feast of Shavuot (Pentecost). Not surprisingly, this firstfruits festival involves the offering of TWO baked loaves of wheat bread. After you have called upon Adonai, removed the evil yoke, and stopped the blame game, the next requirement is to give yourself to the hungry and the afflicted. How do we give ourselves to the hungry? The passage on fasting says to “divide” our bread with the hungry. Do you have a loaf to spare for your neighbor?

We’ve already mentioned that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. But, in order to train our flesh, giving real physical bread is necessary. Our nephesh would rather keep as much for itself as possible. Like a child, anything in its reach is “MINE!” It doesn’t like to share. It doesn’t really care about its neighbor or being in one accord at the feast of Shavuot (Pentecost).

Thank heavens, Adonai does care. The final test for our flesh is in whether or not we will give ourselves to the hungry and the afflicted. As the last step, it will be the most challenging. Giving yourself to another person requires great vulnerability. In order to give yourself over to or to love your neighbor, you must place yourself in a position to get hurt, again. Getting hurt is what caused the breach in the first place. It’s why you’ve built the walls (of sand) around your heart. It’s why you blame, it’s why you complain, and it’s why you’re in pain.

Does Adonai really expect me to risk it all, again? The answer in an unequivocal: YES! And if you get hurt again, then you get hurt. God can mend you again. He risked everything for us. We are to risk everything for our brothers and sisters, because we are to be one. Scars, bumps, bruises, and all. This is perfect love. For every heart break and every disappointment we endure for the building and expansion of Adonai’s House, He is right there with us. We are His hands and feet.

These things are the IF. Now let’s look at YHWH’s promised, THEN.

Then, YHWH

Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday.  (11)  “And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.  (12)  “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell. (Is. 58:10-12)

By making our flesh submit its “feelings,” we will eventually line up with the Word. Depression, apathy, and gloom will be replaced with the brightness of God’s Light.

ID 24244811 © Miguel Nicolaevsky | Dreamstime.com

Verse eleven is especially significant. “And Adonai will continually guide you.” Do you lack direction? Are you unsure of which way or where to go? Perhaps, all we need to receive this precious instruction is to give ourselves to our (imperfect) brothers and sisters. Strength will return to the body when we do. Notice that our “bones” or the frame of the House is restored. We become the builder we are meant to be. The living waters of the Holy Spirit are ever present in our midst.

Those willing to risk everything are given a name. Oh, how I want to be called by this name! Those that rebuild the ruins and raise up those old foundations are called “The Repairer of the Breach!” The Kingdom and House have been restored and there we shall dwell in peace. Sigh. This is so awesome! All it will take is a little humility. We can do it!

One last note, the remaining two verses of Isaiah 58 speaks directly about the Shabbat. We are to deny our flesh, and delight in the Sabbath by resting in Adonai’s finished work. Real Sabbath delight requires gathering with our brothers and sisters – blemishes and all. Build, and do not destroy. Repair what has been breached. I hope to see you there. Shabbat Shalom!

[1] 2 Kings 12

[2] 2 Kings 22

[3] Dt. 8:2-6  “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.  (3)  “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.  (4)  “Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.  (5)  “Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.  (6)  “Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.

[4] Rev 17:13-16  “These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.  (14)  “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”  (15)  And he *said to me, “The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.  (16)  “And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.

Categories: Messianic Issues, Women | Tags: , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Biblical Role of Women Part IX

Posted on December 22, 2014 by K. Gallagher

Role of Women Main Page

Builder or Destroyer?

In Part VIII, we looked at how men are the strong foundation of the House, but our focus was on women as “builders.” A woman builds with the Holy Spirit of Binah or understanding –discernment. (Is. 11:2) She builds upon the firm foundation of the Word, the Son of Man, and her husband. Once again, here is the Proverb’s verse that speaks to this:

The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands. (Pr. 14:1)

Before we look at the first builders of the Torah and the Gospel, I would be remiss if I didn’t deal with the second half of this verse in Proverbs. If a woman is not a builder of the house, she can only be one other thing — a fool that “tears the house down with her own hands.” I’ve mentioned the duality found in the female before. Dr. Alewine deals with this concept extensively in her Creation Gospel workbooks.

In the Bible, we are often faced with two women, one righteous and one wicked. A Bride and a Harlot. The problem is that as humans, we have a difficult time discerning which is which. These women are easy to confuse if we are ignorant of the written Word, are immature in the faith, or if we operate in pride. (That latter one is nearly inescapable; we must diligently search our hearts for pride.)

But do not be deceived! Even a sincere follower of the God of Israel can confuse the two — just ask Judah about Tamar. One very important concept that will help us to grasp the difference between the two is to realize that when we are acting contrary to the Word of God, we ARE the harlot. It also may be helpful to research the term “harlot” in a concordance. Most of its references are used to refer to God’s wayward people. And much of the time, the people actually believed that they were righteous —everything was “okay” in their own eyes. We become the fools if we think it is any different for us today.

I believe this why our verse in Proverbs refers to the woman that “tears down” her house as a fool. She doesn’t realize what she is doing. A woman that tears down is actually a destroyer. Does this indicate who her master might be? It definitely reveals what “spirits” light her lamp. They are the seven abominations of Proverbs 6:16-19. If I’ve learned anything from studying the seven Spirits of God and the seven abominations, it is this: our hearts are desperately wicked. We are ALL capable of operating in the wicked lamp. (Pr. 6:16-19) Our “good intentions” can often just be a cover so that our flesh can get what it desires. But wisdom is still calling from every corner. She knows the Way to our freedom.

“Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars.” (Pr. 9:1)

Wisdom’s seven pillars are the seven Spirits of God and the seven Holy Moedim (feasts). If you want to know what fuels your lamp, you must take an honest look at your own heart. This exercise must be an ongoing endeavor. The moment we think we’ve “arrived” or have it all figured out, is the moment pride (the first wicked spirit) has entered our hearts. Both the harlot and the righteous woman (wisdom) call to us daily. We must learn the difference between the two. One appeals to your desires, your lower nature. Her call is very pleasing and can be good. But like the tree of knowledge of good and evil — she cannot produce LIFE.

Keep the notion of the woman being a contranym (a word that can mean its own opposite) at the forefront of your mind. We will continue unpacking the duality of the woman throughout this series. For now, remember that as a woman you are either a builder or a destroyer. Men do not get to escape this duality, because both men and women are found within the woman, the wife, the harlot, the virgin, or the bride. At the end of our days, we will be revealed as righteous or wicked.

There is one other important point to grasp in this duality. It is not happenstance that God compares His people to a “woman.” Both men and women are meant to deal with the body like a mother deals with an infant. If tender mercies and nurturing the immature fails to shine through our Torah keeping, then we are not “builders.” How many young (new-to-Torah) in the faith have been “destroyed” by Torah terrorists? I suspect far too many. These “terrorists” may have a lot of “knowledge,” but they do not operate with the Holy Spirit of Da’at (sacrificial love). The Holy Spirit of Da’at is willing to die for wayward sheep like Moses and Yeshua. (Ex. 32:32; Rom. 5:8) The righteous or unrighteous stance of the people isn’t what mattered. They were willing to die for those even in their sin. The question is: are you?

How far are you willing to go? Will you leave the 99 sheep to rescue the one? Can you reserve judgment when necessary? Do you know the difference? There is not a black and white answer to these questions. God is love. Binah (the Spirit that builds the House) requires you to discern the difference between compromise and love. Our lower (nephesh/flesh) nature will choose judgment and justice over mercy every time. It likes to point the finger. It secretly relishes in condemning others. It’s much easier to be a destroyer. But beloved, you are called to build! You can be LONG suffering and merciful without compromising, never let anyone tell you any different.

If you struggle with your past, bad circumstances, pain, contentment, depression, self-pity, or the like, my article  Repairer of the Breach will offer some realistic solutions to repair or rebuild what has been breached.

Key #1 You are either a builder or a destroyer of God’s House. 
Often, the difference is difficult to discern.

Women, the First to Receive the Torah?

Interestingly, in Jewish tradition and understanding, the women were the first to receive the Torah from Moses.[1] Their reasoning is two-fold. First, notice how the Torah words the following verse:

Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel:” (Ex. 19:3)

The Sages explain that the phrase “house of Jacob” refers to the women; whereas, the “sons of Israel” refers to the men. Based on what we discovered in Part VIII, you should be able to discern with a Hebraic lens why they make this inference from the text. Women are associated with the HOUSE. But, why would the Torah reference the women before the men? Ah, that’s the other side of their reasoning and there are conflicting opinions as to “why” this is so. Below, is an example from Mechilta on Exodus 20:1.

G-d told Moses to relate the “general principles” of the Torah to the women, and its “exacting particulars” to the men. The woman relates to the Torah’s all-inclusive essence, while the man relates to the detail, specific law and particular application…Moses went to the women first because the Torah’s revelation unfolds from the general to the particular, from the supra-spatial point of concept to the breadth and depth of the law.

Pay very close attention to the bolded print from the above quote. The Sages believe that the women received the Torah first because there is a natural process of how people learn and grow. In Part VIII, we essentially deduced the same conclusion. Babies (physical and spiritual) require their mother’s “milk” before they can eat the “meat” at the Father’s table. This in no way diminishes the intellectual capacity of women or their ability to eat meat for themselves. But what it does imply is that women are endowed with the unique ability to ingest MEAT and then transform it into a substance (milk) that can give a baby the nourishment it needs to thrive.

This natural/physical reality is also true in the spiritual realm. The writer of the Book of Hebrews, Peter, and Paul all mention the “milk” of the Word in the Brit Chadashah (N.T.). They associate those that need milk with immature infants. What makes it obvious that they are spiritual babies? Look at these passages:

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? (1 Cor. 3:1-3 NASB)

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. (Heb. 5:12 – 6:2)

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God… Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. (1 Pet. 1:22- 2:2)

Spiritual babies haven’t learned how to allow the Spirit to rule over their nephesh (flesh). In other words, they are controlled by their feelings, emotions, and personal experiences (past). The evidence is found in outbursts of jealousy, anger, strife, malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. Emotion and personal feelings are king to a toddler, but they are also king to immature Believer.

Gen. 4:3-8 (NASB) So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; 5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” 8 Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

Cain was the firstborn son of Adam and Chavah. He is the archetype of the (firstborn) flesh nature of every human being, epitomized by jealous anger toward God and the second born son, Abel, which leads him to become the first murderer. One’s countenance  is their faces (paniym), plural. This is a Hebrew idiom for one’s emotions, which are revealed through many facial expressions.

It is very easy to become a destroyer when emotions rule one’s heart. A spiritual mother teaches one with a mindset of Cain, that if he/she does well (learns discernment, personal responsibility, and self sacrifice [da’at]), it will go well for them. But if they choose to persist in their “feelings” of unfairness, jealousy, and anger, sin will master them, leading to a literal or figurative murder.

The “milk” verses were written to encourage these babies to GROW, learn to OBEY, PRACTICE training their SENSES, and to seek after genuine love for the brethren. Once these precious ones learn (through practice) to overcome and tame the beast (their flesh), only then can they truly walk in the maturity of Da’at or sacrificial love.

According to the Rabbis, women have a natural ability to help these “babies” mature. If the details, particulars, and depth of the Torah is placed in the hands of the immature, judgment will be levied without the tender mercies learned by receiving the mother’s milk first. This brings destruction, not growth. Rabbi Yaakov Hillel, in Ascending Jacob’s Ladder, puts it this way:

“If you learn Torah, it will make you big. But in what it will make you big depends upon what you plant. If you plant seeds of good middot [character traits] Torah will make you a great tzaddik [righteous one]. If you don’t work on your middot [character traits], Torah will make you big — but you will be a big monster.” (Brackets and bolding mine.)

The middot are character traits. By studying and practicing the attributes of God, one learns to become more like Him. Without this type of intentional living, a disciple will live life based on animal-like instincts. But, from the beginning, God has ordained that we rule over this side of our nature. The Jewish exercise of building godly character traits is called mussar. I wrote a little introduction to mussar here.

The whole point of practicing mussar is to gain the upper hand over your nephesh (flesh). Rabbi Hillel already knows what those returning to Torah are just starting to understand: an immature (flesh ruled) person that learns Torah will grow, but instead of growing in righteousness (salvation), only his monster (beast) will get bigger.

This makes him a destroyer, not a builder. Mussar is practiced throughout one’s lifetime. As a human, your lower nature will always seek the upper hand. But, if you do well, shall you not be accepted? and if you do not well, sin lies at the door. And to you shall be his desire, and you shall rule over him. (Gen. 4:7)

 

Key #2 The Torah was first received and taught by the women, 
the House of Jacob.
Key #3 Learning Torah will make you big. 
Will you be a big tzaddik or a big monster?

Women, the First to Proclaim the Gospel?

It is important to note right here that my pointing out or alluding to women being the “first” (at anything) is in no way meant to disparage men or their role. God has painted a masterpiece with the two genders. Sadly though, we often miss the true beauty of His work because we constantly want to separate what He has meant to be ONE. (Unified)

Both men and women are revealed in “the woman” in the Bible. (Think: wife, bride, virgin.) For century after century women have been oppressed and silenced. If this is true in the natural, then it is also true in the spiritual realm. By living according to the design of the Creator instead of perpetuating the curse, women are elevated to their coequal status with men. In this process, men are edified and made whole in ways that we never imagined. The bottom line is that if women are bound, then men (as the other half) are also bound.

The Bible is full of stories and parables that hint at this “hidden” reality. The Holy Spirit is revealing these things in our day because the time is short. One little nugget that opens up this truth is to simply look at the gospels anew. This time, pay very close attention to the women.

It was the women who first proclaimed the good news of “He is Risen!” I reblogged a post by Jane Diffenderfer on this very topic called: Firstfruits and the Women Who First Preached the Good News.  I encourage you to read it.

Why does it matter that Yeshua entrusted women with the gospel first? Does it have any significance? After all, even the disciples didn’t “believe” the report of the women, so why should we? Are women unreliable witnesses? Are women prohibited from proclaiming the Good News? Did Yeshua make a mistake by giving this vital message to the women first?

We must answer these questions. Your tradition, upbringing, culture, and personal opinions about the proper role of women (and men) will be reflected back to you if you honestly seek the answers from the Word of God. You will find yourself either aligned with the Word or aligned with what you want the Word to say. And then, you have to answer one last question: What is it that I fear will happen if women are coequal with men?

I’ve witnessed men actually leave the room when a woman gets up to bring forth the Good News to the assembly. They really believe that it is sinful to listen to her. But isn’t that exactly what the disciples did with the report of the women from the tomb? By not listening to these women, they remained in unbelief UNTIL Messiah Himself appeared to them. One thing is certain: Yeshua charged the women first to proclaim the Good News! Carefully read His words and then consider the reaction of His disciples:

Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it. (Mark 16:9-11)

I believe that everything Yeshua did was intentional. He consistently challenged tradition and cultural norms. He wasn’t surprised that the women were the first to find the empty tomb, and He certainly didn’t make a mistake by entrusting them with the Gospel. The message He gave to the women was meant to reveal the hearts of His disciples. Notice that Mary Magdalene had had SEVEN demons cast from her. Could these have been the seven wicked abominations of Proverbs 6: 16-19? Regardless, she was a new creation through Messiah Yeshua, yet the disciples refused to believe her report. Here is the same account from Luke:

And as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all

Photo by salia on Unsplash

these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. (Luke 24: 5-11)

I wonder how many treasures YHWH has entrusted to His daughters that men have considered nonsense throughout the centuries? History does repeat itself, and there is nothing new under the sun. My hope is that by reconsidering these two accounts in the Gospels that it has pricked your heart to reevaluate the numerous other accounts in the Bible regarding women. The last thing we would desire is to not believe a report given by our Master because we deem the vessel of His choice unworthy or less than optimal.

It’s time to build and not destroy. We each have various materials, textiles, and tools to build up the House of Adonai. All are needed.

 

Key #4 The Gospel was entrusted to the women first, 
but the apostles failed to believe their report.

Part X and the Repairer of the Breach. You can access past articles in this series here.

Recap of the four keys in this post:

Key #1 You are either a builder or a destroyer of God’s House. Often, the difference is difficult to discern.

Key #2 The Torah was first received and taught by the women, the House of Jacob.

Key #3 Learning Torah will make you big. Will you be a big tzaddik or a big monster?

Key #4 The Gospel was entrusted to the women first, but the apostles failed to believe their report.

[1] See this “Ask Moses” article for more information: http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/108,2217159/Ladies-First.html#articlepageinformation:

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