Shabbat Shalom Saints of the Most High on this balmy, but sublime Sabbath in the DFW. I’m Rod Thomas. Hoping, trusting, and praying that this teaching finds you well and blessed.
As this teaching is being recorded and posted, 7/22/23, the 4th day of our 5th biblical calendar month, it is what orthodox, Hassidic Jews call “Shabbat Chazon.” In Hebrew, it is the Sabbath of Vision.
Because I found the message of Yesha’Yahu’s (aka Isaiah’s) vision to be so powerful and applicable for us today, I was led by the Ruach to forego thoughts and reflections on Torah Reading 93 this go round.
It is the Sabbath before the 9th of Av. And in case you are unfamiliar with the Jewish memorial day of Tisha B’Av (or the 9th of Av), it is held as the day when Temples 1 (aka Solomon’s Temple) and 2 (aka Zerubbabel’s Temple) were destroyed. Yes, our Jewish cousins contend that both Temples were destroyed, the first by the Babylonians, the second by the Romans, on the 9th day of the Babylonian named Month of Av (i.e., this 5th month of Yah’s sacred calendar year).
Jewish sages established this memorial day (i.e., a tradition; not a mandated Feast or set-apart day of Yah) to prepare the hearts and souls of religious Jews to receive Tisha B’Av. These sages taught that God’s people, the righteous, orthodox Jew that is, on this day are being granted a vision of the 3rd Temple by the Holy One of Yisra’el (their reference to Daniel 10:7). And the vision of the 3rd Temple that God grants the righteous Jew comes to them, not so much in a classic, visual sense. But the vision is manifested in the soul of that religious one (a reference to Talmud, Megillah 3a).
It is that vision that provides the pious one the spiritual wherewithal to move beyond their “present state of galut” (insert link to Chabad article).
The Hebrew term “galut” means “exile” or “diaspora.”
So, when the religious Jew finds him/herself free of his/her “galut,” spiritually speaking, he/she will be at a place in their spiritual journey to participate or be a part of God’s great redemption of the nation, which includes the rebuilding of the Temple (aka Mishkan).
This visionary concept, looking towards next week’s memorial of Tisha B’Av (aka the 9th of Av), was metaphorically described as follows:
“A father once prepared a beautiful suit of clothes for his son. But the child neglected his father’s gift, and soon the suit was in tatters. The father gave the child a second suit of clothes; this one, too, was ruined by the child’s carelessness. So, the father made a third suit. This time, however, he withholds it from his son. Every once in a while, on special and opportune times, he shows the suit to the child, explaining that when the child learns to appreciate and properly care for the gift, it will be given to him. This induces the child to improve his behavior until it gradually becomes second nature to him—at which time he will be worthy of his father’s gift” (Chassidic master Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev metaphorically explaining Shabbat Chazon; chabad.org).
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With these ideas in mind, let’s examine some of the central themes that are attached to Shabbat Chazon by way of the assigned Haftarah of Yesha’Yahu/Isaiah 1:1-27.
These 27 verses are some of the most powerful indictments against the nation that turned away from Yehovah and His holy and righteous ways, Yehudah/Judah. As well as it leaves the indicted ones with a hope for an acquittal from and by the Holy and Righteous Judge of Creation.
Yet this passage of Holy Writ holds for us who dwell in modern-day Western nations, in particular those of us who dwell in the United States of America, a most sobering message and call for repentance and teshuvah to the Elohim whose wisdom established this land as the platform from which His eternal Words of Truth, redemption, and salvation would reach the nations of the world. We too as a special people, as well as this nation as a whole, would be wise to heed Yah’s indictment and acquittal of Yisra’el through the prophet while we still can.
1:1-4. Yehudah had been entrusted with the oracles of Yehovah (reference Romans 3:2). And it is here in these first-4 verses that Yehovah lays forth His case against her before the Court of Heaven (vs. 2). And Yehovah proceeds to accuse Yehudah of being a rebelliou8s child, despite Yah having been a nurturing Father unto her. So rebellious is this child that she has, according to her Father, become lower than His child’s domesticated animals (vs. 3). For at least the domesticated animals of His child know and respond appropriately to their owner. The evil and corrupt child Yehudah, however, has all but forsaken her loving Father and Master. In so doing, Yehudah is provoked into anger toward His rebellious child (vs. 4).
Are we who once referred to ourselves as a “people of the Book;” “a Judeo-Christian nation;” a “Christian nation” any different from the accused, corrupted, evil child of Yehovah? Are we not as the Psalmist and the Prophet described as a people who like sheep have all gone astray with everyone turning to his/her own way (Psalm 119:176; Isaiah 53:6). And as a result Yah is about to level charges against us before the Court of Heaven. We who have fallen into the habit of calling that which Yehovah has deemed good evil, and that which Yah has deemed evil good? Have not the so-called places of worship (aka churches) of this land become nothing more than zest pools of pagan and humanistic filth, hosting so-called drag shows; instead of delivering the Word of Yah and Yah’s instructions in righteousness, delivering humanistic dribble; hiding behind our 501c3’s as licenses to abandon our original mandate to make disciples for our Lord and Savior Yeshua Messiah. Indeed, judgment is coming to this nation, and the court is about to go into session.
1:5-15. The whole of the nation is corrupted: From the lowliest member all the way up to the nation’s government and religious leaders. There is then no goodness to be found in any, save but “a very small remnant” (vs. 9). Sadly, there has been no attempt whatsoever by the people to straighten up and fly right, despite the many warnings and beatings they’ve received as a nation over the years (vss. 5, 7-8).
Yah then compares Yehudah to Sodom and Gomorrah, who if not for that very small previously mentioned remnant, have been utterly decimated as those two ancient cities were (reference Genesis 19).
Question: Who and where is that small holy and righteous remnant today that is, through their petitions, intercessions, and obedience to Yah and His ways, staying, at least for the moment, Yah’s holy and righteous judgment and wrath against America? Certainly not the Church Triumphant. But maybe the remnant is composed of those who keep Yah’s commandments and possess the witness/testimony of Yahoshua HaMashiyach (Revelation 12:17). I believe this to be so.
Yah then asks the religious leaders of Yehudah, why they persist in performing His mandated sacred worship services and rituals in the midst of their persistent and ongoing rebelliousness (vss. 10-11). And Yah confesses to them that He sees right through their fakeness; their hypocrisy; their lies and deceptive ways. And He declares to the court that He has had His fill of them (vss. 11-15).
Yah also mentions to the court how the once faithful city of Yerushalayim has now fully compromised her holy and righteous charter of being a light to the nations (vs. 22; cf. Romans 2:19). The religious leaders have completely subverted justice and have openly entertained evil (vs. 23). Thus, the holy things of Yah (i.e., those offerings which Yah set aside and called holy–reference last week’s Parashah, 92, entitled “God’s Requirements for Holiness in Worship“), were now polluted and defiled (entirely unacceptable to Yah); the priesthood has also become defiled through selfishness and rebelliousness (vs. 23).
My God, is this not a clear snapshot of this present-day’s nation and of her corrupted and evil government and religious institutions? Indeed it is! It’s all polluted and utterly defiled.
Allow me to ask you this beloved: Has not the Church Triumphant today and in the recent past done the same, if not worse than the rebellious child Yehudah? Indeed she has. And she continues to do so as of this posting.
But as it was with her ancient counterpart, Yehudah, Yah has had His fill with this so-called woke, Christian nation that many of us presently reside in. And at some point here, real soon, the protections once afforded her, because of the presence and fruit of the righteous remnant I just alluded to, are going to be summarily lifted and she is going to be sorely stricken (vs. 5). How and what that looks like, only Yah truly knows.
1:16-20; 24-27. And so after stating His most solid case against His rebellious child Yehudah before the Court of Heaven, Yah’s mercy and love is suddenly brought forward for all of Creation to behold, with a prescription for his acquittal:
- Purify his soul–on an individual and national level–before Yehovah and cease in his wicked ways (vs. 16).
- Start doing that which Yah has deemed as good.
- Restore the rule of righteous law.
- Cease oppressing the righteous and poor of the nation.
- Eliminate favoritism/partiality in the legal system such that they begin rendering righteous judgments in accordance with the principles of the Torah.
- Support and attend to the plight of the widow (vs. 17).
And then Yah encourages His evil, wayward son, Yehudah, to simply listen to reason. And in so doing, Yah extends to His prodigal son the framework and the simple terms of a plea deal, even an acquittal:
(18) Come now, and let us reason together, says Yehovah: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (19) If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land (Cepher).
But Yah follows up His plea deal with a stern warning that if he, Yehudah, were to reject His offer, the nation will be brought down by a destroyer nation (vs. 20).
Yah realizes, however, that His evil, corrupted son is not going to accept the terms of His plea deal and that he in and of himself was incapable of fulfilling the terms of the deal. Thus Yah notes that He is going to have to do the heavy lifting for Yehudah by stepping in and cleaning the nation up Himself. Not unlike that which He does for every soul who turns to Him and enters into a covenant relationship with Him through the Person and Ministries of Yahoshua Messiah.
Unfortunately, despite Yah doing the heavy lifting for Yehudah, the nation would end up receiving the punishment he deserved.
Nevertheless, in His heavy lifting for Yehudah, and all of Yisra’el for that matter, Yehovah promises:
- To ultimately deal with His and Yehudah’s enemies (vs. 24; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:25).
- To restore His son, Yehudah, back to his former right standing above all the world’s nations and before the Court of Heaven. His son’s righteous reputation would ultimately be restored (vs. 25).
- To restore His son’s righteous governing and religious institutions (vs. 26).
- To restore Yerushalayim’s righteousness by reinstituting the rule of Torah therein (vs. 27).
Indeed, this ultimate hope–this vision of Yesha’Yahu if you will–shall be brought about by Yahoshua HaMashiyach when He returns and inaugurates and establishes His Millennial Kingdom in Yerushalayim (Daniel 2:44; Revelation 20:4-6).
Practical Messianic Halachah
Will we as Yah’s holy and righteous remnant have the courage to receive and obediently respond to Yesha’Yahu’s vision/Chazon? Not for the purposes of building a 3rd Temple mind you. But for purposes of remaining steadfastly in the gap; making disciples for our Master Yeshua Messiah; living by our Faith; and occupying until our Master returns (Luke 19:13).
So may the hope of Yesha’Yahu’s vision on this Shabbat, in conjunction with the work of Father’s Holy Spirit operating within each of us who are truly called by His Name, fuel our love for Him and for our fellow man.
Shabbat shalom. Shavu’atov. Until next time fellow saints in training.