A look at Amos 2:6-3:8 and John 10:22-23

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

AMOS 2:6-3:8     

The prophet preaches “judgment on Israel” (because they sell the righteous for silver), and for many more evil deeds, they have turned away from God and are behaving like the heathen, that know not the LORD.  Yosef was righteous, and he sold for 20 pieces of silver, Yeshua was/is righteous, and was sold for 30 pieces of silver.  Israel has traded a “Torah” (30-20=10) walk for an “unrighteous” walk and lifestyle, trouble is ahead, judgment is coming, and it came, God used Babylon, Greece, Antiochus, and Rome, as instruments of judgment, yet Israel prevailed, through YHVH's grace, goodness, righteousness, and through a “few gallant men” who fought the fight of freedom.    

MATT 14:1-15:39 , JOHN 10:22-23 , ACTS 7:9-16 
  

“Yeshua blesses the crowd” we see that Yeshua went to a place alone, perhaps to mourn the death of his cousin, Yochanan the Baptist, yet the crowd found him, he had compassion and healed the sick, and he fed them when he multiplied the 5 loaves and 2 fish.  Interestingly enough, when we add 5 and 2 we get “7” the perfect number, the number of Holiness.   We have the “Bread (loaves) of Life” and he who makes “fishers of men” (fish). Also, the symbol of the “fish” was used by early messianic believers.   
 
     In John, we see that Yeshua attends the Feast of Hanukkah, the “dedication.” The root word for “Hanukkah” is “Chanakh” which, in Hebrew letters is;  Chet, Nun, Kaf.  It means to “initiate, discipline, dedicate, train up, habituate (being accustomed to doing something). These three Hebrew letters can symbolize the statement:  "The Fence of Life which brings anointing"  The temple was like a fence and from within the temple, in and around "Solomon's colonnade" or "Solomon's Porch" was where the rabbis had their Torah classes, "training up" and "teaching" their students.  The Torah (Bible) is our "Fence of Life" and of course, our chief Rabbi "Messiah Yeshua" was there too.  

     So, “Hanukkah” is the “re-dedication of the temple.” We remember that it had been desecrated by Antiochus IV and when Judah Ben Matityahu regained control of the temple, re-dedicated it to worship Adonai once again.   Today, our bodies are the Temple where the Holy Spirit reigns, in order to teach us, discipline us in the ways of the Torah, getting us accustomed to serving our Savior and Redeemer. 

     Yeshua, at this time of Hanukkah, takes this opportunity to tell the Jews, “I AM the Messiah....yet you do not believe” the choice to believe, is always OURS.   

     In Acts 7:9-16, we read the account told by Stephen, the first martyr, of Yosef who was sold into slavery by his brothers.  He went down to Egypt, yet through “Adonai “ by means of the pharaoh, was elevated to a position of honor and authority, thus saving Egypt and other nations that were affected by starvation. 

     When we look at this account from the Hanukkah perspective, we might see Israel as a type of Yosef, who was oppressed and enslaved by “Antiochus” (Egypt), yet as Adonai was with Judah Ben Mattityahu (The Maccabee) He triumphed over Antiochus and brought deliverance to Israel and restored the Temple again.  

     Adonai likewise, was with Yosef, who was transformed from slave to “King-Associate” bringing a blessing to Egypt and other nations when starvation and famine were at the door.   Israel received a Spiritual blessing when Antiochus was defeated.  

Ben Avraham 

Tonight, the 18th of December is the first night of Hanukkah.  

 

 

Hanukkah, quite a few years ago.  Where Am I?