Footsteps of Messiah:
The Fall of the House of Ahab
...and the Shabbat Elevator
This week's Torah portion is Ki Tisa, which means, “When You Elevate”
Overview: The key to “elevation” is Shabbat. The Shabbat elevator is our “help” to the Creator.
There are many insights that smikhut can teach about a text. Smikhut is placement. The placement can be a statement unto itself. For instance, chiastic structure is smikhut, arranging the concepts so that the axis (C & C' in the example below) yields the central idea. Here is an example by chapter, but they also exist in verses and precepts since chapters are a late invention.
A. Daniel 2: Four Gentile world empires
B. Daniel 3: Gentile persecution of Israel
C. Daniel 4: Divine providence over Gentiles
C'. Daniel 5: Divine providence over Gentiles
B'. Daniel 6: Gentile persecution of Israel
A'. Daniel 7: Four Gentile world empires
Another method of smikhut is to place two ideas next to one another to demonstrate relationship.
In the Torah portion Ki Tisa, it is the juxtaposition of the Shabbat and the Golden Calf and its alternate feast (Ex 31:12–32:6). Their relationship is adversarial, suggesting Shabbat brings Israel closer to Adonai, while forsaking the Shabbat leaves a breach in the wall for idolatry to enter in. From the text of this week’s Torah portion is the “V’Shamru,” a prayer said each Shabbat in the synagogue. V'shamru means, the Children of Israel will watch, shamar, guard the Shabbat as their obligation based on their exclusive relationship with the Creator.
V’SHAMRU
And the Children of Israel shall keep the Shabbat, observing it throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.
The implicit text of the Seventh Day of Creation is also explicit in both the Shema, the Greatest Commandment, and “You shall have no other gods before me,” the First Commandment, even though it is mentioned again specifically in the Ten.
The first commandment tells us what, the greatest commandment tells us how, and the Shabbat tells us when. Those who embrace this “sign” are in this relationship:
My beloved is mine, and I am his;
He pastures his flock among the lilies. (So 2:16)
“Keeping” the Shabbat is to shomer [v’shamru], to guard and watch over it. The avodah, or service of Shabbat, is to zealously protect the Vineyard Israel from anything that breaks down its walls and spoils the young blossoms within. When we return to the Sabbaths, it restores the first and greatest commandment, to acknowledge the only Elohim as Creator. The fruit of the vine is enjoyed as kiddush (holiness) on every Shabbat, reminding us that as we have a Watchman over the Vineyard, so we are called to watch over it to protect it. Keeping Shabbat says, “Here I am. I can help.” We belong to one another.
The relationship of Israel and her Beloved is described through these “exclusive” commandments. By keeping them, we exclude other gods/idols. Those who wish to make covenant with Adonai must do so through the covenant and its sign, Shabbat. These commandments describe where each party turns for help in times of crisis, to one’s beloved in exclusive relationship, not a stranger.
Logically, it makes no sense that Adonai would turn to Israel for “help.” He doesn’t need any help. There is a difference, though, in needing help and wanting help.
For instance, if you are repairing a hole in the drywall, you don’t require your child’s help. You already know how to repair drywall. You do want him/her to acquire the skill, though, so you allow the child to trim and sand the hole, apply the patch, show him how to use the putty knife, talk about drying time, sanding again, and painting.
Israel can be as busy with their own pursuits as their kids are with playing video games. They don’t want to be bothered, or that’s not the job they want to do. They want to do what the other kids are doing.
The sages link the Song prophecy’s “Beloved” verse to the previous ones concerning the Vineyard Israel and its fox-ruined grapes from our previous lessons on the little foxes:
Woe is me! For I am
Like the fruit pickers, like the grape gatherers.
There is not a cluster of grapes to eat,
Or a first-ripe fig which I crave.
The godly person has perished from the land,
And there is no upright person among men. (Mic 7:1–2)
Our studies have identified several outside-the-family and inside-the-family foxes and little foxes:
- The builder Pharaoh and the “schoolchildren” of Egypt
- The builder Ahab, his wife Jezebel, and their son Achaziah
- The Idumean Herodian dynasty of great builders: the Great; Antipas, Herodias, Salome
- Edom and the Idumeans (questionable converts to Judaism)
- Rome the great builders (also a beast kingdom linked to Babylon)
“Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did and the ivory house which he built and all the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?” (1 Ki 22:39)
What these foxes have in common is that they are great builders. Ahab built on the alternate golden calf altars and feasts of Jeroboam. Elijah is corrected when he believes he is the only one who hasn’t bowed to an idol; he is reminded there are 7,000 others, which would include Obadiah and the prophets he concealed in caves. Nevertheless, the fact that the prophets are in hiding from Ahab’s house demonstrates that wickedness prevailed. Teachers of righteousness are sparse, avoiding, hiding.
Take a look at the parallel expressions in Micah 7:
There is not a cluster of grapes to eat ≈ The godly person has perished from the land
Or a first-ripe fig which I crave ≈ There is no upright person among men.
The expressions clarify the verses in the Song of Songs concerning the Vineyard Israel’s (Is 5:7) need to mature in the fruits of repentance and its identity as the ripe figs of Passover repentance.There is a lack of people of righteousness among the Vineyard and Fig Tree Israel. Knowing that the “fruits” are works reflecting repentance, this is dire. The foxes have ruined the fruits of repentance, so they did not ripen. The Artscroll commentary is more specific, saying that there is a lack of teachers who will teach integrity. (The Prophets: The Twelve Prophets to Micah 7:1)
The preservation of the fig trees and vineyard is usually through watchmen [and women!] who build secure fences and stand guard on the walls for predators such as foxes. Ezekiel explains the problem: “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.” (Eze 22:30)
Lack of care for the physical land explains the lack of care for the spiritual land’s destruction, its Vineyard.
An encouragement to the ladies that we, too, can be watchers and builders of the ancient gates and walls of the Holy City if we practice and teach righteousness and integrity: “Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the official of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs, he and his daughters.” (Ne 3:12)
These fig-and-vineyard prophecies of immaturity in Israel are in the context of our old fox, Ahab: “The statutes of Omri and every work of the house of Ahab are maintained, and you walk by their plans. Therefore, I will give you up for destruction, and your inhabitants for derision, and you will suffer the taunting of My people.” (Micah 6:16)
In short, the fox within, those consumed with commerce and idol-worship, will be judged and destroyed. Micah goes on to explain the era that the sages equate with the “Footsteps of Messiah”:
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All of them lie in wait for bloodshed; each of them hunts the other with a net. Concerning evil, both hands do it well. The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe, and a great man speaks the desire of his soul; so they weave it together. The best of them is like a briar, the most upright like a thorn hedge. The day when you post your watchmen, your punishment will come. Then their confusion will occur. Do not trust in a neighbor; do not have confidence in a friend. From her who lies in your bosom guard your lips. For son treats father contemptuously, daughter rises up against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own household. But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. (Mic 7:2–7)
Micah’s “Footsteps” prophecy concerns “bloodshed” and hunting with a net. There is some irony in the word “internet.”: All of them lie in wait for bloodshed; each of them hunts the other with a net. Concerning evil, both hands do it well. They are experts on the keyboard! This points to the equivalency of expression in bloodshed, typically done by the hands, but also with the tongue:
For your hands are defiled with blood,
And your fingers with wrongdoing;
Your lips have spoken deceit,
Your tongue mutters wickedness. (Is 59:3)
For your hands are defiled with blood ≈ Your lips have spoken deceit,
And your fingers with wrongdoing ≈ Your tongue mutters wickedness.
The "hands" defiled with blood are also the tongue: Death and life are in the power (literal Hebrew - hand) of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Pr 18:21)
The generation of the Footsteps will be filled with bloody words more than previous generations. The lip-fruits of blood will be abundant, but because there are so few to guard the wall of the Vineyard, mature fruits of life scarce. Perhaps the internet was invented to snare two kinds words:
- Repentance to Obedience and
- Unrepentance to Disobedience.
The net enables the Spirit to sort the good and bad fish. We are creating our own records of words. Completely un-coerced, we've created our own documents for presentation to the Heavenly Court.
"The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe (shachad), and a great man speaks the desire of his soul; so they weave it together. The best of them is like a briar, the most upright like a thorn hedge."
The ruling officials, court officials, and wealthy, powerful men will weave together their desires, each using his power or prestige to bring the plan together. Notice that this is not a secret conspiracy! It is vocalized, declared, and made known publicly. The governmental officials and judges use donations to fund their plans:
שַׁחַד shachad; from H7809; a donation—bribe, gift, present, reward.
The Artscroll commentary notes that in the Footsteps, Micah is saying:
- Officials trade favors when they are in danger of prosecution or censure
- The ruler of the land publicly praises court rulings that please him (or condemns those that don’t)
- Judges pervert rulings for the king for rewards of office.
- Powerful men warn of misfortune that will occur if the “donation” is not paid and coerce payments.
- This weaving of corruption makes extricating one’s self from their hands as difficult as removing thorns embedded in wool.
- Even the good they do is tainted, such as the donations the wealthy make to charities that encourage godlessness.
The Footsteps of Messiah are also signaled by the breakdown of the family unit and friendships: contempt, rebellion, strife, betrayal: bloody hands of the tongue.
The Artscroll commentary continues, and I paraphrase:
- Confusion will come in because of the inaccuracy of false prophets
- Moral standards are so low that those who are typically expected to keep their word do not
- Husbands and wives betray one another as adulterers and adulteresses
- Employees will betray employers
- Arrogance will be at an all-time high
Yeshua is apparently connecting his own work as building the Body of Messiah with Micah's prophesy, which explicitly warns of woes:
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“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.” (Mt 10:32–39)
Yeshua's words are echoed in Revelation: When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. (Re 6:3–4).
With this additional information, now review The Four Craftsmen:
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“Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. I said, ‘What are these coming to do?’ And he said, ‘These are the horns which have scattered Judah so that no man lifts up his head; but these craftsmen have come to terrify them, to throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it.’” (Zec 1:20–21)
A "craftsman" is a "chârâsh," from Strong's H2790; a fabricator or any material:—artificer, carpenter, craftsman, engraver, maker, mason, skillful, smith, worker.
Betzalel and Oholiav were charashim of the Tabernacle, preparing a place for the Presence of Adonai. This passage in Mark now has fuller context:
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Jesus went out from there and came into His hometown; and His disciples followed Him. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him. (Mk 6:1–3)
"Carpenter" is from the Greek 5045, a cognate to Hebrew charash: τέκτων tektōn; a craftsman, spec. a carpenter:—carpenter(1)
Yeshua is a craftsman, charash, likely a stonemason. He came to build up the walls of Jerusalem, the Temple, and the Vineyard with precious stones. When they rejected him on Shabbat, it was a sign that “not one stone will be left upon another.” Now let's review the Four Craftsmen and two of the traditional views as to their identity:
The Four Craftsmen are Elijah, King Messiah, Malchizedek, and the Anointed One [Mashiach] of War. These will rebuild Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem” Shir 2§29
If we match typology, then each of the Four might be represented by the four horsemen of Revelation:
King of Righteousness Malchi-tzedek-white horse/crown
Mashiach of War-red horse/sword
Elijah-black horse/famine [Elijah’s ministry was noted during famine]
King Messiah-pale horse/authority over death
Sukkah 52b lists Mashiach ben Yosef in the place of the Anointed One of War. They are interchangeable:
King of Righteousness Malchi-tzedek-white horse/crown
Mashiach ben Yosef-red horse/sword
Elijah-black horse/famine [Elijah’s ministry was noted by famine]
King Messiah ben David-pale horse/authority over death
The disagreement over the Four Craftsmen might be because at least three could be aspects of the same person. Consider this from Revelation:
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.” (Re 19:11)
This would merge the aspects of Malchi-tzedek and the Mashiach of War, and add them to Mashiach ben David and Mashiach ben Yosef, the suffering servant. Why do these Craftsmen ride out in Revelation?
And He saw that there was no one,
And was amazed that there was not one to intercede;
Then His own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him. Is 59:16
I looked, but there was no one to help,
And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold;
So My own arm brought salvation to Me,
And My wrath upheld Me. Is 63:5
The Holy One sees ”Ahab generations”:
First: “Not one to intercede”
Second: “No one to help”
Many generations passed with no powerful intercessors like Moses, who saw Yeshua as the righteousness of the Torah. The solution? His own arm brings salvation, and His own righteousness and wrath uphold His Name. Yeshua the Great Craftsman raises up watchmen (shomrim) proclaim His righteousness and wrath.
Yeshua is the arm (long-term prophetic fulfillment) of YHVH, and it is HIS righteousness that is fulfilled in us. Only then are we able to respond and “help” the Father repair the walls with growing maturity in His righteousness.
Keeping Shabbat is a first step toward standing in the breaches in the walls of Jerusalem, the Temple, and the Vineyard Israel. It builds up the broken, precious stones and fulfills the “V’shamru” of the Watchers on the walls. This is simultaneous with the Footsteps. Good news to those being saved; bad news to those who reject and are offended at the righteousness of the Head of the Corner.
Yeshua’s righteousness, the guarding of Shabbat with like kind and like mind, should not offend us.
We are not offended by the Shabbat.
We are not offended by the righteousness of Yeshua.
We will not be offended to hold our places in the breaches of the walls by drinking of the wine and eating the bread of Shabbat each week and high holy day.
The prophecy of “I am my Beloved’s, and He is mine” will be fulfilled when we call upon The Holy One, and He then will call upon us. Although His own arm will perform the help, that arm Yeshua is calling to us from the mountains with the Good News of the feasts and Sabbaths.
Return. Repair. Build. Guard. Help. Restore.
“Keep your feasts, O Judah...” (Nah 1:15)
The greatest moral confusion in the world since Babel has set in, characterized by a confusion of word. Yet, we are elevated. We are rising on the Shabbat elevator as the House of Ahab is being destroyed by The Craftsman.
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Last week's live stream "Shipwrecks," was recorded at River of Life Tabernacle. We linked the activity of the "little foxes" to the massive shipwrecks in Revelation and where we've read this story before in the history of Ahab's House. You may click Shipwrecks to join to view the recording of Shipwrecks with the Q & A afterward.
We do plan to live stream more Footsteps on YouTube on Shabbat at 4:00 pm Eastern.
SHABBAT SHALOM!
