The New Creation – Avinu in Man

Weekly Torah Lesson: The New Creation – Avinu in Man

Parasha: tetsaveh you command
Tora: Shemot 27:20 – 30:10

“45 “I will dwell among (within) the children of Israel and will be their Avinu. 46 “And they shall know that I am Avinu Elohekem, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among (within) them. I am Avinu Elohekem.” (Ex 29:45-46 )

“And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among (within) them.” (Ex 25:8 )

** These Scriptures are used by the Messianic Community to support our position on “the indwelling of Ruach HaKadosh” in Believers. The orthodox communities also use this Scripture to support their belief that G-D or HaShem lives in every Jew.

David HaMalek feared this consequence for sin when he said, ““Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” (Ps 51:11 )

“Thus saith Avinu, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build to me? and where is the place of my rest?” (Isa 66:1 )

“But will Avinu indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built?” (1Ki 8:27 )

Beginning with Shemot 25:8 through Shemot 30:10, the verb “make” is used more than 50 times. The Mishkan and eventually the Temple were both “made by the hands of men and women”. Both spaces were built as a place where man could “meet with” Avinu.The concept of Avinu “dwelling” in these spaces isn’t a Scriptural concept.Both spaces were built to allow man to express his love of Avinu. When man’s love for Avinu “wained”, Avinu stopped meeting with them and eventually allowed an enemy to destroy the facility.

“And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment to the children of Israel.” (Ex 25:22 )

When Ya’akov slept on the future site of the Temple, he had a dream. Here is what happened:

“B’Reishit 28:13 And behold, Avinu stood above it (the ladder) and said, “I am Avinu, Elohei Abraham your father and Elohei Isaac. The land on which you lie, I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely Avinu is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of Avinu, and this is the gate of heaven.”” (Ge 28:13-17)

“1 A Psalm of David. » The earth is Avinu’S, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters. 3 Who may ascend into the hill of Avinu? Or who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive blessing from Avinu, And righteousness from the Avinu of his salvation. 6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah 7 Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? Avinu strong and mighty, Avinu mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? Avinu of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah” (Ps 24:1-10)

“47 Yeshua saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Yeshua answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of Avinu! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Yeshua answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of Avinu ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”” (Joh 1:47-51 )

** The words in Psalm 24, “lift up your heads o ye gates..” describes what Yeshua was explaining to Nathaniel. The “Gateway” was moving from a stone building, built at a specific place into humanity. This is the result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When we have the Holy Spirit, we are those “gates”.

“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of Avinu has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Ro 5:5 )

“9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of Avinu dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Meshiach, he is not His. 10 ¶ And if Meshiach is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Yeshua from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Meshiach from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors — not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of Avinu, these are sons of Avinu. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of Avinu,” (Ro 8:9-16 )

*** “16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of Avinu, and that the Spirit of Avinu dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defileth the temple of Avinu, him shall Avinu destroy; for the temple of Avinu is holy, which temple you are.” (1Co 3:16-17 )

Through the Holy Spirit, we become a “gateway”. A gateway is a “portal” between heaven and earth.

Kifa understood this when he wrote,

“4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by Avinu and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Avinu through Yeshua Meshiach.” (1Pe 2:4-5 NKJV)

“9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of Avinu, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” (1Pe 2:9-10 NKJV)