Messiah in Chanukkah Chapter 8
- Kislev Scripture Lesson #8: GOD hears those who first hear Him
- Blessed be the Son who is the Lamp of GOD
- The Rest of the Story
Kislev Scripture Lesson #8: GOD hears those who first hear Him:
והמלך יושב בית החרף בחדש התשיעי ואת־האח לפניו מבערת׃
וְהַמֶּ֗לֶךְ יֹושֵׁב֙ בֵּ֣ית הַחֹ֔רֶף בַּחֹ֖דֶשׁ הַתְּשִׁיעִ֑י וְאֶת־הָאָ֖ח לְפָנָ֥יו מְבֹעָֽרֶת׃
Jeremiah 36:22: “Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month (Kislev), with a fire burning in the brazier before him.”
In this Kislev event the prophecy of Jeremiah (“Appointed of GOD”) is desecrated by the wicked King Jehoiakim ben Josiah (יהויקים־יאשיהו-he whom Adonai Set-Up and Supported), the king of Judah. The word of God was recorded by Baruch ben Neriyah (Blessed, Lamp of GOD) and proclaimed to all the people of Judah on a day of fasting. Thereafter, Baruch read the prophecy of Jeremiah to the king’s royal advisors who in turn convinced the king that he should get the scroll and have it read to him.
Messiah is the Blessed One who is the Lamp of GOD.
As referenced in the previous chapter (chapter 7) Baruch’s name means one receiving “blessing” (בָּרוּךְ-a passive participle). The father’s name Neriah (בָּרוּךְ) means the Lamp of GOD. The lamp in view here specifically is a reference to a son being the lamp (a projection) of the Light of the Father. The son comes from the father, so the entire prophetic meaning of the personal name Baruch ben Neriah (בָּרוּךְ בֶּן־נֵֽרִיָּה) is the Blessedness of the Son who is the Lamp of GOD.
Blessed be the Son who is the Lamp of GOD:
Since Baruch wrote the words of Jeremiah on a scroll it can also be said about those of us who write the Word of God on our hearts that we too like the Messiah are blessed to be an extension of the Father of Lights. This means that along with the Messiah we too are the heavenly Father’s progeny and therefore, we too are blessed to be God’s Light to the world. In this regard four points need to be made:
Point #1. The scribe in whose chamber the scroll of Jeremiah was deposited was Elishama (אֱלִישָׁמָע). This name means “My God has Heard Me.”
Point #2. Yehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi was chosen to take into his hand the scroll and read the Word of God to the king; as well as to all the officials who stood beside the king. The meaning of Yehudi’s name is “Jew” (יְהוּדִי). His father’s name Nethaniah (נְתַנְיָה) means “Given of GOD.” His grandfather’s name Shelemiah (שֶׁלֶמְיָה) means an offering of Thanksgiving to GOD; a shelamim (שלמים)–a peace offering.
אני נתתי להם את הכבוד שנתת לי, למען יהיו אחד כמו שאנחנו אחד. אני בהם ואתה בי כדי שלמים להיותם אחד, למען ידע העולם כי אתה שלחתני ואהבת אותם כמו שאהבת אותי. פ
[Yochanan 17:22] I gave them the kavod (הכבוד) honor, the glory You gave me, that they may be echad (אחד) one as we are echad (אחד) one. I am in them and You in me so that they may be shelamim (שלמים) a peace offering, perfectly one (אחד), so that the world may know that You sent me and ahav (אהבת) loved them as you ahav (אהבת) loved me.
Point #3. The Yehudi (Jews) who are prophetically in view here are those who are assigned to take care of the scroll(s) of the prophet(s). These persons are chosen of God to offer their lives as a peace offering (in service) to God our Father. The Messiah poured out his life as a peace offering to our Father in heaven. We should do the same.
לכן היו שלמים, כמו שאביכם שבשמים שלם הוא.פ
Therefore, you are to be perfect (שלמים-shelamim), as your heavenly Father is perfect (שלם-shalem).
*Perfect literally by being a peace offering (שלמים-shelamim).
Point #4. The great grandfather of Yehudi is Cushi (כּוּשִׁי). The meaning of this name is quite interesting. It is a reference to the people of Ethiopia. Ethiopia is one of the eight locations in the last days where the dispersed Jews will be returning to Israel from. We expect that all three of the names of the fathers of Yehudi, “the Jew,” are messianic. Here is the applicable prophecy that we believe is in view:
והיה ׀ ביום ההוא יוסיף אדני ׀ שנית ידו לקנות את־שאר עמו אשר ישאר מאשור וממצרים ומפתרוס ומכוש ומעילם ומשנער ומחמת ומאיי הים׃
וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ בַּיֹּ֣ום הַה֗וּא יֹוסִ֨יף אֲדֹנָ֤י ׀ שֵׁנִית֙ יָדֹ֔ו לִקְנֹ֖ות אֶת־שְׁאָ֣ר עַמֹּ֑ו אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִשָּׁאֵר֩ מֵאַשּׁ֨וּר וּמִמִּצְרַ֜יִם וּמִפַּתְרֹ֣וס וּמִכּ֗וּשׁ וּמֵעֵילָ֤ם וּמִשִּׁנְעָר֙ וּמֵ֣חֲמָ֔ת וּמֵאִיֵּ֖י הַיָּֽם׃
Then it will happen on that day that the Lord
Will again recover the second time with His hand
The remnant of His people, who will remain,
From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath,
And from the islands of the sea.
ונשא נס לגוים ואסף נדחי ישראל ונפצות יהודה יקבץ מארבע כנפות הארץ׃
וְנָשָׂ֥א נֵס֙ לַגֹּויִ֔ם וְאָסַ֖ף נִדְחֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּנְפֻצֹ֤ות יְהוּדָה֙ יְקַבֵּ֔ץ מֵאַרְבַּ֖ע כַּנְפֹ֥ות הָאָֽרֶץ׃
And He will lift up a standard for the nations
And assemble the banished ones of Israel,
And will gather the dispersed of Judah
From the four corners of the earth.
The Rest of the Story:
After Yehudi read only three to four columns of the prophecy to foolish king Jehoiakim began to cut up the scroll into sections— apparently as an act of anger and defiance toward the parts that negatively applied to him. Then he burned up one rejected strip of scroll at a time until all of the contents had been destroyed in the firepot (heater) he was using to warm himself from the winter cold. Two points apply to king Jehoiakim’s foolish act of angry defiance toward the LORD God.
Point#1. In acting in this way the wicked king had not only demonstrated his disrespect for the Word of God but he had treated the priceless scroll of Jeremiah as if it was worth no more than the wood products he used to warm his flesh in his winter apartment.
Point #2. After the prophecy was restored—restoration occurred through the writing and reading of a second scroll—then the Holy One severely disciplined the foolish king and his blood descendants (cf. the spiritual meaning of the words ‘second’ edict, ‘second’ administration, etc.).