One Path

Let me dive deeper into excuse folks use when saying "we're all on a different part of the path." What do they mean by that?  Who taught them the idea that the path is divided into parts? I admit it is a learning process when one begins to come out of that old time religion mindset, but there is only one path and it is continuous. 

It is the path YHWH established for us and it is unmistakable: 

Isaiah 43:16 ~ Thus said YHWH who made a road through the sea and a path through mighty waters...  

Proverbs 4:18 ~ The path of the righteous is like radiant sunlight, ever brightening until noon.

The path began when the mixed multitude along with the Hebrews left Egypt. Nearly a million men, women and children followed Moses and Aaron out of Egypt and into the desert wilderness: Destination = The Land of Canaan. That's a lot of feet traveling His Path.  Yah showed Moses the way to go and by faith he obeyed. Those leading the way clearly marked the path after about the first 20 or 30 people trampled the ground. Yes, there is a beginning and an end but no one was left on any other part of that path and each time they stopped they were together as one people. By faith they chose to take the path when they painted the blood of the lamb on their doorposts as a sign to YHWH. We choose to get on that same path when we accept the fact that the Son of Elohim laid down his life for us.

More often than not, the phrase "we're all on different parts of the path" is used as a mild defense tactic to end the discussion at hand in order to change the subject. My interpretation of what folks mean when they use it is that those parts of the path are personal comfort zones: places to feel safe and be non-committal; places to spend time trying to decide whether or not to continue on His Path, unsure of what's ahead; a place that won't offend family and friends who would be left behind if one chose to continue on His Path; a place to hide from the truth that is waiting to be revealed, ready or not.  It's a place where one can continue sitting on the fence, and not make a decision nor take responsibilities for decisions; sitting there remaining open minded to all opinions of man instead of trusting our Creator.

So, if it's not simply a learning curve one is struggling with, lets call it what it is: Lack of faith. When Y'shua called out to those men who were to become his Apostles, none of them hesitated to drop what they were doing and follow him. They knew enough about Scriptures to recognize Y'shua and wasted no time deciding whether or not they should leave their family and friends behind.  

Y'shua was continuing on the path Moses set foot upon.

From 1 Corinthians 10... all our fathers were under the cloud, and they passed through the sea, and they were all immersed by Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink... from the spiritual rock that attended them and that rock was the Mashiyach. (They were all on the path, the same part of the path) But with a multitude of them, Elohim was not pleased. These things are an example for us so that we won't covet after evil things as they did. Neither should we serve idols as some of them did nor commit sexual sin. Neither let us tempt the Mashiyach as some of them tempted and serpents destroyed them. (Numbers 21:4) Nor should we complain as some of them did and they perished by the destroyer. All these things that befell them were for an example to us and they are written for our instruction on whom the end of the world has come; Flee from idolatry... do not associate with demons... we cannot partake at the table of our Master Y'shua and sit at the table of demons."

This path of righteousness exists because of the many who have faithfully walked before us, and it leads to the narrow gate; few will find it. If one is not moving beyond their perceived comfort zone then their thoughts become blurred by confusion stirred up by Satan, and many rabbit trails and stumbling blocks appear, opening the door for 'doubt' to enter. 

Isaiah 26:7 ~ The path is level for the righteous man; O Just One, You make smooth the course of the righteous.

Just as those who traveled the wilderness for 40 years, our Creator is testing us to reveal what is in our hearts, whether we will obey Him or not. That sort of puts an end to another comfort zone excuse used by some folks to justify their behavior when they do as they please, regardless of the Word of Elohim, defending their actions by saying: He knows what's in my heart.

The Apostles knew Torah, had faith in Yahweh, and trusted the writings of the prophets which is why they were expecting Yahshua and were able to recognize him in person. They did not hesitate to follow when he called. If we are full of the knowledge of Scriptures then we, too, are capable of discerning the truth by allowing His Spirit to lead us as we follow their examples, who followed the example set by Moses. We are all on the same part of the path, by faith.  It is the lack of knowledge that becomes a stumbling block, or worse, a mill stone, that will destroy His people. They won't be on a different part of the path, but removed from the path altogether.

If you get the feeling that you're not on the same part of the path, or you make the excuse for others, there's a reason for it. Take into consideration the conversation at hand. Study it out for yourself and overcome whatever obstacle is in the way. Have faith that His Spirit will comfort you with the truth. Pick up your copy of Scriptures and start reading from the beginning. Make the choice - choose life and receive His Blessing. We do this because we have Faith. We are committed to our Creator and that puts us on His Path. In all of this we will recognize the Good Shepherd's voice.

Remember: division is a tactic used by Satan.

Song of Songs, Concerning Solomon... Why?

I have been learning to recognize Hebrew idioms and poetry which show up often in Scriptures. Even in today's world idioms and poetic prose are part of our everyday language.  With that being said, there is one particular 'book' that has always bothered me: Song of Songs (aka Songs of Solomon or Songs concerning Solomon).  The other book is Esther, but that's another study for another day.

This is not an attack on the life and times of Solomon. I do, however, question why this song of sexual attraction is included in Scriptures after we have learned that Solomon's 'sin' was his lust for women. The influence they had caused him to build shrines for their pagan gods as he turned his back on YHWH. I can't just brush that off.

The other thing that bugs me about this is that folks seem to think there is a deeper meaning hidden in this song and go as far as to believe it is an allegory for the love Yah has for the 'church', the 'bride of Christ'.... and you know how that church-bride thing really chaps my hide!

It is what it is:

a poem about physical attraction.

Romans 8:7 ~ Because minding the things of the flesh is enmity towards Elohim: for it does not subject itself to the Torah of Elohim, because it is not possible. And they who are in the flesh cannot please Elohim

Reading about Solomon's rise and fall as recorded in Kings, and noted in Chronicles, is a valuable lesson in and of itself teaching us, one more time, of someone who had agreed to do as YHWH said, then later on turns away from His Commands. His life also fulfills prophecy and affirms once again that our Creator does what He says He will do. YHWH said to Solomon: "I will further grant you long life, if you will walk in My ways and observe My laws and commandments, as did your father David." (1 Kings 3:14)

I personally do not see the need to acknowledge Solomon with a separate 'greatest hits' song book in the 'holy canon'. He was a womanizer and his harem of wives and concubines caused him to worship other gods and build shrines/temples to them. Another lesson we can take away from him is that one can have everything - health, wealth, wisdom, good looks, and a kingdom - and still blow it.  In obedience to our Creator all things are possible, although turning our backs on Him incurs His wrath.

Did Solomon write this poem? Maybe the young woman wrote it after falling for the promises made to her by the king, only to be disappointed after he had his way with her, and she refused to be added to his collection.

After considering the views of others in support of the love 'allegories', I still don't understand why the early church fathers included this writing and shunned others. Supposedly their choices were made by what they deemed as 'divinely inspired' and I don't see this book being inspired by anything other than physical desires. I think including the writings found in 'Jasher' would have been a better choice.

"One of the terms used in describing the books that belong in Scripture is the word 'canon'. This comes from the Greek word kanon, meaning reed or measurement. A canonical book is one that measures up to the standard of Holy Scripture. Thus, the canon of Scripture refers to the books that are considered the authoritative Word of God."

In regards to the above statement, my first thought is that Torah is the authoritative word of YHWH, the writings we find in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.  If future writings do not line up with these, are they truly authorized by YHWH?  And how does mere man decide what is and is not the Word of our Creator? This process of selection reminds me of how the Pharisees took away from and added to the Word of YHWH, and the beginnings of Judaism. They eventually ended up with the Mishna, the Talmud and the Kabbalah.  Mere men were deciding how to interpret the Word of Elohim because they thought common folk were unable to. I cannot stress the importance of reading Scriptures for ourselves.  It gets easier to read because we gain bits and pieces of understanding afforded us by Yah's Set Apart Spirit each time.  Make reading Scriptures in their entirety your new hobby and it will become your passion. Our Creator wants us to search for Him as if looking for treasure and this certainly gets one started.

We read in 1 Kings 11 that Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh's daughter (a matter of political alliance) - Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Phoenician and Hittite women, all from the nations of which YHWH had said, "None of you shall join them and none of them shall join you in marriage...  they will turn your heart away to follow their gods."  These are the women Solomon clung to and loved. He had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned his heart away from Yah and towards other gods and he became less devoted to the Elohim of his father.  Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Phoenicians and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. What he did displeased YHWH. He built a shrine for Chemosh the abomination of Moab on the hill near Jerusalem, and one for Molech/Milcom. He did the same for all his foreign wives who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods. YHWH was angry with Solomon because his heart turned away from Him. Two times Yah had appeared to Solomon and this third time Yah says, "Because you are guilty of this- you have not kept My covenant and the laws which I enjoined upon you - I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. For the sake of your father, David, I will not do it in your lifetime, I will tear it away from your son - not the whole kingdom, I will give him one tribe, for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen."

Would YHWH hide meaning in a love poem by this man? Would He use animalistic analogies for human love? Physical attraction? His own definition of love? This poem does not reference anything spiritual or give glory to Yahweh Elohim.  It focuses on fleshly things and human desires. It is void of companionship, friendship, trust, protection and family values.

1 John 2:15 ~ Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life —is not from the Father but from the world. The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of YHWH remains forever.…

This poem evokes the image of a beautiful young woman whose tanned skin and curly hair is striking, unlike the maidens of Jerusalem, who seem chaste, innocent and are even called 'thorns' by comparison. This woman is a shepherdess and her brothers make her guard their vineyards. She spends a lot of time outdoors which accents her rugged beauty. She has fallen head over heels for the man in this poem and works her feminine wiles on him. He is totally taken in by her beauty and perfumes and fruits... even mandrakes play a part in this story of seduction. They are sneaking around, and have sex outdoors, indoors, and in her mother's own bed. Oh, he does call her 'his bride' a time or two and perhaps he does desire to marry her or at least add her to his 'harem' but we don't read of any betrothal or marriage in this poem, nor does he call her his wife. Perhaps he simply tempted her with the prospect of marriage, to lure her in.

If we stick to Yah's Instructions we find nothing providing acceptance for this adulterous affair or premarital sex, nothing to witness to its 'divine' authority. If it is Solomon writing about his own lust for women we truly see the extent of his weakness which got him in trouble with the Creator - that is the lesson and drives home the point that Solomon, even though obedient and loved by YHWH, caved in to the lust of the flesh and worshiped other gods. Was she an innocent victim of this man's sexual appetite? She may have been his 'one and only' once upon a time, but the ending to this poem reads like she'd had enough: of him, his vineyard and money and guards, and she leaves to go back to her own vineyard, the one she left unprotected.

When Solomon had his heart set on her he already had 60 queens and 80 concubines and damsels without number; and we've read that he ended up with 700 royal wives and 300 concubines. The Shulammite Woman finally realized she'd been had. She was a budding young woman willing to give herself to this man who beguiled her with hopes of marriage, but ended up being just another notch in his bed post.

From Ephesians 2 ~ And also you who were dead in your sins and in your offenses in which you before walked, according to the worldliness of this world and according to the will of the prince and power of the air (Satan), that spirit which is active in the children of disobedience: In which deeds we formerly spoke of in the cravings of our flesh; and we did the pleasure of our flesh and of our thoughts and imagination, and were altogether the children of wrath, like the rest.... Therefore, be mindful that you were formerly carnal Gentiles, without Y'shua and alienated from the Word of Elohim, His Instructions for Israel... without hope and without Yahweh...  Because of His Son there is access for us by His Spirit to the Father... we become fellow citizens with the Set Apart believers and the household of YHWH Elohim.

Now, if you want to try to take all of this and turn it into some feel good mystical thing, and compare it to the love YHWH has for His people, or try to connect this to the church as the bride of christ... or maybe because it reflects upon and gives a false sense of justification for your own fleshly desires, I think you have become side-lined on a rabbit trail. This poem is all physical and nothing spiritual, there are no connections to be made. "There is nothing in the book to suggest it’s anything but a lyrical presentation of what actually took place between King Solomon and his Shulammite woman. There are no supernatural events; there is nothing that must be understood as allegorical, and there is no need to spiritualize the text."

The Song of Solomon can be read and interpreted just as it was written, as a love poem expressing strong physical attraction between this older experienced man and that younger woman, who has recently come of age.  Her brothers tried to keep their little sister from being noticed, but she rebelled against them and strutted her stuff.

Galatians 5:19 ~ For you know the works of the flesh, which are these:adultery, impurity and lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, stubbornness, treacheries, heresies, envy, murder, drunkenness, revelry and all like things.  Those who do things like these, they will not inherit the Kingdom of Elohim.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Proverbs 31:30 ~ Grace is deceptive, beauty is illusory; it is for her fear of YHWH that a woman is to be praised.

Now, take a look at this song for yourselves, read it from your copy of Scriptures. After considering my take on it, does it still read the same familiar way to you? Is it about the love between a husband and his wife; or a story of sexual gratification?  Honestly, if I had to read this aloud in mixed company, I would be embarrassed.  The Word of Yahweh Elohim should not be an embarrassment to anyone!

For further review, I have entered The Song of Songs from my copy of the Tanakh. I omitted some duplicate verses and (my comments/additions and quotes are in parenthesis).  I considered removing my comments, but left them to help you see where I'm coming from.

(The woman speaks first):

Give me the kisses of your mouth. For your love is more delightful than wine. (youthful infatuation; feeling giddy) Your ointments yield a sweet fragrance, your name is like finest oil - That is why maidens love you (No wonder all the young girls desire you, but I'm the lucky one) Draw me after you, let us run! Bring me to your chambers (take me to bed). Let us delight and rejoice in your love, savoring it more than wine- Like new wine they love you.

I am dark skinned and comely (good looking), O you daughters of Jerusalem (compared to the gals living in Jerusalem). Dark like the tents of Kedar, beautiful like the pavilions of Solomon. Don't stare at me. I am swarthy (my complexion is dark and tanned) because the sun has gazed upon me. My mother's sons argued with me and made me guard the vineyards; my own vineyard I did not guard. (She left it to go after Solomon)

(The man speaks to his darling):

Tell me, you whom I love so well, where do you pasture your sheep and where do you rest them at noon? (So I can find you later) Let me not be as one who strays beside the flocks of your fellows (I don't want to go the wrong way and my intentions become obvious to others). If you do not know, O fairest of women, go follow the tracks of the sheep, and graze your kids by the tents of the shepherds. (if you don't know where you're going to be, go this way and I will find you) 

I have likened you my darling to a mare in Pharaoh's chariots. Your cheeks are comely with plaited wreaths, your neck with strings of jewels. We will add wreaths of gold to your spangles of silver.

(Deuteronomy 29:15 ~ You know very well that we dwelt in the land of Egypt and that we passed through the midst of various other nations; and you have seen the detestable things and the fetishes of wood and stone, silver and gold, that they keep.  Perchance there is among you some man or woman, or some clan or tribe, whose heart is even now turning away from YHWH our Elohim to go and worship the gods of those nations....)

(The woman speaks of her beloved):

While the king was on his couch, my nard* gave forth its fragrance. My beloved to me is a bag of myrrh lodged between my breasts; a spray of henna blooms from the vineyards of En-gedi**

(Solomon): Ah, you are fair my darling, with your dove-like eyes!

(The woman): And you my beloved are handsome, beautiful indeed! Our couch (bed) is in a bower; cedars are the beams of our house, cypresses the rafters. I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. 

(Solomon): A lily among thorns, so is my darling among maidens.

(Woman): Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the youths. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my mouth. He brought me to the banquet room and his banner of love was over me (meaning of Hebrew uncertain). Sustain me with raisin cakes, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. His left hand was under my head, his right arm embraced me. I adjure you, you maidens of Jerusalem, by gazelles or by hinds of the field (idiom: by no means) Do not wake or rouse love until it please! (leave us alone, we're not done yet).

Do you hear that my beloved? There he comes leaping over mountains, bounding over hills - You my beloved are like a gazelle, a young stag. There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the window, peering through the lattice. (who is this 'he', this peeping tom - a young stag? another lover?)

(Solomon): Arise, my darling, my fair one, come away!  Winter is past, the rains are over and gone, the blossoms have appeared in the land, the time of pruning has come. The song of the turtledove is heard in our land. Green figs form on the fig tree, the vines in blossom give off fragrance. Arise my darling; my fair one come away!  My dove in the cranny of the rocks, hidden by the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is comely.

Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards for ours is in blossom.

(Woman): My beloved is mine and I am his who browses among the lilies. When the day declines and the shadows lengthen, set out, my beloved, swift as a gazelle or a young stag, for the hill of spices. (They had a season together and now she's by herself, on her own couch)...

Upon my couch at night (in a dream) I sought the one I love, I searched and did not find him. I must get up now and roam the town, through the streets and through the squares; I must seek the one I love... but I did not find him. I met the watchmen who patrol the town and asked if they had seen the one I love. Scarcely had I passed them when I found the one I love.  I held fast to him and would not let go until I brought him to my mother's house, to the chamber (bed) of her who conceived me I adjure you maidens of Jerusalem, (by no means); do not wake or rouse love until it please!

Who is she that comes up from the desert like columns of smoke, clouds of myrrh and frankincense, of all the powders of the merchant? (are the warriors wondering who this is as she approaches the heavily guarded king?)  There is Solomon's couch, encircled by sixty warriors of the warriors of Israel, all of them trained in warfare, skilled in battle, each with a sword on thigh because of terror by night.  King Solomon made himself a palaquin of wood from Lebanon (a means of transportation, usually for one person, an enclosed litter with poles, carried on the shoulders of 4 to 6 men). He made its posts of silver, its back of gold, its seat of purple wool. Within, it was decked with love by the maidens of Jerusalem.

O maidens of Zion, go forth and gaze upon King Solomon wearing the crown that his mother gave him on his wedding day, on his day of bliss. (was Pharaoh's daughter his first marriage? and was it Bathsheba who gave him his crown?)

(Solomon): Ah, you are fair my darling, you are fair, your eyes are like doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of ewes climbing up from the washing pool; all of them bear twins, and not one loses her young. Your lips are like a crimson thread, your mouth is lovely. Your brow behind your veil gleams like a pomegranate split open. (is she blushing, sunburned or colored with henna?) Your neck is like the tower of David built to hold weapons (to adorn with jewelry) hung with a thousand shields- All the quivers of warriors.  Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, browsing among the lilies.  When the day comes to an end and the shadows flee I will betake me to the mount of myrrh, to the  hill of frankincense.  Every part of you is fair my darling, there is no blemish in you; from Lebanon come with me, from Lebanon my bride, with me! Trip down from Amana's peak, from the peak of Senir and Hermon, from the dens of lions, from the hills of leopards.  You have captured my heart, my own, my bride, you have captured my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one coil of your necklace. How sweet is your love, my own bride!  More delightful than wine, your ointments more fragrant than any spice!  Sweetness drops from your lips; honey and milk are under your tongue; the scent of your robes smell like Lebanon (Is this just loose talk from Solomon in order to fully conquer this woman?) A garden locked is my own, my bride, a fountain locked, a sealed-up spring. Your limbs are an orchard of pomegranates and of all luscious fruits, of henna and nard- nard and saffron, fragrant reed and cinnamon, with all aromatic woods, myrrh and aloes- all the choice perfumes. You are a garden spring, a well of fresh water, a rill of Lebanon.

(The woman says): Awake, o north wind, come, o south wind! Blow upon my garden (my body), that its perfume may spread. Let my beloved come to his garden and enjoy its luscious fruits!
Solomon: I have come to my garden and plucked my myrrh and spice, eaten my honey and honeycomb, drunk my wine and my milk...

Eat lovers and drink; drink deep of love

(The woman says): I was sleeping but my heart was awake. (Was she dreaming that she was his bride?) I heard my beloved knock!
(He says): Let me in my darling, my faultless dove, for my head is drenched with dew, my locks iwth the damp of night.
(She says): I had taken off my robe, was I to put it back on?  I had already washed my feet, was I to get them dirty again? (has her desire for him dwindled? she's already for bed and hesitates to let him in?)  My beloved took his hand off the latch and my heart was stirred for him. I rose to let him in, my hands dripped myrrh from my fingers onto the handles of the bolt. I opened the door but my beloved had turned and gone.  I was faint because of what he said. I looked but could not find him. I called but he did not answer. I met the watchmen who patrol the town; they struck me, they bruised me. The guards of the walls stripped me of my mantle. I adjure you O maidens of Jerusalem! If you see the one I love tell him I am faint with love. (why would the watchmen hit her hard enough to leave bruises?)

The maidens of Jerusalem answer: How is your beloved better than another, O fairest of women, that you adjure us so? (Definition of 'adjure': to command solemnly as if under oath or penalty of a curse)

(The woman describes her beloved):

He is clear-skinned and ruddy, preeminent among ten thousand. His head is finest gold, his locks are curled and black as a raven. His eyes are like doves by watercourses, bathed in milk, set by a brimming pool. His cheeks are like beds of spices, banks of perfume, his lips are like lilies; they drip flowing myrrh. His hands are rods of gold, studded with beryl; his belly a tablet of ivory, adorned with sapphires. His legs are like marble pillars set in socket of fine gold. He is majestic as Lebanon, stately as the cedars. His mouth is delicious and all of him is a delight. Such is my beloved darling.

(The Maidens of Jerusalem say): Where has he gone? Where has your loved one turned? Let us look for him with you.

(The woman): He has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to browse in the gardens and pick lilies. I am his and he is mine; he browses among the lilies.

(Solomon): You are beautiful my darling, as beautiful as Tizrah*** and comely as Jerusalem, awesome as bannered hosts (flags/standards carried by/displayed by an army, in parade). Turn your eyes away from me, for they overwhelm me! There are sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and damsels without number. Only one is my dove, my perfect one, the only one of her mother, they delight of her who bore her. (Her mother only had one daughter, but more than one son). Maidens, queens and concubines see,  acclaim, and praise her.

Who is she that shines through like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, radiant as the sun awesome as bannered hosts?

I went down to the nut grove to see the budding of the vale; to see if the vines had blossomed, if the pomegranates were in bloom. Before I knew it, my desire set me amid the chariots of Ammi-nadib.... 

Turn back O maid of Shulem! Come back that we may gaze upon you. 

Why would you gaze at the Shulamite woman in the Mahanaim dance? (Possibly another example of bad dancing - dancing that results in physical desires. He wants to climb upon her, obviously sexually aroused watching her dance...)

How lovely are your feet in sandals, o daughter of nobles! Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of a master's hand. Your navel is like a round goblet- let mixed wine not be lacking! Your belly is like heap of wheat hedged about with lilies. Your breasts like twin fawns of the gazelle, your neck like an ivory tower, your eyes like pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim, your nose like a Lebanon tower that faces toward Damascus. The head on you is like crimson (red colored) wool, the locks of your head are like purple- a king is held captive in the tresses. (Hair so black it looks purple? Had she used henna to dye her hair giving it a purple sheen?)  How fair you are, how beautiful! O Love with all its rapture! Your stately form is like the palm, your breasts are like clusters.  Let me climb you and take hold of your branches; let your breasts be like clusters of grapes, your breath the fragrance of apples, your mouth like choice wine.  

(The woman speaks): Let love flow to my beloved as new wine gliding over the lips of sleepers.  I am his and his desire is for me. Come, let us go into the open and lodge among the henna shrubs in the village. Lets go early to the vineyards and see if the vine has flowered, its blossoms opened and if the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give my love to you. The mandrakes yield their fragrance at our doors are all choice fruits; both fresh picked and long stored have I kept for you.

If only it could be as with a brother, as if you were nursed by my mother, then I could kiss you in public and no one would despise me (Does this indicate a secret love affair? they couldn't be seen being affectionate in public because they were not married? She just mentioned she wanted them to go out early and have sex in the vineyards, hiding away from prying eyes....)

Who is she who comes up from the desert, leaning upon her beloved?

Under the apple tree I roused you; it was there your mother conceived you... (they had sex out in the open, under the same tree her mother got laid - is that ritualistic goddess worship or what !?)

Let me be a seal upon your heart, like the seal upon your hand. For love is fierce as death, passion is mighty as Sheol; its darts are darts of fire, a blazing flame. Vast floods cannot quench love, nor rivers drown it. If a man offered all his wealth for love, he would be laughed out of town.

Her brothers want to keep her from being spoken for and she says: My breasts are like towers, so I became in his eyes as one who finds favor. (again, nothing but physical attraction)

(Chapter 8 verse 11):

Solomon had a vineyard in Baal-hamon. He had to post guards in the vineyard to protect it. A man would pay a thousand pieces of silver for its fruit. Verse 12 someone says, "I have my very own vineyard: You may have the thousand, Solomon, and 200 guards." (Is this woman shaking her fist at Solomon? He may have a thousand pieces of silver and 200 guards, but this maiden has her own vineyard, the one she left unguarded early on in this poem, and now maybe she's ready to go home, and take care of herself.)

O you who linger in the garden,
a lover is listening; let me hear your voice. 

Hurry, my beloved, swift as a gazelle or your stag, to the hills of spices!

The End

It seems to represent how Solomon chose to seduce his women, and how women fawned and influenced him. Would YHWH use such a book to mirror Himself or His love for Israel? or the "church as the bride of christ"? I really don't think so. Come to think of it, even Y'shua lets us know there is no marriage in the kingdom to come. When we are gathered up at the return of Y'shua, we will be given incorruptible bodies.

Matthew 22:30 ~ For in the resurrection, neither do they marry, nor are given in marriage, but they are like angels in heaven.

I have gone over this study several times before finally posting it because, to be fair, I am giving myself the benefit of doubt ... if I've got it wrong I'd like to discover it first, but will gladly accept your chastisement ... and to be honest, I am having a very difficult time seeing this as something 'positive' or glorifying or authorized by our Father.

❁~❂~❃~❃~❂~❁

~ Remember, we read in Revelation
   that the New Jerusalem is the Bride of the Lamb.
~ For another perspective on the Shulammite woman click here

❁~❂~❃~❃~❂~❁

Tidbits of Info:

*Plant/Spice properties: Nard is a gentle aromatic sedative related to valerian with similar properties. Saffron was used in traditional medicine as an aphrodisiac. Calamus was believed it helped memory improvement, prolongation of life span and sexual potency. Native Americans used it for headache, asthma, oral hygeine and to combat fatigue. Mandrakes, known for their narcotic effect, were used in a bargaining effort between Rachel and Leah so that Jacob would have sex with Leah that night. Cinnamon has a lot of health benefits and it just smells great. Frankincense smells wonderful too, and helps relieve stress and anxiety, reduces pain and inflammation and boost immunity. Myrrh, another sweet earthy aroma, has a purifying and cleansing effect and acts as an antibacterial. 

**En Gedi is the largest oasis along the western shore of the Dead Sea. The area was allotted to the tribe of Judah, and was famous in the time of Solomon (Joshua 15:62).

***Tizrah was one of the 5 daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, descendants of Manasseh. They were the girls who banded together to face Moses, Eleazar the priest, the chieftains, and the whole assembly and lay claim to their part of the land. (Numbers 27) They set a precedent and Yah added these instructions for future scenario: "If a man dies without leaving a son, you shall transfer his property to his daughters. If he has no daughter, transfer his property to his brothers. If he has no brothers, assign his property to his father's brothers. If his father had no brothers, assign his property to his nearest relative in his own clan, and he shall inherit it."

****Henna is a natural hair colorant that produces a red-orange dye molecule, lawsone. Henna contains hennotannic acid which, when mixed with hot water, will coat the hair. It is used to paint patterns on the skin, temporarily dying it, known as henna tattoos

And what on earth is the Manahaim Dance? (the dance of the two camps) Quote: Mahanaim was given its name by Jacob. After Jacob and his family departed from his father-in-law Laban, he was met by angels of Yah. Jacob said "This is Elohim's camp", so he called the place Mahanaim (Gen 32:1-2).  It later became one of the Levite cities on the border between the territories of Manasseh and Gad.  After King Saul died, his general, Abner, enthroned Saul's son Ishbosheth at Mahanaim. David fled to Mahanaim when his son Absalom revolted. Mahanaim became the center of one of the 12 districts that King Solomon appointed officials over, to provide food one month a year for the King and his household. Today Mahanaim is called Tell edh Dhahab el Gharbi, and is located in Jordan, about 33 miles north east of the Dead Sea, north of the Jabbok River.

I have to ask, who would want a nose that was like the "Tower of Lebanon that faces Damascus" and think it was a compliment?  Just who is this Shulammite Woman? She is called 'maid of Shulem' and 'daughter of nobles'. Most scholars think it likely that the term “Shulammite” indicates that she was from Shulam, which they believe to be synonymous with Shunem, a small town in northern Israel. It's possible she came from Lebanon. If so, she may have been descended from the Phoenicians.

Map of Ancient Israel

Please Ignore the designation of "Palestine" used on this map -
After World War I, the name Palestine was applied to the territory that was placed under British Mandate; this area included present-day Israel along with present-day Jordan.


Here's the link to this wonderful site full of maps: Bible Maps

On His Path of Righteousness

Love is the key to unlocking the door to understanding Scriptures and gaining knowledge so as to keep moving along His Path of Righteousness.

It is written:

John 14:15 - Y'shua said if you love me keep my commands. 14:21- He who has and keeps my commandments is he who loves me and will be loved by my Father. 15:10 - If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love just as I have kept the commandments of my Father (Torah) and I abide in His love.

And when Y'shua said that love was behind the two most important commands, he wasn't talking about an end game. Quite the contrary. Loving YHWH and our fellowman sets us on His Path.  If we think that 'love' is all we need and there's nothing more to do, then we haven't gained understanding and fall short of wisdom.  It is our love of the truth that saves us from the coming strong delusion.

In Matthew 22 we read that Yah's Instructions (Torah) and the (writings of the) prophets hold onto these two commandments: 

1. Love Master Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart, soul, might and mind 
2. Love your neighbor as yourself 

Earlier, we have read in Deuteronomy 6:5 and in Leviticus 19:18

1. You shall love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart and all your soul and with all your might
2. Do not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your fellow as yourself.

You see, those "two great commands" do not replace anything nor everything the Father commanded - they come straight from the Old Testament, the part referred to as Torah. If you love Yah with your entire being then it should be no problem for you to get on His Path and begin to learn, understand and follow His Instructions. If you love your fellowman as yourself, you will treat him with the same respect as you would like to be treated. You should have no problem walking together, following the Instructions YHWH Elohim who comes first in all things.

Mark 12:29 - Y'shua said the 1st Commandment is 'Shema (hear and obey) O Israel! Master YHWH is one - Love Him with all your heart, with all your soul, all your mind and strength. The 2nd is like it - Love your neighbor as yourself' (Leviticus 19:18)

Using the excuse that we are all on different parts of the path doesn't cut it anymore.  Moses and Aaron led that mixed multitude on Yah's path for 40 years. They were all on the same path and only two of the original multitude made it into the promised land: Caleb and Joshua.  Read it again and get some understanding of why we cannot sit still in our perceived comfort zones and reject those who are trying to reach out and help us get through the rough parts.  If I have traveled ahead of you and learned a way through some twists and turns, wouldn't it make sense that I would, out of love for my fellowman, help those who are navigating that same part of the path? 

From 1 Corinthians 10... all our fathers were under the cloud, and they passed through the sea, and they were all immersed by Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink... from the spiritual rock that attended them and that rock was the Mashiyach. But with a multitude of them, Elohim was not pleased. These things are an example for us so that we won't covet after evil things as they did. Neither should we serve idols as some of them did nor commit sexual sin. Neither let us tempt the Mashiyach as some of them tempted and serpents destroyed them. (Numbers 21:4) Nor should we complain as some of them did and they perished by the destroyer. All these things that befell them were for an example to us and they are written for our instruction on whom the end of the world has come; Flee from idolatry... do not associate with demons... we cannot partake at the table of our Master Y'shua and sit at the table of demons.

A path exists because of the many who have walked before us. The above Scripture quote proves His path began a long time ago.  We should continue to travel this path without staying in one place for very long.  If one is not moving then the path does not seem to be there, becoming overgrown with confusion planted by Satan, and many rabbit trails and stumbling blocks appear.  Just as those who traveled the wilderness for 40 years, our Creator is testing us to reveal what is in our hearts, whether we will obey Him or not.  That sort of puts an end to another comfort zone excuse used to justify one's behavior, doing as one will regardless, defending their actions by saying: He knows whats in my heart.

Deuteronomy 8: You shall faithfully observe all the Instruction that I enjoin upon you today, that you may thrive and increase and be able to posses the land that YHWH Elohim promised on oath to your fathers. Remember the long way that YHWH your Elohim has made you travel in the wilderness these past forty years, that He might test you by hardships to learn what was in your hearts: whether you would keep His commandments or not....

Romans 2:5 - But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when Yah's righteous judgment will be revealed.

All of our Father's Instructions are recorded in the the first five books of Scriptures: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. This is His Owner's Manual provided for His Creation. Sure, it takes some study time to even begin to understand what was going on back in those days and to learn that it still applies to us today; just as any owner's manual needs to be read a few times before the instructions make sense, become clear.

Nothing was done away with when Y'shua came on the scene, in fact, he clarifies and even raises the standard a few times, but he did not put an end to what the Father started.

Isaiah 29:9

Act stupid and be stupefied! Act blind and be blinded! (They are drunk but not from wine, they stagger but not from liquor.) For YHWH has spread over you a spirit of deep sleep, and has shut the eyes of the prophets, and covered the heads of the seers; so that all prophecy has been like the words of a sealed document. 29:13 Because that people has approached, honoring Me with words but has kept its heart far from Me, and its worship of Me has been a commandment of men, learned by rote- truly, I shall further baffle that people and the wisdom of its wise shall fail, and the prudence of its prudent shall vanish. (this prophecy tells of the coming strong deception/delusion)

Definition of 'rote':

• the use of memory usually with little intelligence
• mechanical or unthinking routine or repetition

If you have recently come out of 'churchianity' or any of the myriads of doctrines and false teachings perpetrated by man inspired by Satan, do not be afraid to continue on YHWH's Path of Righteous Living. Get both your feet on the path and walk as His Son walked: in love and in truth, obeying the commands of the Father.  Do not hesitate to take the hand held out to you by the desire of fellow Set Apart believers to help you get out of that rut of a comfort zone.  Be thankful that you are one of the few who hear and actually recognize the Good Shepherd's voice calling out to bring us together as one flock.  Imagine what it was like during the days of Noah, as he was building the ark and no one believed his reasons, they kept living life as normal and then came the flood. YHWH shut the door to the ark and sealed it. It was too late for anyone else to enter and be saved. Compare this scenario with the folks being invited to the banquet, awaiting the return of Messiah, but no one is preparing for it.  They are out shopping for more lamp oil when he returns and the doors to the banquet hall were shut and locked.  It's too late for anyone else to enter and be saved from the flood of wrath to come.

It is written:

1 John 5

Whoever believes that Y'shua is the Anointed One is born of Elohim. And whoever loves the Father also loves him who is begotten of Him. And by this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Elohim and follow His Commandments. For this is the love of Elohim, that we keep His Commandments: and His Commandments are not burdensome. Whoever is born of Elohim overcomes the world: and this is the victory that our Faith overcomes the world. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Y'shua is the Son of Elohim... Y'shua came by the water and blood... and the Spirit testifies because the Spirit is Truth. And there are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water and the blood - and these three are in union.

Symbolism - Real and Perceived

Over the years I have come across many ideas attached to the Lamp Stand, also known as the Menorah, and, although none of them seem derogatory most come from man's imagination without backing it up with the reality of YHWH's Word. Most illustrations that go with these ideas do not even use the proper representation of said lamp stand. In all this decorative talk, The Lamp Stand has been risen to idol status. We have been warned not to worship the created thing: Romans 1:25.  There are folks who desire a 'deeper meaning' searching for that mystical experience that will empower and feed their own self esteem. This sort of self serving attitude is what Y'shua taught against when he called the scribes and Pharisees 'hypocrites' more than once.

So, what does this lampstand look like? 

Turn now to Exodus 25 beginning with verse 31.

You shall make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its base and its shaft, its cups, its calyx and petals shall be of one piece. Six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches from of one side of the lampstand, and three branches from the other side of the lampstand. On one branch there shall be three cups shaped like almond blossoms,  each with calyx and petals, and on the next branch there shall be three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with calyx and petals; so for all six branches coming out of the lampstand.
And on the lampstand itself are four cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with calyx and petals: a calyx  of one piece with it under a pair of branches, and a calyx of one piece with it, under the second pair of branches, and a calyx of one piece with it,  under the last pair of branches, so for all six branches coming out of the lampstand. Their calyxes and their stems shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single hammered piece of pure gold.
Make its seven lamps, they shall be mounted so that they give light on its front side, and its tongs and firepans of pure gold. It shall be made, with all these furnishings, out of a talent of pure gold. Note well, and follow the pattern for them that are being shown you on the mountain.

Note: “And you shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall mount its lamps so that they give light in front of it".

░▒▓▒░

Many moons ago, when I began this journey and was becoming familiar with Scriptures, this is the image that came to mind from reading the description of the Lamp Stand in Exodus:

I got it wrong more than once

~ I've never seen the pattern shown Moses ~

I looked up the definition of calyx and looked at various pictures of almond blossoms.  In years gone by I was an assistant to a jeweler and have experience in hammering gold, albeit in a decorative manner. Hammered gold reflects light in every direction.  It makes perfect sense that YHWH would want the lamps placed in front of this piece of work so as to reflect and give light inside the tabernacle and not be near the wall of the tent. I missed that point in my design as you see I put fire in each of the almond blossoms totally overlooking the instruction for mounting seven lamps in front of this stand. My design might have caused the tent to go up in flames! These lamps were not made of one piece with it but separate lamps that are mounted onto or in front of this stand. 

Exodus 40:37 ~ the pure lampstand, its lamps- lamps in due order (in a row) -and all its fittings, and the oil for lighting...

The instructions read: on the lampstand itself are Four Cups shaped like almond blossoms. These are to be under each set of branches where they meet at the shaft, but there are only three sets of branches, so the fourth blossom shaped cup could be either at the top of the main shaft or at the base. I chose to place it at the top. I also chose to place the three blossoms upright and next to each other on the six branches because I thought they were to hold the olive oil and wicks for burning. Only Moses was shown the pattern while he was on the mountain and the people made the menorah accordingly.  I am just giving the best representation I can to compare with what is commonly accepted. As mentioned earlier, this is a design from several years ago.  When I get around to reworking the image (removing the flames and adding lamps) I will include it in this study.

Here is another design I came up with using the popular version of the menorah, shining light on a scroll representing the written Word of YHWH Elohim:

I was starting to understand the concept of 

Light and the Word of Elohim

yet I was still under the influence of  man's imaginations.

This lampstand was not made according to Yah's pattern - 

the tops of each branch are lit 

and cannot give light to the front in this manner

The detailed pattern sets it apart from any ordinary household lampstand. It's main purpose was to give light inside the tabernacle. Lets look at the main details again and see if we can discern the intended symbolism of this piece of work:

1. A talent of Pure Gold is around 60-70 pounds and was the amount used to shape the lampstand and make its utensils including the seven lamps. Pure gold has been described in appearance as 'glass', shiny and reflective.

2. Hammered and Shaped: results in a dented surface allowing light to reflect in many directions when lamps are mounted in front of it.

3. Six Branches issue from the main shaft and represent an Almond Tree. Jeremiah 1:11 ~ Yah asks Jeremiah "What do you see?" He replies, "I see a branch of an almond tree." Yahweh says he saw correctly, for "I am watchful to bring My word to pass."

4. The cups were shaped as almond blossoms, detailed with Calyx and Petals: A calyx is the sepals of a flower, typically forming a whorl that encloses the petals and forms a protective layer around a flower in bud. There was a total of 22 almond blossoms shaped into the design of the lampstand. Three cups on each branch plus four on the shaft.

5. Seven Lamps: Most of us know that the number seven is one of Yah's favorite. The description of these lamps are not given, but they are separate from the stand on which they are mounted and they give light.

6. Pure Olive Oil: In Exodus 27:20 we read that 'clear oil of beaten olives' was used for lighting and kindling the lamps regularly. Pure olive oil was also used in the making of anointing oils and was part of various offerings. This pure oil can also represents the Ruach haKodesh: The Spirit Wind of Elohim.

Lampstand - Lamps - Pure Olive Oil

Three parts that function together as a whole

YHWH - Y'shua - Ruach haKodesh:

The Father- The Son - His Set Apart Spirit

The symbolism of the almond tree, revealed to Jeremiah (1:11), is that YHWH watched a sinful nation walk away from Him and declares there will be consequences. This carries through to today's world. He will fulfill His promise of either the curse or the blessing. When immorality engulfs nations, we should remember: Yah is watching. His time to avenge His people has yet to come, but we have not been forgotten.

The Menorah, described by The Creator and shown to Moses as part of the pattern for the Tabernacle, represents the Light of the World = The Word made Flesh = Y'shua haMashiyach (the Anointed One). There are six branches that should not be confused with a mystic "life force" within a person who seeks to release his kundalini... (yep, that's one I heard about a while back). The gold is pure, the oil is pure, the priesthood was set apart by YHWH to care for these duties. Y'shua is pure, without blemish, no sin was found in him. Through him we receive the Spirit, who comforts us with the truth of all things, effectively shining that Light into the darkness. We are being refined as gold, to remove our impurities. 

We are to rejoice and be glad because our reward in heaven is great. Just as folks persecuted the prophets of old for speaking the Word of Elohim, we too, shall be persecuted for our faith and following the perfect example set by His Son. We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Because we follow the Instructions of the Father our behavior- our light -shines in view of all people. We become the 'light of the world' by example. That example is evidenced by our lifestyle, which is according to the Instructions given us by our Creator and not by some mystic light show happening within our bodies. 

John 8:12 - Once again, Y'shua spoke to the people and said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.

A thought to ponder: Six branches come out from the main shaft, so I wonder why or when it became seven branches? Yah did not describe the 'shaft' as a 'branch'. The menorah does have seven lamps mounted so their light shines on the front of the lampstand... got a little head scratching going on here. Can you now see the distortion caused by man's imagination in regards to the menorah? 

Colossians 2:8 - Beware lest any man rob you by philosophy, or by empty deception, according to the teaching of men and according to the principles of the world and not according to Yahshua the Mashiyach.
Psalm 49:13 - This is the destiny of fools, and of those who approve of their philosophy.

Definition of "Philosophy":

• pursuit of wisdom 
• a search for a general understanding of values and reality by chiefly speculative rather than observational means 
• an analysis of the grounds of and concepts expressing fundamental beliefs 

(it's a Greek kind of thing....)

Yahweh tells us not to be taken in by those who teach by speculation, who hand out empty deceptions concocted by men according to worldly desires; those who ignore the teachings of Y'shua, the Son of Elohim. In our day I believe if we are not using Scripture to interpret Scriptures we can be taken in by those who speculate and ignore the teachings of Y'shua, recorded in the Renewed Covenant. We survive by every Word that comes from YHWH Elohim. That means we read Scriptures, from Genesis through to Revelation - more than once. It is a learning process and some points take longer than others to sink in. Some of us may no longer be stiff necked, but still hard headed.

With that being said, I will not speculate on any further symbolism of the seven lamps. We know that the number seven is a recurring number and that we find 'types and shadows' throughout the Old Testament. We know His Son is the Light of the world, and it is the Ruach haKodesh that shines within us as we become Set Apart to YHWH.

I will continue this study and let His Spirit reveal the truth as Scriptures ties it all together for us.

Please leave your comments in the section below as we continue to study this out.

Shalom 

Follow Up to a FB Discussion

My question was:

If Y'shua and his Apostles ate the passover meal together on the 14th day at twilight, was he arrested and killed the next day ...the first day of Unleavened Bread.... ?

What caused me to do an earlier study on this very topic is that we find reference in Scriptures that Y'shua Messiah was/is called the Passover Lamb, along with the common belief  he was 'sacrificed' on the day of Passover, which is the 14th day of the first month according to our Creator's calendar.  I know that our Creator does not approve human sacrifices which helped me to view the death of Y'shua in a slightly different light: His death metaphorically relates to the blood of the lamb saving folks from death.  He wasn't sacrificed but was sentenced to death, hung on a Roman death device. He knew these things would befall him, and to fulfill this prophecy would bring glory to the Father.

I do not deny that Y'shua Son of YHWH is the Lamb of Elohim and has been referred to in Scriptures as the passover lamb.  I completely understand the origins of the passover meal and the days of Unleavened Bread.  In Exodus it is written that the blood of the lamb was painted onto the lintels and doorposts of the houses by those who spent the night inside as a sign to YHWH to protect them from the Angel of Death: the last plague before His people were set free.  This pattern clearly carries through to the shed blood of Y'shua Messiah. If we believe he laid down his life for our sake, that he obeyed the Father in all things and we choose to do likewise, we spiritually paint his blood on our minds and hearts as a sign to YHWH to save us from those eternal flames. We are set free from our past sinful nature and begin our journey on His Path of Righteous Living.

Yah's People have obeyed His Instructions for many, many years before His Son came on the scene.  We know that His Son came to do the will of the Father, and he and his followers obeyed Torah = Instructions; which include keeping the moedim, Yah's Set Apart times to be remembered and observed each year through all generations to come.  

Here are the Instructions given by YHWH for those believers in Egypt to prepare for the final plague which results in them being set free from Pharaoh (lightly paraphrased by me, please read Scriptures for the full details):

Exodus 12:3 ~ ... on the tenth of this month each family shall take a lamb into their household... a lamb without blemish, a yearling male from either the sheep or the goats. Keep watch over it until the 14th day; and then all the assembled congregation of the Israelites shall slaughter them at twilight. They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they are to eat it. They shall eat it the same night, roasted over the fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs. Do not leave anything left over until morning, but if there are leftovers, burn them. Be fully dressed and ready to leave before you eat and eat quickly: it is a passover offering to YHWH as protection, because that night He will go through the land of Egypt and strike down every first born, both man and beast; and He will mete out punishments to all the 'gods' of Egypt because He alone is Elohim.  The blood on the houses shall be a sign for you: when Yah sees it He will pass over you so that no plague will destroy you when He strikes the land of Egypt.

After this takes place, Yah tells them how to remember this momentous event in the years to come. He tells them the day will be one to remember and to celebrate it for all time.

Exodus 12:15 ~ Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread... on the very 1st day (of the 7 days) you shall remove leaven from your houses... The first day and the seventh day are sacred occasions and no work is to be done, only whatever is to be eaten may be prepared. 

Exodus 12:17 ~ You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread for on this very day (the 15th day of the 1st month) I brought you out of Egypt, to be observed throughout the ages as an institution for all time. 

Exodus 12:18 ~ In the first month from the 14th day at evening you shall eat unleavened bread until the 21st day of the month at evening. No leaven is to be found in your houses - whether one is a stranger or a citizen of the country you shall eat nothing leavened. 

Exodus 12:24 ~ You shall observe this as an institution for all time, for you and for your descendants. And when you enter the land that I will give you, as I promised, you shall observe this rite... And when your children ask why and what does it mean, you shall say, 'It is the passover sacrifice to YHWH Elohim because He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but saved our houses'.

In Leviticus the instructions are repeated:

Leviticus 23:4 ~ These are the set times of YHWH, the sacred occasions, which you shall celebrate each at its appointed time: In the first month, on the 14th day of the month, at twilight, there shall be a passover offering to YHWH and on the 15th day of that month YHWH's Feast of Unleavened Bread... for seven days.

And again in Deuteronomy 16 we are given the details for keeping the feast in the years to come. It reads that a passover offering is made to YHWH and slaughtered in the place Elohim will choose to establish His Name - For 7 days no leaven shall be found among you. You cannot slaughter the sacrifice wherever you choose but at the place YHWH chooses to establish His Name. In the morning you may start back home - on the 7th day of Unleavened Bread hold a solemn gathering, do no work. 

His people are instructed to do this so they remember the day of their departure from the land of Egypt for as long as they live. The blood of the lamb was a sign to YHWH and saved them from death - they were set free from being slaves to Pharaoh. Our acceptance of the shed blood of His Son is also a sign to YHWH, and sets us free from our old sin-nature.

These quotes from Scripture establish the fixed time of when to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which begins immediately after the the twilight meal of the roasted lamb: the passover offering. It was eaten as daylight dwindled into twilight of the 14th day, which became the 15th day after the sun went down.  Let me also point out the 14th day was the regular day of rest and this 15th day is a Shabbat, the first day of Unleavened Bread. Seven days later is High Shabbat because the last day of Unleavened Bread falls on the 7 day count for the regular day of rest.

Lets fast forward now to the final days of Y'shua as they are written in Matthew 26:17, Mark 14:12, Luke 22:7 and John 13:1. The time frame is the beginning of the Seven Days of Unleavened Bread. The event is Y'shua gathered together with his disciples to eat the passover meal, observing the fixed time of YHWH as previously described.

But first a word about the Word:

I have learned in the course of this study that it was customary back in the day when folks spoke of this set apart time to interchange the words 'passover' and 'feast of Unleavened Bread' because the passover offering kicked off the feast of Unleavened Bread. All Set Apart believers knew what was being said and what was meant.  There was only one offering on the 14th day followed by the 7 days of Unleavened Bread. It seems that Passover was not really a feast day unto itself but the lead-in, the actions taken just before the Seven days of Unleavened Bread. It is mentioned in Mark 14:12 the 'first day of Unleavened Bread was when the lambs were slaughtered'. Yet, according to what we read earlier, Yah's Instructions are that the passover offering lambs were slaughtered on the 14th day, eaten at sunset, and the first day of Unleavened Bread began on the 15th day.  Mark knew that and was using the common language of the day in his report. 

The Passover Meal - one event recorded years later by four different Apostles:

1. Matthew 26:17 ~ Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples asked Y'shua where he wanted them to prepare the meal
2. Mark 14:12 ~ And in the first day of the Unleavened Bread in which the Yehudeans slay the (passover offering lamb) the disciples were asking Y'shua where to go to prepare to eat.
3. Luke 22:7 - And the day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread arrived... Y'shua sent Peter and John to make preparations.
4. John 13:1 - Now before the feast Y'shua had known the time that he would depart this world to his Father had arrived. He loved his own who were in this world and he loved them up until the end. :2 And when supper was done, Satan put in the heart of Judas to betray Y'shua...

Note it is written, 'when supper was done', referring to the passover meal just eaten. It has been established that they are keeping the set time of YHWH, in the first month of the year and eat the passover meal together, at twilight, on the 14th day of the month, which has been the practice of the Israelites ever since they were set free from Egypt. The lamb offerings for each household have been slaughtered, roasted and are eaten that evening. John adds that Y'shua knew his time had come, knew it even before the feast of Unleavened Bread was to take place.

I have come to terms that we in this modern age must be inspired by the Ruach haKodesh to use our common sense to realize when the Apostles say it was the "first day of Unleavened Bread" in the same sentence as "preparing a place to eat" that they are indeed referring to the 14th day when the roasted lamb is eaten before the sun goes down. They would not alter Yah's Instructions or substitute other behavior.  The 14th day is when the lambs would be taken to the temple and sacrificed by the priests on duty who handle offerings. Families would then take the lamb offerings to be roasted and eaten at home. Y'shua and his Apostles did not have a home to go to so therein is the need to prepare a place to eat. 

After this passover meal was eaten, Y'shua and his disciples took a walk to the Mount of Olives. The sun has already gone down, so according to Yah's perfect timing, it is now the 15th day of this month (still dark), this also being the 1st day of Unleavened Bread.

While they are at the Mount of Olives, Y'shua tells them things that will happen soon according to what has been prophesied and they can't believe they could ever be offended by him. He tells them there is sadness in his soul. They continue walking to the place called Gethsemane. The Apostles eventually fall asleep during the hour Y'shua is praying to his Father.

This record of events makes it possible to conclude that Y'shua was not killed during the time that the passover offering lambs were being slaughtered. Otherwise he could not have eaten with his beloved twelve, taken a walk and had more time in fellowship with those he loved. 

After they had arrived at Gethsemane, Judas came back and betrayed Y'shua to the chief priests and elders. After a scuffle all the disciples left their Teacher - they ran away. Those who seized Y'shua wanted to take him to Caiaphas (Matthew 26:50-59) but they could not find him. So they take him to Pilate.

We read in Matthew 27 when it was morning the chief priests and elders took Y'shua to Pilate, who tries to argue for his life as he finds no guilt with him. Pilate realizes the accusers of Y'shua do so out of envy. The angry mob wins. Y'shua is scourged with whips and delivered to be put to death on a stake. He dies around the 9th hour.

The 14th day at twilight the meal is eaten. They leave the place they have eaten and walk to the Mount of Olives where Y'shua tells his Apostles many things. They then walk on to Gethsemane where the Apostles eventually fall asleep while Y'shua is in prayer to his Father. Judas betrays him and he is carried off.  It wasn't until morning that he was taken to Pilate. Now it is the 15th day.

Matthew 26:57 ~ And those who seized Y'shua led him to the high priest Caiaphas, where the scribes and elders were gathered. They were seeking witnesses against Y'shua so that they might kill him, but none were found although many false witnesses showed up.
Matthew 27:1 ~ And when it was morning, the chief priests and the elders all took counsel against Y'shua, and bound him and delivered him to Pilate.

Mark 14:53 ~ Then they took Y'shua to Caiaphas the high priest, and the chief priests and scribes and elders were all gathered with him. The chief priests and all their assembly were seeking testimony against Y'shua so that they might kill him.

Mark 15 ~ And immediately in the morning the chief priests with the elders and with the scribes, all of the assembly took counsel and they bound Y'shua and led him away and delivered him to Pilate.

Mark 15:15 ~ And Pilate desired to do the will of the crowds and released Bar Abba to them. Then after Y'shua was scourged, he delivered him to be executed on a stake.

Luke 22:54 ~ Then they seized him and brought him to the house of the high priest. When the day dawned, the elders and the chief priests and scribes gathered and took him to their council chambers (and questioned him). In Luke 23:6 he reports that Pilate sent Y'shua to Herod because Y'shua was from Galilee. Herod was in Jerusalem in those days. Herod questions Y'shua but gets no answers, gives him back to Pilate to deal with.

Luke 23:13 ~ Pilate calls to the chief priests and rulers of the people and says to them: You brought me this man as a deceiver of your people - I have examined him and have not found any fault with him nor has Herod... nothing that is worthy of death has been committed by him. Pilate desired to let Y'shua go but the people were crying out and saying 'Nail him to the stake!' 

In John 18:28 the account is about the same, although some details are added that are not reported by the other three. Pilate tells the mob to take Y'shua and judge him according to 'their own' Torah and the Yehudeans reply, 'it is not lawful for us to kill a man' (it was a Shabbat, the 1st day of Unleavened Bread, so of course those religious men couldn't kill him that day.)

In John 19 Y'shua is scourged and mocked. At about the 6th hour Pilate turned him over to be executed. Matthew says Y'shua died about the 9th hour. (The 6th hour is equivalent to mid-day).

After examining the evidence provided in Scriptures, I conclude: 

The passover meal was eaten at twilight, the 14th day. The accounts agree it was morning, as the day dawned, when Y'shua was bound and brought before Pilate. It is now the 15th day. The 9th hour when Y'shua died is during the 15th day.