KI TISSA’ כִּ֣י תִשָּׂ֞א (When you take) EXODUS 30:11-34:35

PROPHETS: 1 KINGS 18:1-39 | GOSPEL: MARK 9:1-10

by Min. Donald H. Garrett

TORAH:

This parshah starts off with the taking of the census of ALL Israelites age 20 and above. Two points stick out here. One, YaHVaH has different age categories for various things. There’s an age for being counted, for military service, for marriage, for adulthood, and for the priesthood.  Second, those being counted have to pay (in silver) the exact same amount whether poor or rich, whether male or female.

Next, are the instructions for the copper laver, the anointing oil, and the sacred incense. 31:1 -11 might have been better connected to chapter 30 as it explains Who will do all the craftsmanship as YaHVaH gave them the gifts.

31:12-17 is very blunt on observing YaHVaH’s Sabbaths. The Sabbath is Holy to us. It is to be observed as an eternal covenant. If you work on it two things happen, you shall be cut off from your people (YaHVaH’s people) and you shall be put to death. That seems pretty serious to me. This is the 3rd time the Sabbaths are mentioned in Exodus. Things mentioned in Scripture multiple times are of great importance to YaHVaH.

At the end of 31, we see the giving of the two Tablets of Testimony. Skipping chapters 32 and 33 for a second, in chapter 34, we see Mosheh (Moses) carving two new tablets and going back up on the mountain for them to be inscribed as the first ones were. 34:28 tells us that the words written on the Tablets of Testimony were The Ten Words (also known as The Ten Commandments). Please read my book on this subject: The Ten Words of YaHVaH: known as the Ten Commandments.

In chapters 32 and 33, the people rebel with the Golden Calf. Mosheh (Moses) prays and intercedes for the people with YaHVaH, yet he breaks the original Tablets in anger. Several punishments follow: Mosheh ground up the calf into the water and made them drink it, 3,000 men are killed by the sword, YaHVaH struck them with a plague, and He threatened to not abide with them unless they removed their jewelry. Does the last part mean YaHVaH is against jewelry as some have preached, NO. He was teaching them an object lesson because they had used their jewelry for idolatry purposes. Idolatry is our number one problem that YaHVaH wants us to avoid.

PROPHETS:

Eliyah (Elijah) comes out to meet Ahab. First, he meets Obadyah, the prophet of YaHVaH and tells him to go tell Ahab that Eliyah is here.

(c) Copyright March 2021 Min. Donald H. Garrett and Odon Obadyah Ministries, Inc.

Previous: TETZAVEH

Next: VAYAQ’HEL