Between the Staits; A Dire TIme on the Calendar

The three weeks from the 17th day of the month fo Tammuz to the 9th day of the month of Av is called between the straits (in Hebrew it is called Bein ha-Metzraim). The term comes from the 3rd verse of the first chapter of Lamentations in which Jeremiah speaks of the place where the persecutors overtook Judah was “between the straits”.

Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits. (Lamentations 1:3 KJV)

The term of being between the straits has the imagery of being in a narrow place, one which is confined. Being confined, we can think of prison. We are told what time to wake up, when to eat, when to shower, when to sleep, etc. Being confined means we have lost our freedom and are subject to our rulers. This is exactly what happened when the Northern Kingdom of Israel went into exile to the Assyrians, and the Southern Kingdom of Judah was captured by the Babylonians.

At the heart of the matter is the idea that Israel lost the Holy Temple which was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar when he captured Jerusalem. The Holy Temple was supposed to have been the heart and soul of the Israelites, but as Jeremiah writes in Lamentations, the Israelites were disobedient, and Judah was destroyed for their unfaithfulness. (Lamentations 1:4-10, 17)

The roads of Zion are in mourning
Because no one comes to the appointed feasts.
All her gates are desolate;
Her priests are groaning,
Her virgins are afflicted,
And she herself is bitter.
5
Her adversaries have become her masters,
Her enemies prosper;
For the Lord has caused her grief
Because of the multitude of her transgressions;
Her little ones have gone away
As captives before the adversary.
6
All her majesty
Has departed from the daughter of Zion;
Her princes have become like deer
That have found no pasture;
And they have fled without strength
Before the pursuer.
7
In the days of her affliction and homelessness
Jerusalem remembers all her precious things
That were from the days of old,
When her people fell into the hand of the adversary
And no one helped her.
The adversaries saw her,
They mocked at her ruin.
8
Jerusalem sinned greatly,
Therefore she has become an unclean thing.
All who honored her despise her
Because they have seen her nakedness;
Even she herself groans and turns away.
9
Her uncleanness was in her skirts;
She did not consider her future.
Therefore she has fallen astonishingly;
She has no comforter.
“See, O Lord, my affliction,
For the enemy has magnified himself!”
10
The adversary has stretched out his hand
Over all her precious things,
For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary,
The ones whom You commanded
That they should not enter into Your congregation.

17
Zion stretches out her hands;
There is no one to comfort her;
The Lord has commanded concerning Jacob
That the ones round about him should be his adversaries;
Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them. (Lamentations 1:4-10, 17)

As we think about being in a narrow place, the opposite of this is having freedom and is called being in a large place. We see this terminology used in Psalm 118.

From my distress I called upon the Lord;
The Lord answered me and set me in a large place. (Psalm 118:5)

The word translated in may Bibles as distress is actually the Hebrew word metzar, which means a narrow place (or more loosely translated, a place of distress.)

Egypt
An interesting side note, most English Bibles refer to the place in which Joseph and subsequently Jacob and his descendants spent 210 years as Egypt. This is erroneously. The Hebrew states the name of this place as Mitzraim translated into English as the straits. If we think about all the oppression Israel suffered under the hand of Pharaoh, Mitzraim (or the place of the straits) is a much better description of the land than Egypt.

As the years passed and the rulership of the pharaoh changed (and as the text states in Exodus 1:8, a pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph), the Israelites were harshly oppressed. Year after year, the cruelty increased. Recalling the first chapter of Exodus to mind, the Israelites were required to build storage cities, were told to throw their newborn male sons into the Nile, were given no straw to build bricks, etc.

It you think of Egypt as a place of the straits, we each new decree pharaoh made, the place where the Israelites were dwelling became narrower. Pharaoh kept squeezing and squeezing them until he hoped to ultimately destroy the Israelites and cause them to abandon their ways, give up their faith and forget their heritage.

When God redeemed Israel and brought them through the Red Sea, the Israelites were brought into the wilderness. This was a large, wide open space in which the Israelites were free to re-learn their heritage, receive the Torah at Mount Sinai, build the Tabernacle, develop the Levitical Priest, abandon their pagan ways learned in Egypt, etc. In the wide open space of the wilderness, the Israelites were free to follow God and did not have to fear persecution for their beliefs.

Ideally, this should have encouraged the Israelites to seek God in all that they did, to worship Him and to follow God’s commands. However, after spending 210 years in a land surrounded by intense paganish (and there is probably no place in the world as deeply entrenched in paganish as the land of Egypt was and still is), the Israelites could not leave their pagan ways behind them.

Without going into all the details about the sin of the golden calf, like what was actually the “sin” they committed, while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Torah from God, Israel (under the guidance of Aaron) built a golden calf to worship God.

On the 17th day of the month of Tammuz, Moses descended Mount Sinai with two tablets in his hands. When he saw the golden calf and the atrocious actions of some of the Israelites, Moses throws down the tablets. The tablets break. Without going into all the details, this day was now marked in Israel’s history as a day of doom and gloom.

17 of Tammuz
Since the golden calf incident, five important events have happened to the Israelites on the 17th day of the month of Tammuz.
During the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, the Jews were forced to cease offering the daily sacrifices due to the lack of sheep.
Apostomos burned the holy Torah.
An idol was placed in the Holy Temple.
The walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans, in 69 CE, after a lengthy siege. (Three weeks later, after the Jews put up a valiant struggle, the Romans destroyed the second Holy Temple on the 9th of Av.)
The Jerusalem Talmud maintains that this is also the date when the Babylonians breached the walls of Jerusalem on their way to destroying the first Temple.

The 12 spies and the Bad Report
After the Israelites spent two years in the wilderness, twelve men were sent to tour the land of Canaan. Moses commanded that these mean give a report of the land.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, 2 “Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, every one a leader among them.” (Numbers 13:1-2)

Things to note: The men selected and sent into the land were leaders in Israel. Their status within the community would give their words weight.

What Moses asked to be included in the report
When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he said to them, “Go up there into the Negev; then go up into the hill country. 18 See what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many. 19 How is the land in which they live, is it good or bad? And how are the cities in which they live, are they like open camps or with fortifications? 20 How is the land, is it fat or lean? Are there trees in it or not? Make an effort then to get some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes. (Numbers 13:17-20)

The Bad Report
When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days, 26 they proceeded to come to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 Thus they told him, and said, “We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.”
30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.” 32 So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. 33 There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” (Numbers 13:25-33)

When the men came back from the land, ten of the men gave a bad report. Although Joshua and Caleb tried to settle the unrest of the people, the ten men’s words had more weight.
The oral Torah states the day the ten men gave the bad report was on the 8th day of the month of Av. When the sun set, a new day began, the 9th day of the month of Av.

In Numbers 14:1, we read the people of Israel wept all night after they heard the bad report.
Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. (Numbers 14:1)

This means, on the 9th day of Av, the people of Israel were weeping over the words of the ten men. They were weeping over nothing. The oral Torah states that due to the Israelites weeping all night over nothing, God was going to give them something to cry about on the 9th day of the month of Av. From this time forward, the 9th day of the month of Av has become the saddest day on the calendar for the Israelites.

9 of Av
The ninth day of the month of Av has become the single day on the calendar which seems to be the day which causes the Israelites a tremendous amount of pain and agony. Here are some of the things which have happened to the Israelites throughout history:

 1. Both Holy Temples were destroyed
The First Temple was destroyed on the 9th of Av (423 BCE). Five centuries later (in 69 CE), as the Romans drew closer to the Second Temple, ready to torch it, the Hebrews were shocked to realize that their Second Temple was destroyed the same day as the first.

2. The Battle at Betar was lost
When the Hebrews rebelled against Roman rule, they believed that their leader, Simon bar Kochba, would fulfill their messianic longings. But their hopes were cruelly dashed in 133 CE as the Jewish rebels were brutally butchered in the final battle at Betar.

3. The Romans destroyed and completely leveled the Holy Temple
One year after their conquest of Betar, the Romans plowed over the Temple Mount, the nation's holiest site.

4. The Israelites were expelled from England in 1290 CE

5. The Israelites were expelled from Spain
In 1492, the Golden Age of Spain came to a close when Queen Isabella and her husband Ferdinand ordered that the Hebrews be banished from the land. The edict of expulsion was signed on March 31, 1492, and the Hebrews were given exactly four months to put their affairs in order and leave the country.

6. The beginning of World War I
World War II and the Holocaust, historians conclude, was actually the long drawn-out conclusion of World War I that began in 1914. And yes, amazingly enough, Germany declared war on Russia, effectively catapulting the First World War into motion, on the 9th of Av.


The Month of Av
The month of Av is he fifth month of the Hebrew calendar. Av means father. The full name of the month is menachem av which means comforting or consoling father. The idea is that even though God has chastened Israel for their bad behavior and has caused much hardship to the Israelites, God will comfort His people and will again bring joy to the land.

Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord.  Do not be grieved, for the joy (hedvah) of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10
 
The background to this verse is this:  In order to rid the Israelites of their idolatry, God brought them to exile and near destruction using the Babylonians. That’s a hard situation to be in! But now, Nehemiah has returned to rebuild Jerusalem, and the people are recognizing that they need to recover their lost heritage, which is the Torah of God - they are covenant people with responsibilities before their King. No more rebellion! 

When the priest and teacher Ezra stand to read Torah, there is great weeping. They weep because they finally understand the magnitude of the tragedy of the fall of their once great nation. The reason for the Babylonian captivity became clear – their idolatry was behind it all.  They weep for what should have been, could have been...if only...They weep as they mourn their sin. 

And they wept because God restored them.  God indeed brought comfort, consolation, compassion. Our Menachem Av. God has not abandoned them, after all; He preserved a remnant. They can experience revival. But it took a large toll to get the message.
 
Menachem Av brings joy (hedvah), which brings strength. Only two times in all of the scriptures is this word hedvah, joy, found; here in Nehemiah 8:10 and in 1 Chronicles 16:27. This isn’t the word for the kind of joy associated with what we would think of as rejoicing or joy in English. That word is simchah, which is found dozens of times.  The uniqueness of hedvah is that it is directly connected to God, joy-of-the-LORD. It is His joy. 

'Simchah’ is that kind of rejoicing that involves human participation, usually in the form of expressing gladness and gratitude to God for what He has and is and will do for us. The biblical festivals are great examples of ways to express this joy/simcha. But what the Israelites of Nehemiah’s day needed was different. They needed, as do we when we are struggling under the weight of our sins and the sins of others, a kind of unique joy that we cannot manufacture ourselves. This hedveh is totally dependent upon God. He bestows it, we receive it.

Comfort is Coming
Despite being chasten for their sins, Israel is promised comfort. God promises their rebuke will soon end.
“Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.
2
“Speak kindly to Jerusalem;
And call out to her, that her warfare has ended,
That her [c]iniquity has been removed,
That she has received of the Lord’s hand
Double for all her sins.” (Isaiah 40:1-2)

In Zechariah chapter 8, Israel is promised a future restoration. Moreover, the fast days of the fourth month, the fifth month, the seventh month and the tenth month will become days of joy.

Then the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.’ 3 Thus says the Lord, ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.’ 4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of age. 5 And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.’ 6 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in My sight?’ declares the Lord of hosts. 7 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; 8 and I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in [i]truth and righteousness.’

9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built. 10 For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for animal; and for him who went out or came in there was no [j]peace because of his enemies, and I set all men one against another. 11 But now I will not [l]treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ declares the Lord of hosts. 12 ‘For there will be peace for the seed: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. 13 It will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong.’

14 “For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Just as I purposed to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and I have not relented, 15 so I have again purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear! 16 These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates. 17 Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,’ declares the Lord.”

18 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.’
20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘It will yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will also go.” 22 So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.’ 23 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’” (Zechariah 8:1-23)

The fasts of the fourth month, fifth month, seventh month and tenth month are all important days on Israel’s calendar. The fast of the fourth month is the 17th day of the month of Tammuz. As previously discussed, this day is the day Moses came down from Mount Sinai and broke the tablets when he witnessed the sin of the golden calf.

The fast of the fifth month is the 9th day of the month of Av. The fast of the seventh month is the third day of the month of tishei. This fast is in remembrance of the leader Gedaliah. Gedaliah was appointed to be the ruler over the Israelites who remained in Israel. Gedaliah ruled from Mizpah. A coup was formed and Gedaliah was assassinated on the third of tishrei. 

In the seventh month Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family and one of the chief officers of the king, along with ten men, came to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. While they were eating bread together there in Mizpah, 2 Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him arose and struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword and put to death the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land. 3 Ishmael also struck down all the Jews who were with him, that is with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war. (Jeremiah 41:1-3)

The fast of the tenth month is in remembrance of the siege of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar on the tenth day of the tenth month (tevet).

And the word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, saying, 2 “Son of man, write the name of the day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. (Ezekiel 24:1-2)

According to Zechariah 8, these four fast days will be turned into feast days, which means all the sorrow which is associated with these dates will be wiped away, and joy will once again return to the Israelites.

Aaron the High Priest
One last thing to note about the month of Av, on the first day of the month of Av, Aaron passes away.

Then Aaron the priest went up to Mount Hor at the command of the Lord, and died there in the fortieth year after the sons of Israel had come from the land of Egypt, on the first day in the fifth month. 39 Aaron was one hundred twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor. (Numbers 33:38-39)

The time between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av are times of sorrow. It seems apropos, the first High Priest for Israel dies during this time. The three weeks of being in a narrow place includes the death of the Levitical high priest, the person who teaches and is responsible for guiding Israel through their spiritual walk. In the future, Jesus will return and will lead us on the correct path and will teach us His ways.

Fruit is Like Treasure

Although we mostly get our produce from the grocery store and do no think much about if the item is easy or hard to grow, for the Israelites, who were highly dependent on the land for its food, knew what fruit was highly prized.

Jesus uses the idea of fruit to demonstrate what lies inside each person.

43For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 44For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. (Luke 6:43-45)

Good Fruit
Grapes are a highly prized item. They can be eaten as is. They can be dried and be turned into raisins. They can be crushed and made into wine. The wine could be used at a regular dinner, it could be saved for a special occasion, and wine was also used at the temple.

Figs are sweet treats. Unlike today where we have refine sugar in abundance, in Israel during Jesus’ time, figs were used to made fig cakes, sweet breads and you could press them to produce honey. The fig honey could be used just like we use bees’ honey.

The main thing to note, Jesus is talking about highly prized fruits in this teaching.

Bad Fruit
Thorns and a briar bush are terrible nuisances to Israel. They are invasive species and could easily wipe out a person’s field if they are allowed to invade and multiply. People tried to get rid of these invasive species. In the summer, they dry up. They are a fire hazard and can wipe out a farmer’s field. Also briar bushes and thorn bushes have prickers on them. If you get close or touch one, you may tear your clothes or get jabbed. You want to stay as far away from these plants as possible.

The moral of Jesus’ story is this: if you are an unwanted invasive species, you cannot cloak yourself to look like a fig tree or vine. When it is time to produce fruit, you will have nothing useful. So to is this with man. A wicked man will speak evil. A good person will speak kindness. Whatever is in a person’s heart (i.e., whatever type of plant a person is), his words will reflect his inner self (i.e., he will bear the type of fruit which corresponds to what type of plant he is).


The Wheat and Tares
Jesus speaks another parable in which people are compared to as wheat and tares. (Matthew 13:24-30)

24Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 

28And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29But he *said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ” (Matthew 13:24-30)


Things to note:
The word translated as “tare” may be translated as weeds in some Bible. It is actually the word “zizania” which is darnel. Darnel is a type of ryegrass. During its early growing stages, ryegrass and wheat look identical. Even experienced farmers cannot discern between ryegrass and wheat. The only way to distinguish between the two is to let them grow.

Wheat can grow up to four feet tall. In maturity, it is a golden color with brown seeds. Wheat is used to make flour for human consumption. Wheat flour an be made into an endless number of goods.

Ryegrass grows to about 3 feet tall. At maturity, it is purple in color. It has black seeds. Ryegrass is used for pastures and for lawns. Its seeds contain soporific poison. That is, the seeds of the ryegrass induces sleep and dulls awareness and alertness.

Moral of the story, there is a reason the slaves are concerned there has been ryegrass sown among the wheat. If the ryegrass is harvested together with the wheat, the ryegrass seed will contaminated the wheat. The wheat flour will be ruined. If it is eaten, it can cause the person to fall asleep or to lose alertness. If this poison would be allowed to be in the kingdom, everyone would be in a sleep state unable to serve God.


God’s word equals being nourished by water
When trees are mentioned in scripture to represent people, water is also almost always mentioned. Psalm 1 states a righteous person who mediates on God’s word will be as a tree planted by the rivers of water. The wicked will be like chaff (weeds) which are blown away.

1How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.
4The wicked are not so,
But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalm 1)

In verse 1, we are told a man will be blessed if he does not associated with the wicked. The blessed man will take pleasure in the law (torah) of the LORD and he will mediate day and night in the law (torah).

Torah: What does it mean?
The word Torah in our Bibles is translated as law. This translation comes from when the Hebrew Bible was translated from Hebrew into Greek about two hundred years before Jesus was born. There is no word for Torah in Greek. The scholars settled on the Greek word nomos. Nomos means standard, norm or doctrine. Over the centuries, nomos eventually became associated with the English word law.

To translate the word torah to mean law is very erroneous. Torah translated directly into English means teaching, instruction or guide. Torah is derived from the root word yora. Yora means to flow as water. Yora can refer to any flowing body of water such as a stream, river or rain. Yora also means to teach. Yora is the root for the word moreh. Moreh is a teacher.

Although as first glance, a teacher and rain seem to be completely different ideas. However, if you think about what the job of a teacher is, it is to provide nourishment, to provide the right conditions, to foster growth and allow students to grow. The job of water is the same thing. Water provides essential nourishment to plants. Without water, a seed can never germinate and take root.

Now keeping in mind the root word for torah is yora which means flowing water, verse 3 states a blessed man will be like a tree. The tree will be planted by flowing waters. You can see the association between the torah (which means to teach) and its root word yora (which means flowing waters). Translating this verse another way, if a man keeps to God’s instructions, he will be nourished. This nourishment will allow the man (tree) to bear fruit.

The wicked shall perish
In verse 4-6, this is eerily similar to Jesus’ teaching about the wheat and tares. Remember, the tares are burned up, but the wheat are spared and placed into the storehouse.

Lastly, the chaff being compared to the wicked and being burned up are some of the last words recorded in the Old Testament. The prophet Malachi says the following:

1“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” 2“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. 3You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 4:1-3)

We need to prepare ourselves to take root by rivers of water. We need to be nourished by God’s word and develop a deep root system. Then we trials come or famine or draught, we will be able to endure by having a strong foundation. Jesus says a similar message in Matthew 7.

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

The Cedars of Lebanon: Tall & Lofty

Cedars of Lebanon are a symbol of power and durability

Assyria is likened to be a cedar of Lebanon by God in Ezekiel 31. Assyria had a tremendous amount of power and wealth. During its height, it was the ruling empire of the world. The rulers of the empire believed they could not be toppled. Like the cedar of Lebanon, they would stand tall and would last many centuries. God, on the other hand, speaks about what he will do to the Assyrian empire using the cedar of Lebanon as an analogy.

3Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon
With beautiful branches and forest shade,
And very high,
And its top was among the clouds.
4The waters made it grow, the deep made it high.
With its rivers it continually extended all around its planting place,
And sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.
5Therefore its height was loftier than all the trees of the field
And its boughs became many and its branches long
Because of many waters as it spread them out.
6All the birds of the heavens nested in its boughs,
And under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth,
And all great nations lived under its shade.
7So it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches;
For its roots extended to many waters.

8The cedars in God’s garden could not match it;
The cypresses could not compare with its boughs,
And the plane trees could not match its branches.
No tree in God’s garden could compare with it in its beauty.
9I made it beautiful with the multitude of its branches,
And all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God, were jealous of it.

10‘Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Because it is high in stature and has set its top among the clouds, and its heart is haughty in its loftiness, 11therefore I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it. According to its wickedness I have driven it away. 12Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it; on the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land. And all the peoples of the earth have gone down from its shade and left it.

13On its ruin all the birds of the heavens will dwell, and all the beasts of the field will be on its fallen branches 14so that all the trees by the waters may not be exalted in their stature, nor set their top among the clouds, nor their well-watered mighty ones stand erect in their height. For they have all been given over to death, to the earth beneath, among the sons of men, with those who go down to the pit.” (Ezekiel 31:3-14)


In the last days, God will destroy everything which is lifted up and highly exalted. This includes nations which view themselves as the cedars of Lebanon.

12For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning
Against everyone who is proud and lofty
And against everyone who is lifted up,
That he may be abased.

13And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up,
Against all the oaks of Bashan,
14Against all the lofty mountains,
Against all the hills that are lifted up,
15Against every high tower,
Against every fortified wall,
16Against all the ships of Tarshish
And against all the beautiful craft.
17The pride of man will be humbled
And the loftiness of men will be abased;
And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,
18But the idols will completely vanish.

19 Men will go into caves of the rocks
And into holes of the ground
Before the terror of the Lord
And the splendor of His majesty,
When He arises to make the earth tremble.
20In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats
Their idols of silver and their idols of gold,
Which they made for themselves to worship,
21In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs
Before the terror of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty,
When He arises to make the earth tremble.
22Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils;
For why should he be esteemed? (Isaiah 2:12-22)


Lastly, God compares a righteous person to be like a cedar of Lebanon in Psalm 92.
12The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree,
He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13Planted in the house of the Lord,
They will flourish in the courts of our God.
14They will still yield fruit in old age;
They shall be full of sap and very green, (Psalm 92:12-14)

Using Psalm 92 as a springboard, let’s look at what it means to yield fruit or to put it another way, to bear fruit.


To bear fruit
A  tree needs the proper environment to produce fruit. One of the biggest factors in determining if a tree will produce fruit is the supply of water available. Fruit contains a high percentage of water. Oranges are 87% water. Peaches are 88% water. Grapefruit are 91% water. For a tree to yield fruit, a water source must be in an abundant supply.

The importance of the man being told he will bear fruit in season is that a water source (i.e., God’s instruction) will be abundant. If a man keeps to God’s word, he will bear fruit.

This idea of bearing fruit should be extremely familiar to us. The very first command God gives Adam and Eve is to be fruitful and multiple (Genesis 1:28). Many believe when God said to be fruitful, He meant to have lots of offspring. One could translate this as bearing the fruit of one’s loins, but if this was so, God would not have needed to say “and multiple”. Words are precious. An alternative translation is the fruit God is speaking about is having deeds in your life which bear witness to Him.

To bear fruit means to have things in your life which bear witness to your study of God’s word.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)


Where do we get fruit?
In the Book of Hosea, God is chastening Israel for being disobedient. God compares Israel to being an adulteress. After many chapters of sharp rebukes, chapter 14 gives hope to Israel that if he returns to God, he will be fruitful and have prosperity.

1Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2Take words with you and return to the Lord.
Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity
And receive us graciously,
That we may present the fruit of our lips.
3Assyria will not save us,
We will not ride on horses;
Nor will we say again, ‘Our god,’
To the work of our hands;
For in You the orphan finds mercy.”
4I will heal their apostasy,
I will love them freely,
For My anger has turned away from them.
5I will be like the dew to Israel;
He will blossom like the lily,
And he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon.
6His shoots will sprout,
And his beauty will be like the olive tree
And his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.
7Those who live in his shadow
Will again raise grain,
And they will blossom like the vine.
His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.
8O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols?
It is I who answer and look after you.
I am like a luxuriant cypress;
From Me comes your fruit.
9Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
Whoever is discerning, let him know them.
For the ways of the Lord are right,
And the righteous will walk in them,
But transgressors will stumble in them. (Hosea 14)

Things to note:
Verse 5, God says He will be like dew. Again, dew is essential water needed by plants. In Israel, the climate is very dry. The plants rely heavily on dew for their water source.

As air heats up, its ability to hold water increases. Air which is 80 degrees can hold far more water than air which is 50 degrees. During the day, as the sun heats up the air, the air sucks up moisture from the Mediterranean Sea, Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee, etc. The upper atmospheric winds distribute the air throughout Israel. At night, when the sun sets, the air temperature decreases. The ability for the air to hold water decreases. When air comes in contact with an object warmer than the air temperature, condensation forms on the warmer object. This is referred to as dew. Since Israel is a dry climate, dew is an essential water source for plants and animals.

When God says he will be like dew to Israel, it means He will be their main source of water. He will keep them alive in the dry summer months when rain in scarce.

Verse 5-7 speaks about Israel being a cedar, olive tree, vine, etc. These are all main plants in Israel and are highly valuable. (There is uncertainty about the word translated as “lily” here, what that actually referred to. So I will not speculate what the significance is for the plant species.)

Verse 8 tells us it is God who gives the fruit. This is incredibly important. If we are not seeing fruit in our lives—love, joy, peace, kindness, etc.—it may be that we are not following God’s word or are not applying the word. When we walk in God’s ways, our lives should produce fruit. If we do not produce fruit or are producing bad fruit, we need to re-examine our lives.

In Galatians 5, Paul writes about what the fruits of the Spirit are versus what the fruits of the flesh are.

14For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:14-24)


In short, if you want to bear fruit, you need to follow God’s word which Paul sums up as being Leviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The Righteous are Like Trees Planted By Streams of Water

In the Bible, people are often referred to as trees, and the wicked are often categorized as grass or weeds. Before exploring the Bible, let’s take a look at grass versus trees.

Life cycle: Grass
Grasses generally spring up quickly and are at their full height in 6-8 weeks. They are very temperature sensitive. If the weather is not right, the seeds will not germinate. Also, the grass is sensitive to temperatures as it grows. Grass grows best in temperatures 70-90 degrees. Once temperatures reach above 95 degrees, the plant goes dormant. Many grasses cannot tolerate temperatures below 60 degrees. Once the daytime highs are consistently below 60 degrees, the grass dies and becomes dormant.

Grasses are also water dependent. If you do not water grass, it will die after 7-10 days of no water. Grasses have shallow roots and have little ability to pull water from deep soil reserves. Grasses also cannot tolerate too much water. If you receive an abundance of water or over-water the grass, it will drown and die.

With a shallow root system, grass is very susceptible to wind. The wind will pull up the grass and blow it away. The wind will also dry out the grass and cause it to wither.

In short, grasses are very water and temperature dependent. They cannot tolerate changes in their environment.


Life cycle: Trees
When a tree is trying to germinate, it too needs favorable conditions. It needs proper sunlight, water and temperatures. Once it germinate and grows, it becomes a sapling.

During the sapping phase (when the tree is less than 4 inches tall), the tree is very delicate. It has a shallow root system. Too much wind can uproot the sapling. Too much or too little water can kill the plant. Temperatures too cold can freeze the plant.

Once the tree has grown to be over 4 inches tall, it can start to pull water and nutrients from the soil. It has an advance root system. Wind and temperature variations have some effect of the young tree, but it is much more durable than the sapling.

Mature tree: This is a tree which has a fully developed root system, branches and bark. The tree can withstand extreme temperatures and water conditions. The root system is very deep meaning it can pull water for deep within the earth. Mature trees live decades to centuries in this phase. They are strong, sturdy and are at little risk from dying from temperatures being too cold or too hot.

Grass versus trees
Grasses are extremely vulnerable during its entire lifecycle. It takes just 6-8 weeks to reach maturity. Grasses have a lifespan of a few months. After which, they will go to seed and die. If the environment is favorable, the new seeds will germinate and being the process all over again.

Tress are also very unstable during the their early life. The seeds need a favorable environment to germinate. The sapling is very susceptible to wind, water and temperature. The young plant needs to be protected and cared for. Once the sapling becomes a young tree, the tree is much sturdier and needs very little care. Once the tree becomes mature, the tree can live decades to centuries. When God refers to people being righteous, they are called mature trees and/or cedars of Lebanon.

Cedars of Lebanon
The cedars of Lebanon are a tree species in the pine family. They are native to the mountains of the eastern Mediterranean basin. They are endemic to Turkey, Syria and Lebanon. However, they have been transplanted all around the world. They are widely used as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens.

Cedars of Lebanon can reach 130 feet in height and can be up to 8 feet 2 aches in diameter.

The cedar of Lebanon is the national emblem of Lebanon. It is displayed on Lebanon’s national flag and on its coat of arms. It is also the logo for Middle East Airlines, which is Lebanon’s national carrier.

Cedar wood is prized for its fine grain, attractive yellow color and fragrance. It is exceptionally durable and immune to insect infestations. Wood from the cedars of Lebanon are used for furniture, construction and handicrafts. Cedar resin and cedar essential oil are prized extracts from the timber and cones of the cedar trees.


Cedars of Lebanon in the Bible
There are many places the cedars of Lebanon are mentioned in the Bible. It states in Psalm 104 that God planted the cedars of Lebanon. Psalm 104 is a praise about how God cares for all the earth.

16The trees of the Lord drink their fill,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
17Where the birds build their nests,
And the stork, whose home is the fir trees. (Psalm 104:16-17)


Cedars were known to be a sign of luxury and wealth. David uses cedars to build his palace.

11Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and carpenters and stonemasons; and they built a house for David. 12And David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel. (2 Samuel 5:11-12)


Cedars of Lebanon are most notably used in the construction of the both the first and second temples.

Cedars of Lebanon used in the construction of the first temple
1Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend of David. 2Then Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying, 3“You know that David my father was unable to build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5Behold, I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he will build the house for My name.’ 6Now therefore, command that they cut for me cedars from Lebanon, and my servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you say, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

7When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord today, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.” 8So Hiram sent word to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message which you have sent me; I will do what you desire concerning the cedar and cypress timber. 9My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place where you direct me, and I will have them broken up there, and you shall carry them away. Then you shall accomplish my desire by giving food to my household.” 10So Hiram gave Solomon as much as he desired of the cedar and cypress timber. (1 Kings 5:1-10)

Cedars of Lebanon are used in the construction of the second temple
1Now when the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. 2Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers arose and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. 3So they set up the altar on its foundation, for they were terrified because of the peoples of the lands; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. 

4They celebrated the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the fixed number of burnt offerings daily, according to the ordinance, as each day required; 5and afterward there was a continual burnt offering, also for the new moons and for all the fixed festivals of the Lord that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a freewill offering to the Lord. 

6From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, but the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not been laid. 7Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food, drink and oil to the Sidonians and to the Tyrians, to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea at Joppa, according to the permission they had from Cyrus king of Persia. (Ezra 3:1-7)

Adam: The First Man to Speak Evil

The Torah uses the word  אדם (Adam, man, mankind) instead of the more common word איש (ish, man), to identify the leper.

“When a man (adam)  shall have a rising in his body’s skin, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes in the skin of his body the plague of leprosy, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons, the priests…”
Leviticus 13:2

While “adam” can and does mean “man,” (and has a connection to the word “red”), it hearkens back to Adam HaRishon, the First Man, who sinned in the Garden of Eden. Adam’s sin caused a shock wave effect of spiritual leprosy throughout creation, causing untold suffering in the world. When Adam was confronted about his sin by God, he immediately points at the woman, and says, “the woman YOU gave to be with me gave it to me.” Instead of owning up to his disobedience, he shifts the blame onto Eve (and God!), and speaks lashon hara, the evil tongue, malicious slander or gossip. The cause of tzara’at is ascribed to lashon hara, and the one who experiences tzara’at is called a metzora (leper). In Aramaic, the word for leper is “chivra,” which literally means “white”.

Brief Background about “adam”
“Adam” means man. It also means dust of the earth. Using different vowel points, “adam” becomes “edom”. (Remember Hebrew does not have vowels. The vowels are implied.) “Edom” means red. In Genesis 25, Esau is given the name “Edom” 

27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a civilized man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for game; but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 When Jacob had cooked a stew one day, Esau came in from the field and he was exhausted; 30 and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a mouthful of that red stuff there, for I am exhausted.” Therefore he was called Edom by name. 31 But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” 33 And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore an oath to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and got up and went on his way. So Esau despised his birthright. (Genesis 25:27-34)

“Edom” means red. Esau wanted the “red stuff” to eat. Esau was red and hairy when he was born. “Edom” also means dirt or earth. It is a play on words that Esau is a “man of the field” (verse 27).

Sacrifice for the Leper
The book of Leviticus describes the sacrifice of the metzora,
“This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest, and the priest shall go forth out of the camp. The priest shall examine him, and behold, if the plague of leprosy is healed in the leper, then the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two living clean birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop. The priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water. As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water. He shall sprinkle on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird go into the open field.”
Leviticus 14:2-7

What is the meaning of this sacrifice?
The following elements are:
Two Living Clean Birds
Cedar Wood
Scarlet
Hyssop
Earthen Vessel
Living (Running) Water
The message to the metzora is clear. His lashon hara will be atoned for by sacrificing the animal who “chatterers” throughout creation. On a deeper level, the clean tzippor (bird), is identified as either a Tor (turtledove) or a Yonah (dove). Both the “Tor” and the “Yonah” are names for the Mashiach. The word ‘tzippor’ (bird) has the gematria of ‘zehu Mashiach’ (this one is Messiah):
צפר = זהו משיח = 370

Two animals sacrificed
For the sacrifice of the metzora, one bird is to be killed while the other one is to be set free. This same sacrifice happens on Yom Kippur. Two identical goats are brought together, one is killed, and the other released. 

 5 And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering. 6 Then Aaron shall offer the bull as the sin offering, which is for himself, so that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. 7 He shall then take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 8 Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell, and make it a [l]sin offering. 10 But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat. (Leviticus 16:5-10)

The exact same scenario played out with Yeshua and a man named “Yeshua bar Abba”, popularly known as Barabbas. One was killed while the other one was set free.

15 Now at the Passover Feast the governor was accustomed to release for the [f]people any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And at that time they were holding a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was because of envy that they had handed Him over.

19 And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “See that you have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas, and to put Jesus to death. 21 And the governor [i]said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate *said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all *said, “Crucify Him!” 23 But he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” Yet they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”
24 Now when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; you yourselves shall see.” 25 And all the people replied, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified. (Matthew 27:19-26)

Bird sacrificed: Blood and Water
As the bird is sacrificed, its blood joins the water flowing from the jar of clay. The human body is likened to a jar of clay, and God is the Potter.
But now, Lord, You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter,
And all of us are the work of Your hand. (Isaiah 64:8)

When Jesus was crucified, we are told that water and blood came forth from His body.

31 Now then, since it was the day of preparation, to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the Sabbath ([r]for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews requested of Pilate that their legs be broken, and the bodies be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other who was crucified with Him; 33 but after they came to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 Yet one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. (John 19:31-34)


Hyssop
In the Torah, the hyssop and cedar create a connecting thread between the Sacrifice of the Leper, the Red Heifer, and the blood of the Lamb for Passover. The Midrash Rabbah says,
“The hyssop, for instance, appears to man to be of no worth, yet its power is great in the eyes of God, who put it on a level with cedar in numerous cases,-in the purification of the leper, and the burning of the Red Heifer; and in Egypt too He commanded a precept to be performed with hyssop, as it says: AND YOU SHALL TAKE A BUNCH OF HYSSOP. Of Solomon, also, does it say: “And he spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springs out of the wall” (I Kings 5:13)- to teach you that the small and the great are equal in the sight of God. He performs miracles with the smallest things, and through the hyssop which is the most lowly of trees, did He redeem Israel.”
Exodus Rabbah 17:2, Soncino Press Edition

It is fascinating that the Gospel of John mentions “hyssop” at the execution stake of the Messiah. It may be possible that the stake itself was made of cedar wood.
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled, *said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (John 19:28-30)

Like the cedar and the hyssop, the scarlet yarn formed a part of the korbanot of the Red Heifer, and the goats of Yom Kippur.

Messiah himself was cloaked in a garment of scarlet.
So Pilate then took Jesus and had Him flogged. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and placed it on His head, and put a scarlet cloak on Him; 3 and they repeatedly came up to Him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapped Him in the face again and again. (John 19:1-3)

Jesus and Lepers

As we read Scripture, we can often gloss over many details. When we read about Jesus cleansing lepers, we often do not understand what leprosy was or how it affected an individual. It was a spiritual affliction which exiled the person. The person was not allowed to live in cities. The person had to dwell alone away from others. Before Jesus, no Israelite afflicted with leprosy was ever healed. Once a person was declared unclean with leprosy by a priest, the person remained that way for the rest of his life. Knowing all this, we can now begin to understand the implications for Jesus and His ability to cleanse a person from leprosy. We begin to understand how a person who was given a life sentence of exile now had hope of re-entering society. 

Many people believe and teach Jesus did not follow Torah, and Jesus did whatever He wanted. However, this is not so. Even Jesus follows Torah and its protocols in regards to leprosy (tzara’at).

Mark 1:40-45
40And a leper *came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and *said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. 43And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, 44and He *said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 45But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.


Matthew 8:1-4
1When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4And Jesus *said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”


Things to note:
1. Jesus told the lepers to go show themselves to the priest. The priest would be the one who would make the declaration of a person being cleansed from tzara’at.

2. Jesus told the lepers to present the offerings Moses commanded. Again, this emphasizes Jesus did not tell people to break the Torah. Instead, Jesus is upholding it.

3. Jesus did not heal the lepers. Many erroneously believe the lepers needed healing. No, they needed cleansing. Why? Because tzara’at was a spiritual affliction. When a person repented and/or renewed their faith with God, they went to a place called a mikvah. They completely submerged themselves into the water. When they came up, it is said they had a new birth. They were born again.


Washing was a requirement for cleansing the leper. In Leviticus 14, we read on the first day and on the seventh day, the person who has been declared free from tzara’at must bathe. Please note, this is not taking a shower; the person is not bathing because he is dirty. It is a ritual washing.

1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2“This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing. Now he shall be brought to the priest, 3and the priest shall go out to the outside of the camp. Thus the priest shall look, and if the infection of leprosy has been healed in the leper, 4then the priest shall give orders to take two live clean birds and cedar wood and a scarlet string and hyssop for the one who is to be cleansed. 5The priest shall also give orders to slay the one bird in an earthenware vessel over running water. 6As for the live bird, he shall take it together with the cedar wood and the scarlet string and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was slain over the running water. 7He shall then sprinkle seven times the one who is to be cleansed from the leprosy and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the live bird go free over the open field. 8The one to be cleansed shall then wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe in water and be clean. Now afterward, he may enter the camp, but he shall stay outside his tent for seven days. 9It will be on the seventh day that he shall shave off all his hair: he shall shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair. He shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in water and be clean.


Does tzara’at still exist?
The short answer is no. Tzara’at seemed loonily be an affliction which plagued the Israelites (and also Naaman the Syrian). Priests are needed to declare someone unclean with the affliction. However, priests are needed to declare some cleansed from tzara’at. Then, offering must be brought to the Temple. As long as there is no Temple and no priesthood, there can be no tzara’at.

Although there is no tzara’at, that does not mean God does not use other means to punish use for evil speech. We may have financial struggles, car troubles, failed friendships, broken marriages, etc. God can use many things to teach us lessons. Moreover, evil speech is a poison which will create its own punishment. How many times have your own words spoken in secret come back to you? King Solomon warns about this in Ecclesiastes.

21Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you. 22For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others. (Ecclesiastes 7:21-22)

Furthermore, in your bedchamber do not curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known. (Ecclesiastes 10:20)

Scripture gives us many reprimands about speaking evil about one another.

12A worthless person, a wicked man,
Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth,
13Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet,
Who points with his fingers;
14Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil,
Who spreads strife.
15Therefore his calamity will come suddenly;
Instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing.
16There are six things which the Lord hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
17Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
18A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19A false witness who utters lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers. (Proverbs 6:12-19)


We need to strive to speak well of one another. Scripture gives us many verses to meditate on as we try to let love and peace flow from our mouths.

17‘You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. 18You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:17-18)


23Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
24Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.
25Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.
27Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:23-27)


6Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.
8The wise of heart will receive commands,
But a babbling fool will be ruined.
9He who walks in integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will be found out.
10He who winks the eye causes trouble,
And a babbling fool will be ruined.
11The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all transgressions. (Proverbs 10:6-12)


18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19We love, because He first loved us. 20If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. (1 John 4:18-21)


12So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:12-17)

Evil Speech: Being Placed Outside the Camp

Tzara’at Punishment
The punishment for tzara’at was to be isolated outside the camp. If a person was immediately declared unclean, the exile was permanent. However, if the priest was not sure if the person did or did not have tzara’at, the person was isolated seven days and potentially seven more days. If the person was declared clean, he was allowed to go back into the camp. If he was declared unclean, his isolation was permanent (until he was declared clean by the priest, brought offerings, cleansed himself and did the other obligations set forth by the Torah).

Many believe if the lashon hara was severe, only then would the person be immediately declared unclean with tzara’at. However, most lashon hara is done without much conscious thought. For this reason, many believe that is why there is a waiting period of up to two weeks before being given a definite decision about having or not having tzara’at. During this time, the person was outside the camp. He had time to think about his actions. If he repented, it is believed the tzara’at would not spread. If he was starting on the path to change his heart and ways, God would allow the person to continue the process back in the camp. If the person was not going to repent, God would make the isolation permanent.

What does it mean to be outside the camp
Being outside the camp meant a person was in exile. People inside the camp were not allowed to go to the people outside the camp and socialize with them. Being outside the camp was punishment. The people were not allowed to attend worship services or festivals. Being placed outside the camp was supposed to give the person time to reflect on his actions. If he repented, turned back to God and changed his ways, he would have to seek out leadership and ask to be re-instated in the camp.

Some examples of being set outsider the camp:

Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. (Exodus 12:15)

Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is an alien or a native of the land. (Exodus 12:19)

“For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.’ (Leviticus 17:14)

‘As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. (Leviticus 20:6)

If there is a man who lies with a menstruous woman and uncovers her nakedness, he has laid bare her flow, and she has exposed the flow of her blood; thus both of them shall be cut off from among their people. (Leviticus 20:18)



Once declared clean, offerings and rituals
Once a priest declared someone free from tzara’at, the person has to bring a number of offerings and go through 8 days of specific tasks.

1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2“This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing. Now he shall be brought to the priest, 3and the priest shall go out to the outside of the camp. Thus the priest shall look, and if the infection of leprosy has been healed in the leper, 4then the priest shall give orders to take two live clean birds and cedar wood and a scarlet string and hyssop for the one who is to be cleansed. 5The priest shall also give orders to slay the one bird in an earthenware vessel over running water. 6As for the live bird, he shall take it together with the cedar wood and the scarlet string and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was slain over the running water. 7He shall then sprinkle seven times the one who is to be cleansed from the leprosy and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the live bird go free over the open field. 8The one to be cleansed shall then wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe in water and be clean. Now afterward, he may enter the camp, but he shall stay outside his tent for seven days. 9It will be on the seventh day that he shall shave off all his hair: he shall shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair. He shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in water and be clean.

10“Now on the eighth day he is to take two male lambs without defect, and a yearling ewe lamb without defect, and three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and one log of oil; 11and the priest who pronounces him clean shall present the man to be cleansed and the aforesaid before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 12Then the priest shall take the one male lamb and bring it for a guilt offering, with the log of oil, and present them as a wave offering before the Lord. 13Next he shall slaughter the male lamb in the place where they slaughter the sin offering and the burnt offering, at the place of the sanctuary—for the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy. 14The priest shall then take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 

15The priest shall also take some of the log of oil, and pour it into his left palm; 16the priest shall then dip his right-hand finger into the oil that is in his left palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the Lord. 17Of the remaining oil which is in his palm, the priest shall put some on the right ear lobe of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt offering; 18while the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s palm, he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the Lord. 19The priest shall next offer the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Then afterward, he shall slaughter the burnt offering. 20The priest shall offer up the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be clean.

21“But if he is poor and his means are insufficient, then he is to take one male lamb for a guilt offering as a wave offering to make atonement for him, and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a log of oil, 22and two turtledoves or two young pigeons which are within his means, the one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. 23Then the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, at the doorway of the tent of meeting, before the Lord. 24The priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall offer them for a wave offering before the Lord. 25Next he shall slaughter the lamb of the guilt offering; and the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 

 

26The priest shall also pour some of the oil into his left palm; 27and with his right-hand finger the priest shall sprinkle some of the oil that is in his left palm seven times before the Lord. 28The priest shall then put some of the oil that is in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the guilt offering. 29Moreover, the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s palm he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement on his behalf before the Lord. 30He shall then offer one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, which are within his means. 31He shall offer what he can afford, the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. So the priest shall make atonement before the Lord on behalf of the one to be cleansed. 32This is the law for him in whom there is an infection of leprosy, whose means are limited for his cleansing.” (Leviticus 14:1-32)

Things to note:
One the first day, the person had to go through a special ceremony of being sprinkled with the blood of a bird. The man has to wash his clothes and bathe in water. He is now free to come back into the camp. However, he cannot enter his tent. He must remain outside his tent for seven days.

On the seventh day, he must shave off all his hair, wash his clothes and bathe. Then he is clean. Now he can go back to his tent.

In the eighth day, the cleansed person now makes offerings. Eight represents new beginnings. Making these offerings signifies a new start to this person. He overcame tzara’at and thus he hopefully learned how to better guard his speech. Also, a person must be declared clean to making offerings. Thus, the person cannot make an offering before day 8, or he will have offered them while unclean and violated the Torah.


Cedar and Hyssop
The Torah prescribes an elaborate ritual for the cleansing of a leper after his symptoms have abated. The ritual involves several components including two live birds, scarlet wool, living water, hyssop and cedar wood. Jewish tradition provides meanings for each of the symbols.

Why did the cleansing of the leper require cedar wood? Rashi suggested that the purification ceremony employed cedar wood because the cedar, as a tall and lofty tree, represents the haughty spirit. The metaphor of a cedar as a haughty person comes from the words of the prophet Isaiah.
The LORD of hosts will have a day of reckoning against everyone who is proud and lofty and against everyone who is lifted up, that he may be abased. And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up. (Isaiah 2:12-13)

A haughty spirit finds it difficult to tolerate other people's character flaws. The haughty person fails to recognize his own shortcomings. Instead, he focuses on the shortcomings of others. Most often, when we speak ill of others, it is because we are defending our own pride. People elevate themselves by stepping on other people. By putting someone else down, we think we are lifting ourselves up. 

 

The Proverbs contrast two kinds of people: a person who guards his words and a person with a haughty spirit:
He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles. "Proud," "Haughty," "Scoffer," are his names, who acts with insolent pride. (Proverbs 21:23-24)

The Psalms also equate haughtiness with evil speech. Psalm 101 warns that God punishes the slanderer and does not endure haughtiness:
Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; no one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure. (Psalm 101:5)

The big, tall, haughty cedar is the most likely tree in the forest to be cut down. As the saying goes, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling" (Proverbs 16:18). The Bible says that God's "eyes are on the haughty to bring them low" (1 Samuel 22:28).

In our attempts to elevate ourselves by stepping on others, we inevitably lower ourselves. This is part of what Jesus meant when He taught that if a man lifts himself up he will be humbled, but if he humbles himself he will be lifted up.

Hyssop is also used in the ceremony. Hyssop is a plant which lies close to the ground. It is believed hyssop represents being lowly and humbled. The person with tzara’at was sprinkled with the hyssop to remind him that he should be lowly and humble like the hyssop.