The Creation Gospel Podcast

Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 59 (Living on Credit) for week of March 26, 2023

The Song of Songs describes how beautiful the Children of Israel were when they came up from their washing of the Reed Sea like a flock of clean sheep:

 

• How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil; your hair is like a flock of goats that have descended from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep which have come up from their washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost her young. Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your mouth is beautiful. Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate behind your veil. Your neck is like the tower of David, built with layers of stones on which are hung a thousand shields, all the round shields of the warriors. Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle that graze among the lilies.

 

Although the Israelites were in the middle of a "holiness sandwich," nevertheless they were unharmed. They were walking on credit in righteousness they hadn't personally attained. Instead, they walked in the righteousness of Yeshua, the living Word. They believed Adonai, which means they believed His Word as spoken to them through Moses, a metaphor for the Torah. At that moment that the Israelites came up from the washing of the Sea unharmed, the Midrash says that the following from our Song was said of their uprightness:

 

• “Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your mouth is beautiful. Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate behind your veil.”

 

The pomegranate is a symbol of the Torah's 613 commandments, for the number of pips in a pomegranate is around that number. The symbolism of the pomegranate pips as the 613 commandments suggests the doctrine taught by the apostles:

 

• For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Ro 4:3)

 

• for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Ro 10:10)

 

Salvation comes with the potential to fulfill the righteous and holy commandments.  We are given mercy and grace while we walk and learn in the wilderness, preparing to ascend to the Promised Land. Drop down a couple of verses, and the Song reads: “Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle that graze among the lilies.”  One the applications of the two breasts is the milk of the Word, demonstrated by the two tables (tablets) of the Ten Commandments. If those two breasts represent the two (twin) tablets of the Torah given at Mt. Sinai, then their formation into something mature (613) would come through further instruction from Moses in the wilderness.

 

Ezekiel 16:6-14 rebukes the Israelites who later rebelled and walked in the very sins from which He'd delivered them. Adonai reminds them of how He found them struggling in their birth blood, twelve tribes now a nation in the midst of another nation, struggling to emerge from Egypt. He describes how He waited for them to grow up and to meet Him at Sinai to receive the Words of their promise at betrothal:

 

Of note in Ezekiel 16 is: “...11 I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck. 12 I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.” (ibid)

 

What are these ornmaments to Israel?

 

• “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching; indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck.” (Pr 1:8-9)

 

• “My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother; bind them continually on your heart; tie them around your neck.” (Pr 6:20-21)

 

Like children, the Israelites were guided from Egypt to Sinai by Moses, Aaron, and "mom" Miriam (Micah 6:4; Ex 15:20). The children walking in the credit of Yeshua's righteousness were given the Big Ten at betrothal, which hang on the Big Two, and eventually Moses would teach them the fullness of the 613 so they could be "married" and enter the Land of their Promise. The two tablets represented how the Israelites would grow in respect to their salvation from Egypt, the realm of sin and death. Why were the commandments written on two tablets?

 

The sages asserted that each brother of the twelve sons of Jacob had a twin sister.  Half of the commandments focus on our relationship to Elohim, so they are the “father” commandments. As Paul taught the Corinthians, the man’s head represents the glory of Elohim restored to the groaning Creation:

 

• “For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.” (1 Co 11:7)

 

The other “twin” tablet is the “mother commandments,” which teach us the human relational Torah. The female “twin” head represents the glory of mankind restored in the Creation, which groans for human beings to walk in the revealed righteousness of Yeshua, the Word of Elohim:

 

• For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. (Ro 8:18-25)

 

The Creation is groaning because like Israel, who had the potential to mature into 613 seeds of the pomegranate from the Big Ten, the Creation, too, is encoded with a greater potential than has ever been realized outside of the Garden of Eden. It is groaning because it wants to be growning! I know. Bad pun. Most puns are.

 

Let’s identify some bullet points related to our study:

 

• There is a glory to be revealed to human beings. This is symbolized by the “heads” in the congregration: men, the revealed glory of Elohim in the Creation, and women, the revealed glory of human beings in the Creation
• Creation has an expectation of this, it is “encoded” for greater growth and fruit
• Human sin prevents the Creation from breaking free of its slavery to corruption. Until the glory is revealed, it is in childbirth, the life within prepared, yet held back.
• Likewise, the human body before resurrection is encoded with the ability to live in glorious immortality, yet is not revealed until full redemption of the body.
• The Ruach HaKodesh is our “firstfruits”, or the hope of the resurrection to glory.

 

At Mount Sinai, the Israelites promised, "We will do, and we will hear." They were again credited for righteousness they hadn't yet learned or earned, but Adonai would give them time to grow in their salvation beyond the milk of the Big Ten.

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Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 58 (Footsteps in a Holiness Sandwich) for week of March 19, 2023

Our Footsteps of Messiah series has focused on the prophecies contained in the Song of Songs. Once we reach the fourth chapter of the Song, some of the prophecies are repeated, yet we can glean more in-depth understanding with the first chapters already established. In Chapter Four, we read:

 

• How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil; your hair is like a flock of goats that have descended from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep which have come up from their washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost her young.

 

In a previous lesson, we looked at “Mount Gilead” as a wordplay with “mountain of rolling (continual) witness.” There is a literal mountain range in Gilead, but there was Mount Sinai, where the Israelites responded to the covenant invitation with “We will do, and we will hear.” From the heights of spiritual ecstasy at Mount Sinai, the Israelites descended “like a flock of goats” to become a light and witness to the nations. Goats are often symbolic of sacrifice for atonement. Indeed, Israel has suffered sacrifice to hold onto their covenant agreement at Sinai, reflecting the suffering of Messiah for the sake of the nations.  

 

Next, the prophecy refers to Israel as “a flock of newly shorn sheep which have come up from their washing.” Sheep are often symbolic of the innocent, compliant, and easily led. The sages point to the “washing” as the journey through the Reed Sea in their escape from Pharaoh. A second washing was the three-day preparation of washing for the visitation at Mount Sinai. The first washing at the Reed Sea is of particular interest since it explains in more detail the apostles’ doctrines of mercy, grace, and torah. While there has been a long history of poor understanding and applications of the relationship among them, the foundations are in the Exodus from Egypt. 

 

The twelve tribes of Israel grew in their Egyptian captivity. With courage, the midwives salvaged the “young” of the sheep, protecting them from Pharaoh’s death squads. 

 

• "Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep which have come up from their washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost her young [שַׁכּוּל H7909]."

 

 שַׁכֻּל shakkul; from H7921; bereaved:—barren, bereaved (robbed) of children.

 

There was not a long list of commandments for the flock of Israel to keep while they were being saved. 

 

1. Listen to Moses’ warning about the plagues. 
2. Circumcise. 
3. Slaughter a lamb, apply the blood to the doorposts, and eat it. 
4. Leave Egypt. 
5. Follow the pillar of cloud. 

 

That’s pretty much it. There were no 613 commandments, or even the Big Ten. Not even the Shema or “love your neighbor.” These were simple, demonstrated acts of faith. The details of the 2, the 10, and the 613 would come later in the wilderness. 

 

There is a play-on word with “all of which bear twins.”

 

תָּאַם tâʼam; a primitive root; to be complete; but used only as denominative from H8380, to be (causatively, make) twinned, i.e. (figuratively) duplicate or (architectural) jointed:—coupled (together), bear twins.

 

Ta’am is sometimes translated as “perfect.” The flock may be seen as not only complete, but perfect as in upright, with moral integrity:

 

• “Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless. [תָּמִים]” (Ge 17:1)

 

The children of Abraham would also be counted like their father, upright. It didn’t mean without sin or mistakes; it meant walk and work on the revealed things each day. The Midrash Rabbah presents a homily concerning “all of them are perfect, ta’am which have come up from their washing.” They point out that in spite of being herded and guarded between the Presence of Adonai Himself and the Angel, the Israelites came up from the Reed Sea unharmed by the intense holiness that was experienced between them. Although not yet walking in the commandments, nor had they even agreed to, the Israelites were already walking by faith. They were on the path, leaving death behind, yet obedience lay before them, a journey to prepare them to go up into the Land of their inheritance. 

 

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Dr Hollisa Alewine – Banner Ministry with Lisa Merwin for week of March 12, 2023

Guest Lisa Merwin from River of Life Tabernacle shares her expertise on how to start and minister with banners during worship.

 

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Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 57 (The Four Winds Review) for week of February 26, 2023

Bullet points from the Four Winds:

• These Torah portions are always timed to bookend the moed of Shavuot.  The opening verse of the text associates it with Sinai in the wilderness, the place where the Torah was given.
• With the Mishkan built, now the tribes are counted for organizing into their boundaries for camping, movement, judgment, and for war.  Their tribal blessings or clan (Leviim) attributes will influence their arrangement.
• According to the Midrash, the arrangement was rectangular.  The kohanim, families of Moses* and Aaron, camped close to the entrance of the Mishkan on the east side. The other clans of Levites camped north, west, and south a farther distance from the Mishkan.
• Outside the Levites were the twelve tribes, and each of the four “corners” were given to livestock (hint-hint).
• The clouds of glory surrounded the Camp on all four sides.  The wilderness asks the question:  “Are you ownerless like the midbar?”
• The wilderness specifically tests for pride.  It’s a pre-Jerusalem, pre-Garden step.  It’s an “in-between” place between salvation and elevation.  A saved human being must disentangle himself/herself from dependence upon the previous Egyptian serpent/multi-beast owner and their systems: government, economic, agricultural, sports, medicine, literature, music, etc.  We covered this in the ”History of the Beast.”  Dependence shifts to the Holy One of Israel.

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Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 56 - (Footsteps To The Coffin Part 6) for week of February 19, 2023

We continue our series “Footsteps To The Coffin." This will be Pt 6. 

 

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Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 55 - (Footsteps To The Coffin Part 5) for week of February 12, 2023

We continue our series “Footsteps To The Coffin." This will be Pt 5. This week's teaching considers "His train fills the Temple" ... what else is there?

 

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Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 54 - (Footsteps To The Coffin Part 4) for week of February 5, 2023

We continue our series “Footsteps To The Coffin" and we need to ask ourselves: Why alabaster?  Why nard?

 

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Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 53 - (Footsteps To The Coffin Part 3) for week of January 28, 2023

We continue the series "Footsteps To The Coffin" This will be Pt 3.

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Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 52 - (Footsteps To The Coffin Part 2) for week of January 22, 2023

Previously, you saw how there were various explanations of the “twins,” such as the twin tablets of the Testimony or pair of Moses and Aaron. There is another idea in the oral tradition:

 

• “Then all his sons and all his daughters got up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he [Israel] said, ‘Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.’ So his father wept for him.” (Ge 37:35)

 

Hey, wait, where did these daughters come from? The tradition says that for each male born to the Jacob/Israel, there was a corresponding twin daughter. Because we have more text to work with in the case of Dinah, Genesis 37:35 sticks out like a sore thumb. The "young," or children, are the sons and daughters of Israel. Here is another clue from a pair of lips:

 

• “Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your mouth [midbar-wilderness] is beautiful.”

 

The play-on word suggests the beautiful Beloved Israel ascending from the wilderness to her inheritance. She is a conqueror with King Messiah Yeshua at her head. Although often concealed by the Biblical text, women are an important part of the promise of returning children. A woman in prayer and prophecy, proclaiming the Word, is a powerful force, which the armies of darkness know full well:

 

• The Lord gives the command; the women who proclaim good news are a great army: kings of armies flee, they flee, and she who remains at home will divide the spoils!” (Ps 68:11-12)

 

The Psalmist offers two examples of the great army: those who proclaim (preach) the command, and those who "remain at home." They equally share in the spoils of war. Think of the working pair of Mary and Martha. Mary was more of the proclaimer type, especially since she wasn't nearly as interested in cooking as in sitting at Yeshua's feet learning! Martha was more concerned with serving the meals. They each share in the spoils, even though Yeshua wished Martha understood Mary's hunger to learn the Word.

 

In Acts Two, Peter is not confused at all about what it is happening. Apparently, he’s repented of reacting to the women who brought him the Good News of Yeshua’s resurrection as if they were speaking foolishness. Now he understands, connecting the events of Acts 1:14 to Acts 2 in the Temple: 

 

• “All these were continually devoting themselves with one mind to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”

 

• Acts 2:11 ...we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty deeds of God.” 12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others were jeering and saying, “They are full of sweet wine!” 14 But Peter, taking his stand with the other eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, know this, and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you assume, since it is only the third hour of the day; 16 but this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, ‘THAT I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS WILL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN WILL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN WILL HAVE DREAMS; 18 AND EVEN ON MY MALE AND FEMALE SERVANTS I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT IN THOSE DAYS, and they will prophesy. 19 ‘AND I WILL DISPLAY WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD, FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE. 20 ‘THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD COMES. 21 ‘AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’

 

This is quite a wonder for that day and time! Women...preaching and prophesying the Word alongside men...in the Temple? Converting many people? Where did all those daughters come from?

 

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Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 51 - (Footsteps To The Coffin Part 1) for week of January 15, 2023

This is how doves try...

 

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