Hello everyone! I thought it would be nice to get to know one another's Favorite Bible Story...not necessarily a story in the Bible but the story of what your favorite Bible verse or story is and why. This will probably be a very easy assignment for us all but with warmer weather well on it's way, I know how hard it is to stay indoors, even for school work. Have fun with it and remember we only have two more BFS assignments left!
HMMM.. How does one choose one single "favourite" story from the Bible? Nancy said this would be easy, I beg to differ.
I guess my favourite story is this concept of the Tallit - the prayer shawl - the covering of the Lord. Every week when we celebrate the Sabbath, my husband comes to me at my end of the table. He stands over me, and I come to him, he puts his Tallit, his prayer shawl over both of us, and he blesses me - sometimes with Proverbs 31, sometimes just with a blessing from his heart. Then he moves to the children, where he stands over them, they gather under his wings, and he covers them with his tallit again and we together bless our children.
The Tallit is a symbol, a picture, of the blood covering of the Messiah, who's blood has washed us clean and makes us able to stand in His presence. When I stand under my husband's tallit, I stand under his protection, as do my children - until the day they are prepared to stand alone before God - as men, or Janney with her husband.
Scripture shows us many of these pictures.
Gen 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it had a pleasing appearance and that the tree was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her; and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together to make themselves loincloths.
When Chavah stepped out from under her the protection of Adam, she chose to stand up for herself in the face of the Serpant and fell into sin, then Adam chose to take that step as well, choosing to take on the consequences of death for Chavah's sin - Adam took back that position of headship, took the responsibility for his bride's sin - becoming a picture of the Messiah, but trying in his own strength to cover their sin. Alas, Adam is not Messiah - he is fallible Man, he is but dust - incapable of saving himself.
Gen 3:21 ADONAI, God, made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
When God cast them both out of Eden, in order to restore them to a right relationship with Him, someone had to die for that sin. God chose the lamb, shed that lamb's blood, and covered Adam and Chavah with the skin of the lamb(s). That shed lambs blood is a picture of the tallit - a picture of the blood the Messiah would one day shed for all our sins.
Exodus 19:5 Now if you will pay careful attention to what I say and keep my covenant, then you will be my own treasure from among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you will be a kingdom of cohanim for me, a nation set apart.'These are the words you are to speak to the people of Isra'el." 7 Moshe came, summoned the leaders of the people and presented them with all these words which ADONAI had ordered him to say. 8 All the people answered as one, "Everything ADONAI has said, we will do." Moshe reported the words of the people to ADONAI.
9 ADONAI said to Moshe, "See, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people will be able to hear when I speak with you and also to trust in you forever."Moshe had told ADONAI what the people had said;
Another picture in scripture is when the chosen Bride - the Children of Israel - stand at Mt. Sinai, and enter into a covenant of betrothal with the Lord. Because of their sin, they couldn't stand in His presence unless they were covered. God again provided a covering, through the cloud that covered Mt. Sinai - another picture of what the Messiah would one day do on our behalf, cover our sin, so we could become the Pure Bride - presentable to the Lord.
Revelation 19:7 "Let us rejoice and be glad! Let us give him the glory! For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and his Bride has prepared herself - 8 fine linen, bright and clean has been given her to wear." ("Fine linen" means the righteous deeds of God's people.) 9 The angel said to me, "Write: 'How blessed are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb!'" Then he added, "These are God's very words." 10 I fell at his feet to worship him; but he said, "Don't do that! I'm only a fellow-servant with you and your brothers who have the testimony of Yeshua. Worship God! For the testimony of Yeshua is the Spirit of prophecy."
11 Next I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. Sitting on it was the one called Faithful and True, and it is in righteousness that he passes judgment and goes to battle. 12 His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. And he had a name written which no one knew but himself. 13 He was wearing a robe that had been soaked in blood, and the name by which he is called is, "THE WORD OF GOD."
Finally, the last picture of the Tallit, is the one where in Revelation, the Messiah returns, wearing that tallit as a pure white garment, stained with blood. This picture is a picture of the consummation of the marriage to Messiah's Pure Virgin Bride. In a traditional Jewish wedding, the groom lays down his tallit and the couple consummate the marriage, the stain of the blood consummation is left on the tallit as a witness to the marriage becoming complete. When Messiah returns wearing that blood stained garment, we can be certain of the fulfillment of the covenant of marriage - the blood stain is a testimony - that His work is complete - our sin is covered, we've been presented as the Pure Bride to the Lord.
Thanks, Sombra for this. We (my girls and I) were thinking of getting my dh tallit for either Father's Day or his birthday. The Source for Everything Jewish has a beautiful one with a tree on it. He loves the outdoors and this is perfect!
Shalom, shalom!
Header Banner photo of wild oats taken by Trent. background wallpaper is my concept, but Trent's technical abilities.~~~~
I am Sombra, and these are the stories from our house. We're a Messianic family where academics often take a back seat to the work and adventure of life.
Posted by 
Posted by 
Posted by Leslie in MI 
Posted by 
May. 14, 2008 - Beautiful Visual
Be blessed!
Terri Sue