FROM THIS WEEK’S TORAH PORTION – PYNCHAS:

The Covenant of Shalom

“And YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying, ‘Pinchas, son of El’azar, son of Aharon the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Yisra’el, because he was zealous with My zeal in their midst, so that I did not consume the children of Yisra’el in My zeal. Therefore say, See, I am giving him My Covenant of Shalom.’”

And yet more for your understanding:

“Sing, O barren one, you who did not bear! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the deserted one are more than the children of the married woman,” said YHWH. “Enlarge the place of your tent and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not. Lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you shall break forth to the right and to the left, and your seed inherit the nations, and make the deserted cities inhabited. Do not fear, for you shall not be put to shame, nor hurt, you shall not be humiliated. For the shame of your youth you shall forget, and not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. For your Maker is your husband, YHWH of hosts is His Name, and the Set-apart One of Yisra’el is your Redeemer. He is called ‘The Elohim of All the Earth.’ For YHWH has called you like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when you were refused,” declares your Elohim. For a little while I have forsaken you, but with great compassion I shall gather you. In an overflow of wrath I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting mercy I shall have compassion on you,” said YHWH, your Redeemer. “For this is the waters of Noach to Me, in that I have sworn that the waters of Noach would never again cover the earth, so have I sworn not to be angry with you, nor to rebuke you. For though the mountains be removed and the hills be shaken, My mercy is not removed from you, nor is My Covenant of Shalom shaken,” said YHWH, who has compassion on you. “O you afflicted one, tossed with storm, and not comforted, see, I am setting your stones in antimony, and shall lay your foundations with sapphires, and shall make your battlements of rubies, your gates of crystal, and all your walls of precious stones, and all your children taught by YHWH, and the shalom of your children great. In righteousness you shall be established – far from oppression, for you shall not fear, and far from ruin, for it does not come near you. See, they shall indeed assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever shall assemble against you falls for your sake! See, I Myself have created the blacksmith who blows the coals in the fire, who brings forth an instrument for his work. And I have created the waster to destroy. No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall prove wrong. This is the inheritance of the servants of YHWH, and their righteousness from Me,” declares YHWH.”

“And I, YHWH, shall be their Elohim, and My servant David a prince in their midst. I, YHWH, have spoken. And I shall make a Covenant of Shalom with them, and make evil beasts cease from the land. And they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the forest. And I shall make them and the places all around My hill a blessing and shall cause showers to come down in their season – showers of blessing they are. And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit and the earth yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land. And they shall know that I am YHWH, when I have broken the bars of their yoke. And I shall deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them, and they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, and the beast of the earth shall not devour them. And they shall dwell safely, with no one to make them afraid. And I shall raise up for them a planting place of name, and they shall no longer be consumed by hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the nations anymore. And they shall know that I, YHWH their Elohim, am with them, and that they, the house of Yisra’el, are My people,” declares the Master YHWH.

“The hand of YHWH was upon me and took me out by the Spirit of YHWH, and set me down in the midst of the valley. And it was filled with bones. And He made me pass among them, all around, and see, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and see, they were very dry. And He said to me, ‘Son of man, would these bones live?’ And I said, ‘O Master YHWH, You know.’ Again He said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and you shall say to them, “O dry bones, hear the word of YHWH! Thus said the Master YHWH to these bones, ‘See, I am bringing into you a spirit, and you shall live. And I shall put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, and cover you with skin and put a spirit in you, and you shall live. And you shall know that I am YHWH.’”‘ And I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a noise, and there was a rattling. And the bones came together, bone to bone. And I looked and saw sinews and flesh came upon them, and skin covered them, but there was no spirit in them. He then said to me, ‘Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and you shall say to the spirit, “Thus said the Master YHWH, Come from the four winds, O spirit, and breathe on these killed ones, so that they live.”‘ And I prophesied as He commanded me, and the spirit came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, a very great army. And He said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones are all the house of Yisra’el. See, they say, “Our bones are dry, our hope has perished, and we ourselves have been cut off!” Therefore prophesy, and you shall say to them, “Thus said the Master YHWH, ‘See, O My people, I am opening your burial-sites and shall bring you up from your burial-sites, and shall bring you into the land of Yisra’el. And you shall know that I am YHWH, when I open your burial-sites, My people, and bring you up from your burial-sites. And I shall put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall settle you in your own land. And you shall know that I YHWH have spoken, and I have done it, declares YHWH.”‘ And the word of YHWH came to me, saying, ‘And you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it, “For Yehudah and for the children of Yisra’el, his companions.” Then take another stick and write on it, “For Yoseph, the stick of Ephrayim, and for all the house of Yisra’el, his companions.” Then bring them together for yourself into one stick, and they shall become one in your hand. And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, “Won’t you show us what you mean by these?” say to them, “Thus said the Master YHWH, ‘See, I am taking the stick of Yoseph, which is in the hand of Ephrayim, and the tribes of Yisra’el, his companions. And I shall give them unto him, with the stick of Yehudah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand.’ And the sticks on which you write shall be in your hand before their eyes. And speak to them, “Thus said the Master YHWH, ‘See, I am taking the children of Yisra’el from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and shall gather them from all around, and I shall bring them into their land. And I shall make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Yisra’el. And one king shall be king over them all, and let them no longer be two nations, and let them no longer be divided into two reigns. And they shall no longer defile themselves with their idols, nor with their disgusting matters, nor with any of their transgressions. And I shall save them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and I shall cleanse them. And they shall be My people, and I be their Elohim, while David My servant is king over them. And they shall all have one shepherd and walk in My judgments and guard My laws, and shall do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Ya’aqov My servant, where your fathers dwelt. And they shall dwell in it, they and their children and their children’s children, forever, and My servant David be their prince forever. And I shall make a Covenant of Shalom with them – an everlasting covenant it is with them. And I shall place them and increase them, and shall place My set-apart place in their midst, forever. And My Dwelling Place shall be over them. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people. And the nations shall know that I, YHWH, am setting Yisra’el apart, when My set-apart place is in their midst – forever.”“‘”

“Therefore, having been declared right by faith, we have Shalom with Elohim through our Master Yeshua Messiah, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we exult in the hope of the esteem of Elohim.”

What would you give to have a Covenant of Shalom with YHWH?

Yehoshua gave everything, and so you do.