Thought for 3 February 2025

Exodus 28:34-35

 …a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around. 

And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the Lord and when he comes out, that he may not die.

I love pomegranates! Pomegranates are one of the seven indigenous fruits of the land of Israel mentioned in the Bible. It is interesting that they play a central role in the Temple. Sewn onto the hem of the robe of the high priest were small pomegranate shaped tassels and bells.  What was the purpose of these bells and pomegranates? The Bible tells us that its “sound shall be heard when he enters the Sanctuary before Hashem…” On the holiest day of the year (Yom Kippur), the holiest person (the high priest) would enter the holiest space (the holy of holies). It was a powerful moment. We can imagine that the people who gathered in the Temple that day would fall absolutely silent at that moment. Suddenly they would hear the soft sound of the small bells and pomegranates as the kohein gadol (high priest) entered the holy of holies. It alerted them to what was about to happen. It was an awe-inspiring event. There is a deep message here for all of us. These bells and pomegranates served as a type of announcement as to what the high priest was about to do. It was not a surprise or a sudden movement. Whenever you enter a room or any area that is someone’s personal or private space, you should alert them beforehand that you are about to enter.                                                                        (RABBI MOSHE ROTHCHILD)                    

Israel is planning to build a new Temple, the third one to be built but this one is to be the last one. This will be the one that will be desecrated by the evil one, the one that brings the end of the ages. It has not even been started yet but the Israelis are trying to find the exact place it is to be built.

Who knows how long it will be before it will be completed. Will we be ready for the return of Jesus? Are we committed to the Lord enough to be spending enough time building a relationship with the Father, along with Jesus and the Holy Spirit? Do all of us know them personally?

We need to be thinking about our eternal lives, keeping faith with the living God so that we will not be the ones Jesus rejects because He ‘doesn’t know’ us. It does not matter how well we behave or read, if we have not taken the time to talk to the living triune God, getting to know Him and letting Him know us, all will be lost.

Oh, we know that He knows us, but do we tell Him all we are doing and what is happening day by day? He wants to hear it from our own mouths, He wants us to be talking to Him as our Father. Whatever is making us happy or sad matters to Him and He wants to hear it from us.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help us to talk to You about everything we experience each day. To ask for help with the hard things and to share our joy with You in the happy things. The chaos going on in the world is daunting and we ask for strength to live and work through all the is happening around us. Thank You for the cease-fire in Gaza and for the release of hostages. Help the countries of the world that are being overwhelmed by immigrants entering their lands illegally. Please impart integrity and honesty to governments of all countries where so much unrest is rising. Bless those who are increasingly persecuted because of their faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Let Your Holy Spirit cloth us daily in Your armour. We ask these things in Jesus