Parashat V’yekhel (Shemot/Exodus 35-38:20)

Skill + Dedication + Divine Inspiration

Exodus 35-38 describes the preparations needed for the realization of the Tabernacle’s construction. It answers these types of questions:

What materials? How much would people need to contribute? Who would gather the measurements? What other objects would be made? Who were the Tabernacle’s skilled artisans?

Along with the Tabernacle would be the tent, pillars, bases, the Ark of the Covenant, a menorah, table, incense altar, and holy anointing oil. It was quite an undertaking!

It would require skill.

Dedication.

And, some divine inspiration.

Exodus 35:10 says “Let every wise-hearted man among you come and make everything that ADONAI has commanded . . .” (emphasis added)

The High Value of Artisanship

Some translations read “gifted artisans” here. Every gifted artisan was to come help with the project. At that time, to be an artisan wasn’t some undervalued, underfunded craft. The Tabernacle budget wasn’t cutting out art! Quite the contrary! Artisanship was so important that the very Spirit of the LORD filled selected individuals with the gifts needed for intricate, beautiful art. God invested in the Tabernacle’s skilled artisans!

And lest you think this was a select club for men only, worry not!

Exodus 35:25 “Also all the women who were wise-hearted spun with their hands, and brought what they had woven—the blue, purple, scarlet and fine linen.” (emphasis added)

Chakam-lev חֲכַם־ לֵ֖ב

The term found in Scripture here is chakam-lev. It refers to the skilled, to those who literally are wise of heart. Most English language Bible translations translate this term as “gifted or skilled artisan.” The TLV (Tree of Life Version) Bible translation chooses the literal translation of “wise of heart.” Thus, the TLV is expressing more literally this Hebrew term. Nevertheless, the NKJV and NIV’s translations using “skilled craftsman” or gifted artisan” help us more wholly understand the term.

So to be a “gifted artisan” is to be “wise of heart.”

Now isn’t that interesting?

It is rare to use the word “wise” to describe artists in our society. Most do not receive well-deserved compensation for their efforts, and they live in the shadows, somewhat outcast due to lack of funding and perceived instability.

Indeed, artists are often misunderstood.They have to defend their work because most of us don’t quite “get” their level of creativity. Just the other day, I had an email conversation with the author/illustrator of the Word for Word Bible Comic I reviewed for him. I wasn’t grasping why he had chosen to use a specific image for a page in his forthcoming Gospel of Luke graphic novel. I imagine he finds himself explaining many different illustrations to people who might have different perspectives.

Being an artist isn’t easy!

Yet talented artists have a gift that most of us do not possess.

And that gift comes from God! God who Himself is an Artist: the Potter who molds us and the Painter who created the beautiful canvas of the universe.

The LORD chose two men, Betzelel and Oholiab, for the artisan work needed for the Tabernacle.

Again, notice Scripture describes the Tabernacle’s skilled artisans as “wise-hearted” and “filled with wisdom of heart.”

Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying, “See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding and knowledge in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make ingenious designs, to forge with gold, silver and bronze, as well as cutting stones for setting and carving wood, to work in all manner of craftsmanship. Also look, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. Within the hearts of all who are wise-hearted I have placed skill, so that they may make everything that I have commanded you.” Exodus 31:1-6 (emphasis added)

“Then Moses said to Bnei-Yisrael, “See, Adonai has called by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He has filled him with the Ruach of God, with wisdom, understanding and knowledge, in all manner of craftsmanship,  to make ingenious designs, to work in gold, silver and bronze, as well as cutting gemstones for setting, wood carving, to make all kinds of skillful craftsmanship.  He has also placed in his heart the ability to teach—both he and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with wisdom of heart to forge all the works of an engraver, an artisan, and an embroiderer in blue, purple, scarlet and in fine linen, as well as weaving—they can perform every craft and ingenious designs.” Exodus 35:30-35 (emphasis added)

The Tabernacle was literally built with Wisdom!

By wisdom a house is built,
by understanding it is prepared,
 and by knowledge its rooms are filled
with every rare and pleasing treasure.

Proverbs 24:3-4

Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) is Wisdom Incarnate. (The Proverbs express Wisdom as personified). Thus, He was ever-present in the Tabernacle! From start to finish, Wisdom inspired the craftsmen. He chose to dwell among us and prepare a meeting place.

Now, are you ready for this?

Betzalel’s name in Hebrew means “under the protection of God!”

And Oholiab (also spelled Aholiab) means “the Father’s tent“!

Oholiab was working on the Tent of Meeting! It was to be the Father’s tent!

And when you are in the Father’s tent, surely you are under the protection of the Almighty One!

Our Heavenly Father wanted His Presence to be near us, despite the separation that was occurring due to the curse of sin and death. The Father’s tent was the place where heaven could meet earth, even if only temporary. He made a temporary way, a temporary dwelling place, but the veil was still separating us. The Holy of Holies was restricted to the high priests and the yearly days of atonement. But He sent His Son! God’s selfless Son, Messiah Jesus, came to restore what had been lost. He was the Word Incarnate and came to dwell among us. Now, His Spirit dwells within us!

See how every aspect of Scripture points to the Good News?!

Isn’t that absolutely stunning?

It leaves me speechless (which, if you know me, that’s incredibly hard to do!).

The Tent of Meeting

Truly, the Tent of Meeting was the Father’s tent.

Tents are so important to God there is even a Biblical feast featuring them!

Every year, during the Feast of Tabernacles (aka Sukkot), all of Israel is to build temporary structures (tents!) to live in for the duration of the feast. Many English Bibles translate these tents as “booths” or “tabernacles.” The Hebrew term for these temporary dwellings is “sukkah.”

Nearly every Christian believer is familiar with John 1:14a: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

But most people do not realize that the term “dwelt” there literally means “tabernacled.” The TLV translates it this way:

“And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” (John 1:14a, emphasis added)

I hope you are able to see how the sukkah represents so much Biblical revelation! He came to dwell among us, to tabernacle with us – to celebrate the goodness of Life and to show us the Way of His Salvation.

More than enough

Exodus 36 describes how Betzalel and Oholiab led the work and many other wise-hearted men joined in the effort.

The people worked wholeheartedly and selflessly. So much so, the Tabernacle’s skilled artisans noticed. They said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the work of this construction that ADONAI has commanded to be done.” Exodus 36:5

What an example for our congregations today!

They actually had to stop making so many preparations!

Moses gave an order to restrain people from bringing anything more.

“For the work material they had was sufficient for all the work, with much left over.” Ex.36:7

When we do our work in alignment with the will of our Father, there will always be abundance. There will always be enough and more than enough. There may be setbacks and times when we don’t sense any bit of abundance, but if we persist in faith, it will come.

Final thoughts for today

Finally, if there is just one thing I would want my readers to take away from this is that every tiny detail in Scripture always points back to revelation of God. Even the clasps of gold for the curtains were to be coupled together by the Tabernacle’s skilled artisans “so that the Tabernacle was One.” (Ex.36:13). This immediately brings to mind the Shema, that the Lord is One. When you read the Bible, look for these small details! They may seem insignificant, but I assure you, they aren’t.

So, I hope you have enjoyed delving a bit into Exodus today and learning a bit more about the Tabernacle’s skilled artisans! I would love to hear your insights. What is it you have found in the Scriptures today? How is this passage of encouragement to you? Do you know any artists or architects who have felt under-appreciated? Is there someone you can encourage today with the Word of God? Please leave a comment and share on social media! Let’s increase Biblical literacy among believers so we can be a light for unbelievers!

“Remember Yom Shabbat, to keep it holy. Ex.20:8, TLV

May you have a peaceful and restful Sabbath, dear friends.

So Bnei-Yisrael is to keep the Shabbat,

to observe the Shabbat throughout their generations

as a perpetual covenant. 

It is a sign between Me and Bnei-Yisrael forever,

for in six days Adonai made heaven and earth,

and on the seventh day He ceased from work and rested.’”

Exodus 31:16-17

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Ex.20:8, KJV

The Ten Commandments are favored even by postChristian society. They are considered the Tanakh commands that remain “relevant.” Nevermind the 603 other commandments that just so happen to reveal the heart of the Father…. It would be good to at least begin with the 10 that are well-known. Perhaps if we can learn to obey these, we will be on our way to obeying the others. Do we obey out of obligation? No. We obey because we love YHVH.

Why not begin with such a special command? The command to take time on the 7th day of the week to spend time with your Creator.

“Worship God! For the testimony of Yeshua is the Spirit of Prophesy.” Revelation 19:10cd TLV

Updated 10/11/22 5783 B”H

Preparations for the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)

I have posted on preparations for the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) which involves plenty of fun, but today, I’d like to return to the spiritual side of things.

That said, I do want to encourage you: if you have never built a sukkah in your backyard, may this be the year!

The best way to understand something is by doing – by participating.

So, if you want to gain a deeper understanding of how our Savior lived and understand the truly impactful things that Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) said and taught, gaining a solid understanding of what Sukkot/the Feast of Tabernacles is and how it has been celebrated will increase your own Biblical comprehension and give you much greater spiritual revelation.

The Significance of John 7:37-41a

“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Yeshua [Jesus] stood up and cried out loudly, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, ‘out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” Now He said this about the Ruach, whom those who trusted in Him were going to receive; for the Ruach was not yet given, since Yeshua was not yet glorified. When they heard these words, some of the crowd said, “This man really is the Prophet.” Others were saying, “This is the Messiah.” John 7:37-41a

The “Last and Greatest Day of the Feast” described by John refers to Hoshana Rabbah, a special day at the ending of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles.

You may recognize the word, “Hoshana” in that term, Hoshana Rabba. We get the term “Hosanna” from this, a pleading for the Holy One to “please save.”

It has an emphatic tone in Hebrew: “Save now!” Hoshiana! It was a special day to plead for salvation.

The Artscroll Siddur (a popular version of the Jewish siddur/prayerbook) contains an interesting prayer for the Feast of Tabernacles’ Hoshana Rabbah (p.757, Sukkos) pleading that God would “remove the . . . partition separating” “us from You.”

Just prior to this prayer, bundles of lulav and etrog with the requisite myrtle and willow are literally beaten on the ground.

You can begin to see the Messianic significance:

Our Savior was beaten for our transgressions;

the earth absorbed His precious blood.

The veil has been torn.

But this is just a glimpse of more to come.

Sukkot in the Historical Record

Writings in the Talmud and even Josephus describe Sukkot in historical terms, giving full credibility that Sukkot was indeed celebrated every year.

The Talmud and Rabbi Akiva, the prominent 1st century Jewish rabbi, describe the water libations that were part of the Feast of Tabernacle services every year.

The historical record gives us an idea about what every Jewish family would have been accustomed to during the yearly feast.

While the water ceremony was not established by Torah, there is evidence in the Tanakh that the pouring of water had become part of the Sukkot tradition to demonstrate gratitude for rain at least as far back as the time of Zechariah, or soon after, as the prophet definitely references it.

The feast lasted either 7 or 8 days (there is some controversy on how long it actually lasted), but what is certain is that Hoshana Rabbah was an exuberant gathering.

Water was drawn from the Pool of Siloam, brought to the Temple, poured on the altar, and berakhot (blessings) were said, thanking the LORD Most High for rain.

That same pool of water would be the site where the blind man was healed and Messiah’s healing ministry would expand.

The waters would cleanse, purify, and usher in a new reality. The Messiah had come, was standing before them, and He would fill those who believed in Him with His Living Water.

So be glad, children of Zion,
and rejoice in ADONAI your God.
For He gives you the early rain for prosperity,
Yes, He will bring down rain for you,
the early and latter rain as before.

JOEL 2:23

Zechariah warns the nations who do not participate in the Feast of Tabernacles that they will not have rain:

Zech.14:17-19: “Furthermore, if any of the nations on earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot, they will have no rain. If the Egyptians do not go up and celebrate, they will have no rain. Instead, there will be the plague that Adonai will inflict on the nations that do not go up to celebrate Sukkot. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate Sukkot.”

The people gathered would have been expecting to see the synagogue leaders circling the altar 7 times and they were used to watching the outpouring of water. But they would not have been expecting the Rabbi from Nazareth to declare that He is the source of all Water! His words reveal that He is One with the Creator! And not just any old water, Living Water!

I like the way that Leon Morris succinctly describes this:

“In words reminiscent of those in [John]4:10, Jesus gives the invitation to the thirsty to come to [H]im and drink. There is the implication that the thirsty soul will find that Jesus fills the need that cannot be supplied elsewhere. The appropriateness of the words at this feast is that, throughout the seven days, libations were made in the Temple with water brought from the pool of Siloam (Sukkot.4:9), but on the eighth day no water was poured, and this would make Jesus’ claim all the more impressive.”

Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to John. NICNT. Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995. Emphasis added.

Celebrating Sukkot

Our Messiah came to dwell with us – to tabernacle with us. The Feast of Tabernacles is so rich in meaning and this post just scratches the surface, but I hope you gained a new perspective.

Sukkot is such a special time for the people of God, and I invite you to celebrate it this year!

If you do, you will be part of a worldwide dress rehearsal, because Scripture indicates future celebrations of this joyous feast!

“Then all the survivors from all the nations that attacked Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot, and to celebrate Sukkot.”

zechariah 14:16

May you be filled with Living Water and equipped to testify to the nations!

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I love Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) because it gets us outside and is a genuine change in our routine. This year, the boys built a fire pit so the whole family can stay warm during the chilly evenings and, of course, make Sukkot S’mores.

Be sure to include your children in every aspect of the preparation and actual celebration. Not only do they love to be included, this will train them to continue keeping the feast with simcha (joy) as they grow up and have their own family. Our children love to build and decorate the Sukkah with lights and branches and art projects. The Feast of Tabernacles is something they look forward to every year!

Hachnasat or’chim: Welcoming Guests

If you have friends or family who have never celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, there are so many wonderful (and simple) ways to introduce them to the Biblical feasts by living this out – invite them for a special dinner in your sukkah and have a campfire together. Practice the art of hospitality; you will be blessed as you bless others. Remember, Yeshua (Jesus) loved to eat and drink with His disciples, and even with those the world shunned as “sinners” and “outcasts.” May your tent always be open to the stranger.

The Feast of Tabernacles is intended (indeed, commanded!) to be a joyous celebration – for everyone! – so make it so! Be enthusiastic!

You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns. For seven days you shall keep the feast to the Lord your God at the place that the Lord will choose, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.

Deuteronomy 16:14-15, TLV, emphases added

Over the years, we have been able to share the richness of Sukkot with so many visitors to our sukkah and it is always a blessing.

Theme Nights and Activities for children, teens, and tweens

I mentioned above that it is important to include your children in ways that make it fun for them.

Some years, we have made edible sukkahs with graham crackers and candies, just like gingerbread houses but way cooler. Hint: get some animal crackers that come with camels. Those are a huge hit with the little ones to put in the “front yard” of your snack.

Check out this Selfie Scavenger Hunt for Sukkot that I put together this year for tweens and teens. They will love the opportunity to use a cell phone and they might learn a thing or two while having fun. Post your selfies on our Facebook page for extra fun!

Many Chabad groups advertise “Pizza in the Hut” nights, which we have adopted as a yearly family tradition. What child will object to pizza?!

If the weather permits and you are up for it, camp out in the sukkah for a night, or the whole week. Kids love sleepover parties. If they’re going to stay up all night, at least this is for a great reason!

Again, if the weather permits, have a cook out! Fire up the grill!

If you do happen to invite guests, have your children prepare something for your visitors. Perhaps an appetizer, or a placemat, or the child could be the host for the evening. They will learn the importance of welcoming guests and practice their social skills.

If you invite many guests or are hosting a sukkah with a congregational group, you could set up various stations. Make caramel apples at one table, paper chains at another table, some edible sukkahs at another, and even a games table.

What are your favorite aspects of celebrating Sukkot? Do you have any other theme night or activity ideas that you do with your family? Leave a comment below!

Menu & Recipe Ideas for the week of Sukkot/the Feast of Tabernacles

Here in the north, planning for Sukkot requires consideration of the temperatures, especially when Sukkot is in October. This year, Sukkot starts in September, so we may not be such Frozen Chosen this year. Even so, the evenings are definitely crisp, so soups and stews are some of the best foods to serve during the feast. I recommend planning at least a week in advance so you don’t need to worry about your menu items during the feast. The best advice I can give is: keep it simple. Have a tray so you can easily transport food from your indoor kitchen to the backyard and vice versa.

I always make sure we have plenty of fresh apple cider. It’s versatile since it can be served warm or cold and is the perfect autumn beverage. Besides apple cider, we always have coffee, hot chocolate, and tea on hand.

If you keep Shabbat, chances are good you own a slow cooker. Make your favorite taco meat and assemble some tacos. An easy-to-transport meal when its ready.

You can make a charcuterie platter with some cheese, crackers, and hummus.

This year I am planning to try this recipe by Tori Avey for a healthy curried vegetable stew.

I will probably not have time to make these, but this dessert recipe for Sukkot Lemon “Etrog” Cupcakes from 18 Doors looks scrumptious and so very festive!

Sukkot Lemon “Etrog” Cupcakes

Emphasizing Righteousness and Holiness

All the fun aside, the real reason any of us are celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles is because we take the Bible seriously. The appointed times outlined in Scripture really are like “appointments” with our Heavenly Father. We meet with Him, and He meets with us and we are grateful because in the original tabernacle, there was a veil of separation that has now been torn apart.

Let your Light shine during the Feast of Tabernacles and say “no” to trunk-or-treat nights

One thing I have found troubling among traditional “Christian church” ministry groups is that most of them now host “Fall Festivals,” “Trunk-or-treat” nights, and other “Harvest” activities. These autumn outreach events do not have anything to do with the Feast of Tabernacles or any aspect of the Bible for that matter, yet plenty of time, money, and effort is put into them. Attempts to justify the events always circle back to “evangelism.”

We do not need to imitate paganism.

It is as if these churches balk at Scripture (many unintentionally, I know). Sadly, rather than being unique and set apart from the world, they are in many ways adapting to the world. With Sukkot often being in October, the very best alternative to the satanic feast of halloween is to light up the week of Sukkot in your sukkah and pray for your neighborhood. Shine your light during God’s appointed times and do not participate with the devil’s feast. The Eternal One’s light will always shine brighter – Yeshua isn’t in a competition. He already won.

Some argue that “trunk or treat” is just a fun time for children to dress in costumes. If you want your children to dress up, why not simply abandon the devil and his evil imitations and allow them to dress up for a much better celebration during Purim? Our children do not feel they are “missing out” on halloween. They know they will get to dress up and get plenty of candy during Purim in the springtime. They, too, have no desire to associate with the darkness.

2 Corinthians 6:14: . . . . What fellowship does light have with darkness? 

The best opportunity you will have to evangelize is to live out the Bible. The opportunities to share the Good News of our Messiah will be plentiful.

How will you celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles this year? Where will you be? I hope to celebrate some day in Israel! Leave a comment, share, and/or subscribe! We’d love to hear from you! Chag Sukkot sameach!

Updated 2/27/22

The ongoing pandemic has meant Purim celebrations over these past few years have not been nearly as fun as they normally would have been . . . but our plight is nothing compared to the violent antiSemitism that Queen Hadassah (Esther) and the Jews had to confront with Haman and his wife Zeresh in ancient Persia.

Even if you had to stay home, hopefully you got to eat some hamantaschen and read or hear the whole Megillah (the scroll of Esther). Or, as was the case at our house, dress up with the children who absolutely love to get in their Purim costumes and “boo Haman” as the account is read.

If you are unfamiliar with Purim, one of the traditions is to read the entire book of Esther and “boo” and use noisemakers (“groggers”) (often homemade!) to “blot out” Haman’s name every time it is mentioned. It can get very loud!

One of the things that makes Scripture so fascinating is that even though you might have read it a zillion times, you will still discover something new every time if you are paying attention. The Book of Esther is no exception.

I was struck by Esther 6:13, which recounts an interaction between the evil Haman and his wife, Zeresh.

Haman goes home with his head hung low because he was just humiliated. The righteous Mordecai (Haman’s enemy) was honored in the streets under orders from the king, in the way evil Haman had wanted for himself.

Zeresh and some family friends hear what just happened and counsel Haman, saying:

“Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has begun, is Jewish, you will not prevail against him – for surely you will fall before him.” (Esther 6:13)

There’s a lot packed into that one verse!

Most significantly: “Since Mordecai is Jewish, you will not prevail.”

Haman has no chance against the God of Mordecai, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Israel.

Zeresh recognizes “your downfall has begun!”

For if indeed Mordecai is Jewish (yes, indeed he was) . . . “surely, you will fall before him.”

Zeresh was wise enough to know that going up against the chosen people and their God was a recipe for her husband’s demise. She recognized the power within the Jewish lineage, but she, too, had a history of evil ideas against the Jewish people. Madame Zeresh had previously inspired Haman to build a gallows with intent to hang Mordecai.

Haman didn’t have time to make a plan or discuss his next move further because he was whisked away by the king’s eunuchs to attend a dinner banquet with the king and queen.

The next day, Haman was hung on the very gallows (located at his own house!) that he had prepared for Mordecai.

Zeresh was right. Haman would not prevail, for his downfall had already begun and his end was swift.

She was right about this one thing: Haman’s plan would fail and Israel WILL prevail!

From Haman to Hamas, Israel is all too often surrounded and attacked by enemies, but fear not, the enemy will never prevail!

Baruch HaShem Adonai, the Guardian of Israel, who never slumbers nor sleeps.

Update on 2/27/2022 related to the current events of the invasion of Ukraine. According to the Jerusalem Channel, President Zelenskyy of Ukraine is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor. His grandfather’s three brothers were murdered by the Nazis. Please join us in praying for the safety of President Zelenskyy as he confronts the Haman of our day.

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The Wedding in Cana

If you are familiar with the Scriptures, you probably know about a now-famous wedding that took place in a place called Cana, in the Galilee.

*Spoiler alert* the LORD Yeshua (Jesus) turned water into wine that day!

Surely, you already knew that . . . but,

Have you ever thought about the mechanics of this miracle?

Let’s look to John’s account of the Wedding in Cana:

On the third day, there was a wedding at Cana in the Galilee. Yeshua’s mother was there, and Yeshua and His disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, Yeshua’s mother said to Him, “They don’t have any wine!”

Yeshua said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with you and Me? My hour hasn’t come yet.”

His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”

Now there were six stone jars, used for the Jewish ritual of purification, each holding two to three measures. Yeshua said to them, “Fill the jars with water!” So they filled them up to the top. Then He said to them, “Take some water out, and give it to the headwaiter.” And they brought it.

Now the headwaiter did not know where it had come from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. As the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, he calls the bridegroom and says to him, “Everyone brings out the good wine first, and whenever they are drunk, then the worse. But you’ve reserved the good wine until now!” Yeshua did this, the first of the signs, in Cana of the Galilee—He revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

John 2:1-11 TLV

Let’s focus specifically on John 2:6 for a moment. He writes of the wedding in Cana:

“Now there were 6 stone jars, used for the Jewish ritual of purification, each holding 2-3 measures.”

A measure is about 9 gallons according to the Tree of Life Version of the Bible.

So there would be 18-27 gallons to work with per container —

roughly 120 gallons of water altogether —

that would be transformed into the highest quality of wine ever tasted.

Back to the jars. In the Bible, numbers generally have symbolic meanings. 7 indicates perfection, completeness, wholeness, holiness, salvation.

777=Messiah. Contrast that to three consecutive 6’s and you’ll get the idea.

6 indicates incompleteness, insufficiency, “almost-but-not-good-enough.”

So if there were 6 jars at the wedding in Cana, we know they were okay. They were good, but not great; useful, but not the perfect solution.

Likewise, the Jewish purification ritual was good. A pattern of that which would be to come, but not the end-all. There was nothing wrong with it, but it just wasn’t quite enough.

It isn’t enough to just go through religious motions.

Just like it isn’t enough to have your name highlighted as the top contributor to a ministry.

And it isn’t enough to walk down to an altar, confess your faith in the Savior of the world, and then go on living as though that never happened.

It also wouldn’t have been enough of a celebration at the wedding in Cana without a little wine!

I know, I know, you might want to start throwing stones at me. Look, the Bible doesn’t always fit neatly into personal preferences or cultural attitudes. We must conform our personal preferences to what the Bible actually says.

Having a glass of wine was not considered a sin in Galilee.

Drunkenness = sin. A glass of wine = not a sin.[That said, a person who does not have self-control or has a history of addiction, that person should not consume alcohol. Also, certain fellowships choose to abstain from alcohol completely, so you should consult your pastor regarding this topic.]

Back to the wedding. Yeshua’s mother Miryam (Mary) didn’t want the soon-to-be-married couple to be embarrassed by a wine shortage. Though Yeshua said it was not His hour, Miryam told the servants to do whatever He said, and when He did, it was the first of His miracles on earth.

At the Wedding in Cana, Yeshua (Jesus) blessed the bridegroom and his family.

The LORD didn’t consternate them for not having enough wine nor lecture them about how washing their hands in a ceremonial fashion couldn’t give them the fullness of the salvation they longed for. He chose to perform the first miracle of his ministry in that place and allow the bridegroom to receive the accolades:

“The headwaiter says to the bridegroom, ‘Everyone brings out the good wine first, and whenever they are drunk, then the worse. But you’ve reserved the good wine until now!'” John 2:10

Whenever you are in a ministry position, look for ways to credit others instead of focusing on yourself like our LORD did at this event.

Those 6 jars were awaiting a touch from the Potter’s hand.

Made complete by the presence of the Vinedresser, the 6 jars contained within them the power to demonstrate the total other-ness of Rabbi Jesus. Eyes were being opened to the reality that the miracle-working, supernatural power of God was being poured out, right there, that day in little Cana.

The Hebrew Scriptures foretell of a day when the mountains will drip with new wine (Joel 3:18 NKJV; 4:18 TLV). At the feast of Shavu’ot (Pentecost), there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh) which resulted in people mocking the disciples and suggesting they were drunk on “new wine.” (Acts 2:13). The wedding in Cana proved that something new was about to happen.

Remember, there will always be scoffers. There will always be somebody somewhere who makes fun of you, doesn’t like you, thinks you’re just crazy, or is too bound up in their own religious ideas to credit you as living rightly for God.

Listen, if you’ve got what He has for you, does the opinion of the crowd really matter?

When the LORD Most High decided to pour out His Holy Spirit and Presence upon the gathered believers, how many were present? Acts 1:15 says there were . . . 120.

It’s as though there was more than a gallon of new wine for each of them.

Hallelujah! (The Ruach/Spirit is given without measure. John 3:34 assures us there is no limit to His gift). When a person is filled with Ruach haKodesh, the Holy Spirit, they get more than a gallon. Don’t worry, this isn’t a gas station. You will get more than you came for.

The wedding in Cana foreshadows the glorious reality of Pentecost! The unlimited outpouring of His precious Holy Spirit!

These same believers in the time of the book of Acts had seen the miracles of their Messiah, followed Him, even witnessed Him being killed and resurrected. The wedding in Cana was now a foreshadowing of the return of the Bridegroom to celebrate with His own, holding no good thing back.

Knowing now what you have learned about the wedding in Cana and the fulfillment at Shavu’ot/Pentecost, ask yourself a few questions:

What is it that is incomplete in your life?

Is your relationship with your Creator as close as it could be?

Do you need a dose of something new and fresh and joyful?

Do you still listen to the critics?

Are you well-attuned to the voice of the Master, the One who came that you might have life, and life abundantly?

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?

Whatever isn’t enough, may it become more than enough in Him.

May you be surprised by His generosity, overwhelmed by His thoughtfulness, and embraced by His unending love, the love He showed at the Wedding in Cana.