Journey on the Ancient Path – The Way of the Shepherd

Chapter 9 – Salvation at the Tower

In this chapter, Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem where Mary gives birth to Jesus, just as the prophets foretold. God became flesh, so He could dwell among us, so we could know Him and learn from Him. If God came to earth in all His glory, mankind could not endure His presence. From the beginning of time, when God created the Garden of Eden, His desire has been to have fellowship with His creation. This was now possible in the person of Jesus.

Thought Provoking Journey:

• Mary sees the face of Yeshua (Jesus) after he is born. The Hebrew word for face is ‘panim’ and its form is plural. Why is this a plural word? Maybe it is because the Bible mentions the four faces of God?
• If Yeshua (Jesus) was born during the Feast of Tabernacles, it means:
  1. Yeshua was born when the people sing a song about ‘yeshuah (salvation) is in the tabernacles of the righteous’.
  2. Yeshua was born during a feast which reminded the people of a time when God lived in their midst, in the wilderness Tabernacle.
  3. Yeshua was born during a feast which reminded the people when Solomon’s Temple was dedicated. At that dedication, during this feast, the Shekinah presence of God came and dwelt in the Temple.
  4. Yeshua was born when the priests perform a water ceremony, which points to the coming of the future Messiah. This ceremony is in reference to Isaiah 44:3.
  5. Yeshua, the son of God, became flesh and lived among his people. (John 1:1-14)
  6. Yeshua was born during a feast when ‘living’ water was poured out at the Temple. Later, Jesus was associated with ‘rivers of living water’.  (John 7:37)
  7. Yeshua was born during a feast known for its magnificent light. Later, Jesus was known as the ‘light of the world’. (John 8:12)
• All of the seven, annual Jewish feasts have prophetic implications. The Feast of Tabernacles is the last feast in the yearly cycle. Does this feast represent a future time when God will truly tabernacle (live) in the midst of his people in heaven?
• The story of the anointing of King Solomon can be found in the Bible in I Kings 1:32-45.
• The story of the birth of Yeshua (Jesus) can be found in the Bible in Matthew 1:18-25 and in Luke 2:1-7.