Behar, On the Mount
Vayiqra (Leviticus) 25:1 – 26:2
YirmeYahu (Jeremiah) 32:6-27
Luke 4:16-21
Snow-covered mountain peaks are beautiful to behold on a sunny spring day in the Cascades. Although the Santiam Canyon is free of snow in the lowlands, the mountain tops are still covered in pure white snow. Spring is here – an exhilarating time to be alive!
The Father illustrates the majestic names of recent Torah portions that beautifully depict the Majesty of our Messiah Yeshua. Open the eyes of my heart Yah, I want to see You!
On Mount Sinai, Behar Sinai, YHWH spoke the Word to Moshe like mighty headwaters, Emor, flowing down to His people (Lev 25:1) Behar and Emor, names of recent Torah portions, grant us the pure words of the Father to His people from the Headship of the Messiah – righteous instructions for living by the Holy Spirit – with a view from the Mountain of Yah.
The pure, ancient pictographs of Behar – bet, hey, resh – picture Yeshua, the Living Word. To be Behar in the Spirit is to be inside the spiritual revelation of Messiah’s exalted Head.
In the days of David, the headwaters that flowed from Behar – on Mount Zion – came in the form of beautiful, flowing words recorded for us in Tehillim – praises – the Psalms.
Today, a Jew named Joshua Aaron, the most influential Messianic Jew in the land of Israel, sings songs of praise and worship that flow as living waters of the Holy Spirit. I love his live song ‘Blessed Be Our God,’ from Jerusalem. It carries a common thread with Emor-Behar:
To Him who rides upon the heavens,
Ancient heavens, Blessed be our God.
Behold He’s sending out His mighty voice,
His mighty voice, Blessed be our God.
Hearing From the Headwaters
What did our Messiah Yeshua teach His disciples about the purpose for His mighty voice of authority speaking to His people? What is our connection with His voice that speaks?
“I have spoken these things to you, abiding with you; but the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He shall teach you all things and shall remind you of all things that I said to you.” John 14:25-26
Who shall teach us all things? Did Yeshua state that man, such as religious authorities, would “teach you all things”? Does the common, ordinary believer need to hear from a human authority, to interpret and understand how to apply His teachings to life?
These things I have written to you concerning those leading you astray. But the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true and no lie, and as He has taught you, abide in Him. 1 John 2:26-27
Where does the anointing come from that teaches you all things? The pure source of the anointing comes from the Anointed One, the meaning of the title ‘Mashiyach,’ the Messiah. Yeshua is our Master teacher who teaches us by His Spirit. To be receiving from the exalted Head of the Body is to be hearing from the Master Teacher Himself.
It was the good part that Mary chose over Martha’s busy service. (Luke 10:41-42) Once you choose to abide in Him, no one can take that from you. You can hear from the Master any time. No one can take that relationship from you unless you choose to be too busy to stop and listen. Or, you could choose to let someone else hear His voice and interpret His words for you, being dependent on an authoritative teacher for understanding. How do you work out your salvation with fear and trembling? (Philippians 2:12)
Hearing the Voice of the Messiah
Another analogy for us to take comfort in is that we are like sheep in the Shepherd’s fold.
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give eternal life to them, and they shall not perish to the age, never! And not anyone shall pluck them out of My hand.” John 10:27-28
Because sheep spend all their time listening to their shepherd’s true voice to know where to go, they are not as prone to fall for counterfeit voices of false shepherds.
By far, the primary source for instruction and the Word to Moses came straight from Elohim, face to face on the Mount. Moses talked directly with the pre-incarnate Messiah.
On the other hand, yes, Moses received Godly instruction and practical advice from his father-in-law that saved his ministry. When Moses was down off the mountain, he got caught up in ministering to the people and may have lost touch with hearing from the still, silent voice of the Father. It happens to all of us, even ministers of the Word.
This is why I love to come down to the valley to minister the Word of Yah to the people, but also love to return up the canyon to clear my head and soul from all the issues of the communities that affect my wife and me. I’m no Moses, but the principle is clear. Hear from Heaven as your primary source. Spend time in the Word. Go boldly to the Throne of Grace with no shame, for Yeshua has taken it all away through His eternal sacrifice. Sometimes it may mean going for a drive to the mountains, or a hike in the woods to clear your head and your soul, so you can hear more clearly from the Father in Heaven.
Discerning His Voice
No doubt at times when I’m not inclining my ear to the Master’s voice on a particular subject, I need to hear from an anointed teacher. If that teacher is anointed and speaks by the Holy Spirit, it is my responsibility to discern whether he or she is a mouthpiece for the Messiah, or they are merely speaking out of their intellect, or their flesh.
Prove all things, and hold fast to the good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Your mind must have a filter for the voices it hears – that is the Word of YHWH, the written Word must be what determines whether you are hearing from the Father or not. That is why it is so important to be in the Word. My inner voice sounds like my own voice. But I must discern what spirit breathes into that voice that uses my own English or Hebrew words that I hear in my mind. How do you know what voice you’re hearing?
It is up to each one of us to discern whether we’re hearing from the Master Yeshua, or not. We need discernment whenever anyone speaks to us a word, especially if it is intended for correction, or to give instruction on what to do or not do. A garbage can has no filter, it will accept anything. Our minds cannot receive and accept whatever tickles the ear or makes our flesh feel good. We need the filter of the pure Word of the Messiah.
Whether it’s from your inner voice speaking to you, or it’s an anointed brother or sister, why is it so important to hear from the Headwaters, from the Anointed One by His Spirit?
And Yeshua answered and said to them, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many will come in My Name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and show great signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen. Matthew 24:4-5, 24
I do not believe Yeshua was talking only about false prophets and false teachers who claim to be the Messiah and are calling for followers. He was also talking about false leaders who claim that Yeshua is the Messiah, but deceive many and sidetrack His followers to go another direction than the straight and narrow way He calls us to. Paul warned the believers in Ephesus of such threats to the Messianic community:
…so that we no longer may be infants, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, in the dishonesty of men, in cunning craftiness, to the wiles of deceit. Ephesians 4:14
To build our lives on the sayings of the Head, Yeshua the Messiah, is to build our house upon the unshakable, immovable Rock (Matt 7:24-25) that can withstand every wind of doctrine that blows our way. And are they ever blowing! We have got to be in tune with the voice of Yeshua and hear from the pure Headwaters or we will be deceived and go astray. When the Messiah returns, will He find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8) Only if we take Paul’s counsel: So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Messiah. Romans 10:17 This verse is worth memorizing, if you want a solid faith that can withstand end-time events and the coming of the mighty Messiah, the Lion of Judah.
Let us go up to the mountain of YHWH that cannot be shaken and learn of His ways. On Mount Zion we will not be shaken, we will not be moved, no matter what comes our way.
And many people shall go and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of YHWH, to the House of the God of Jacob. And He will teach from His ways, and we will walk in His paths. For out of Zion the Torah will go forth, and the Word of YHWH from Jerusalem.” Isaiah 2:3
On Mount Sinai, Behar, Moshe ascended and descended to meet with the pre-incarnate Messiah. In like manner, the prophet Who was like Moshe, our Adonai Yeshua, ascended and descended upon the mountain in the headwaters of the Sea of Galilee, up from the Jordan River. Jordan means Descender. Yeshua and all His disciples also went up to Jerusalem for all the festivals of YHWH. Come, let us go up to the Mountain!
If we do stay the course of following the Good Shepherd, by hearkening to His voice, our future in Messiah is glorious! Encouraging us to hear the Words of our Father, I love this moving song, Zion, by Joshua Aaron’s best friend, Aaron Shust:
O daughters of Zion, O Abraham’s sons,
Hear the words of your Father.
Hear His promise of love.
I will make you a blessing.
Count the stars if you can.
You will be a great nation,
I will give you this land.
On the way to Mount Zion,
Blessings to you in the Name of Yeshua Ha’Mashiyach,
David Klug