In working out my own relationship with my Creator / Redeemer / BrideGroom and King, I’ve come to feel that reading the Word is imperative for a healthy spiritual life. Reading the Word is like receiving a daily love letter from my soul’s True Love. Otherwise, it would be like getting married, only to be suddenly unavailable, (spiritually, emotionally, or physically) to my spouse. It doesn’t take much brain power to see where that emotional distance, that unavailability, would undermine the relationship, unweaving its fabric, as it were. With that in mind, I chose to use the weekly Torah Portions as my reading guide, with the ability to add the HafTorah (writings of the prophets) when appropriate for my study.

This week’s Torah Portion is found in Exodus 35:1 to 40:38. It has to do with the building of the Tabernacle furnishings, such as the Ark of the Covenant, the Menorah, the Incense Altar and the bronze Laver. The first lines of the portion repeat the commandment to observe the sabbath and then it says in verse 3, “Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.”

Over the years, this verse has given rise to various traditions, such as: not driving on Shabbat (that pesky little spark from the plugs is the issue); not turning lights on and off without the aid of a “Shabbas goy” (a gentile who will do things forbidden to a Jew on the Sabbath.) But is this really what that line is about? Are Jews in Alaska destined to die of the cold if their furnace goes out? Must we really sit in the dark and eat cold food? I need to know!

I believe that in context, YHVH is telling His people, “I know you’re excited about building the Tabernacle so I can dwell among you. BUT, that doesn’t give you permission to violate the Sabbath or keep the fires going for melting down and forging the gold, silver and bronze. Everyone and everything needs to stop on the Sabbath.” Granted. But is there more?

One of the precepts of reading the Word is that there is always a second witness when it gives a direction. For example, the are paragraphs filled with instructions about keeping the Sabbath in both the “old” and “new” writings. What about the ‘kindling a fire’?  In doing a word search of “kindle” and “fire” I found 18 instances of those words appearing together in a bible verse. Rather than list them all here, I invite you to use an online bible, such as Blue Letter Bible, and plug those two words into the search box. In the blink of an eye, you will see the results. Presuming that you have (or will!) do so, here is what I found:

Of the 18 verses that contain the words kindle and fire, most of them have to do with stirring up anger, judgment, or instigating war. There is nothing about fires for warmth or cooking.  Could it mean that besides not keeping the industrial fires going for the construction of the Tabernacle, don’t use this time off to bicker, plot, complain, or foment strife?  The Sabbath is a prophecy of the Reign of King Messiah, a time of lasting peace and justice. If our actions are anger or strife driven, then the Truth is not in us!

So have I just given us permission to build a camp fire and cook for the family reunion? Not so fast! I believe that ‘choosing life’ means that building a fire for self preservation is appropriate; building a fire to get rid of yard trash is not. In Exodus 16:23 it says, “And he said unto them: ‘This is that which the LORD hath spoken: To-morrow is a solemn rest, a holy sabbath unto the LORD. Bake that which ye will bake, and seethe that which ye will seethe; and all that remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.'” clearly indicating that no cooking should be done on the Sabbath. The cook in the family deserves a day off too!!

May it be for a blessing.