The special holiday reading for 7 Sivan, 5764 - May 27, 2004 Parashah: Shavuot Bet Deuteronomy 15:19 to 16:17; Haftarah: Habakkuk 2:20 to 3:19; Mei Kituvim: Megilat Ruth 3 & 4; Brit Chadashah: Revelation 5:1-14



Appearances
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men" (Titus 2:11 NIV).

Appearances of several kinds are in the collection of texts for today. The Torah portion commanded an appearance of all the males of Israel before the Lord on three holidays of the year: The Feast of Unleavened Bread, Shavuot or The Feast of Weeks, and Sukot or The Feast of Booths.

In the reading of the book of Ruth it was the appearance of Boaz that turned the tide in her favor as Naomi put it: "Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall; for the man will not rest, until he have finished the thing this day" (Ruth 3:18 JPS). Boaz came through because he made an appearance before the elders of the city at the place of town business, the gates of the city. There was another appearance that hindered the prospects of Ruth's marriage to Boaz. It was a closer relative that had right to perform the Leverite marriage to raise a family for the deceased husband of Ruth. But that man turned away from the duty, so it fell to Boaz to be the Goel - the Kinsmen Redeemer.

Habakkuk's beautiful song, which is a prayer, entails the appearance of God as the Mighty-Coming One. The image of that appearance is that of light: "His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power" (Habakkuk 3:4 NASB). The appearance of God's power requires some kind of protection. The verse suggests that the shielding of His Eternal Light acts a covering against the dreadful power of G-d. This idea lends itself to the role of Jesus in the time of the New Testament.

It is not surprising that Jesus is the Light of the world, so that we could have a standing before the Almighty Presence. The New Testament reading sets the stage for the main character, the appearance of the Lamb. Because He appeared before the heavenly court, the earth can be redeemed because He opened the sealed book. The earth that was forfeited to the curse by the sin of Adam, is redeemed by the atoning work of Christ, but it awaits the Day of Redemption. That day is described in the reading for today. The appearance of the Lamb resolved the problem of the sealed book and the lost earth.

Lastly, His appearance as an infant, then as an adult to bear the sin of the world is the basis for the manifestation of grace that brings salvation. Today anyone, Jew or Gentile, can be freely saved by the power of the atoning blood of Jesus to cleanse the soul for the deadly effects of sin. On that basis, those who have salvation shall appear before God free from condemnation and thus enter heaven. But those who reject have another appointment. They will appear before God and give account. All who fail the Torah will be under its condemnation for eternity.

Click here: How to be saved.