The Rock - Maoz Tzur

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Britney Lyons
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1 The Rock - Maoz Tzur There is a well-known traditional Hanukkah song (I know it s June-this isn t a Hanukkah Message) called Rock of Ages or Maoz Tzur in Hebrew. Maoz is strength, fortress, stronghold, defense, protection and Tzur is Rock. The song and lyrics, composed in the 13th century, summarize our historical challenges we ve overcome as Jews with God s help. The hymn retells Jewish history in poetic form and celebrates deliverance from four ancient enemies, Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Haman and Antiochus. Like much medieval Jewish liturgical poetry, it is full of allusions to Biblical literature. The poem recalls the many times when Jewish communities were saved from the people around them. The second stanza tells of the exodus from Egypt. The third stanza tells of the end of the Babylonian captivity. The fourth retells the miracle of the holiday of Purim. Only the fifth tells of the Hasmonean victory that is commemorated by Hanukkah. The first and last stanzas are written in the present tense. The first expresses hope for the rebuilding of the Temple and for the defeat of enemies. The final stanza once again calls for divine retribution against the enemies of the Jewish people. Rock of Ages let our song, Praise thy saving power; Thou amidst the raging foes, Wast our sheltering tower. Furiously they assailed us, But Thine arm availed us And Thy word broke their sword, When our own strength failed us. And Thy word broke their sword, When our own strength failed us. The foundation of this song, Rock of Age or Maoz Tzur is found in: Deuteronomy 32:1-4. "Hear, oh heavens, as I speak! Listen, earth, to the words from my mouth! 2 May my teaching fall like rain. May my speech condense like dew, like light rain on blades of grass, or showers on growing plants. 3 "For I will proclaim the name of ADONAI. Come, declare the greatness of our God! 4 The Rock (Tzur: rock, mountain, strength, God)! His work is perfect, for all his ways are just. A trustworthy God who does no wrong, he is righteous and straight. The reference Rock for God is used six times in this chapter. Deuteronomy 32 is a poem written by Moshe knows as the Song of Moses. The structure of this song is divided into six sections: 1. Introduction with summoning of witnesses. 2. Accusation of Israel s disloyalty. 3. Recall of God s loving actions on Israel s behalf which is the basis of the charge/indictment. 4. Israel is declared disloyal. 5. God decrees punishment but interrupts His own proceedings in recognition of 1

2 a risk to His honor among the nations. The surrounding nations might conclude that God is weak if they see Him destroy Israel. Adonai reverses His decree of punishment and decides instead to punish Israel s enemies to vindicate Israel. 6. Conclusion with a call for divine council to Praise God for His actions! This chapter begins with: Ha azinu-give Ear, hear of heavens! God demands exclusive loyalty. This poem or song as recited by Moshe and Y hoshua too all the people gathered just before they enter into the Promise land! This song or poem is used as a teaching tool, calling heaven and earth to Ha azinu, Give Ear as witness of Israel disobedience which leads to apostasy and dispersion. God is just and faithful to keep His covenant! God is The Rock, His word never changes! He is righteous and straight! Moshe ends thie chapter by reminding Israel that this sing or poem is a witness against them: Deuteronomy 32: When he had finished speaking all these words to all Isra'el, 46 he said to them, "Take to heart all the words of my testimony against you today, so that you can use them in charging your children to be careful to obey all the words of this Torah. 47 For this is not a trivial matter for you;(ki lo-davar rek hu mi-kem: This is not an empty, worthless, vain, trivial word), on the contrary, it is your life! Through it you will live long in the land you are crossing the Yarden to possess." 48 That same day ADONAI said to Moshe, 49 "Go up into the 'Avarim Range, to Mount N'vo, in the land of Mo'av across from Yericho; and look out over the land of Kena'an, which I am giving the people of Isra'el as a possession. 50 On the mountain you are ascending you will die and be gathered to your people, just as Aharon your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people. 51 The reason for this is that both of you broke faith with me there among the people of Isra'el at the M'rivat-Kadesh Spring, in the Tzin Desert; you failed to demonstrate my holiness there among the people of Isra'el. 52 So you will see the land from a distance, but you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Isra'el." Then Adonai tells Moshe, because you broke faith with me, you failed to sanctify the Lord in obedience before the people thereby Moshe was barred from entering into the Promise Land! Moshe, as the corporate head of the nation dies in the exile, only seeing the promise for afar, from outside the land. The witness of this song ironically testifies against Moshe himself as he fell short of the Glory of God because he STRUCK the Rock instead of speaking to it at M'rivat-Kadesh. This mistake inhibited Moshe from entering the Promised Land. But why was this sin so severely dealt with by the LORD? Moshe had two separate Rock encounters. The first in: Exodus 17:5-6. ADONAI answered Moshe, "Go on ahead of the people, and bring with you the leaders of Isra'el. Take your staff in your hand, the one you used to strike the river; and go. 6 I will stand in front of you there on the rock in Horev. You are to strike (hikita root word Nakah: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill, beat, scourge, 2

3 chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy, to be wounded, to be beaten) the rock (Tzur: rock, mountain, strength, God), and water will come out of it, so the people can drink." Moshe did this in the sight of the leaders of Isra'el. The Rock is a picture of YEshua who was stricken for His people: Isaiah. 53:4. In fact, it was our diseases he bore, our pains from which he suffered; yet we regarded him as punished, stricken (Nakah: to strike, beat, slay, killed, beat, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy, to be beaten) and afflicted by God. There is something hidden in here. God, our Rock, Tzur is now stricken and mayim chaim, living water flows out unto all Israel! This supernatural revelation is revealed in the conversation between Yeshua and the woman at Jacob s well in Shomron: John 4: Yeshua answered her, "If you knew God's gift, that is, who it is saying to you, `Give me a drink of water,' then you would have asked him; and he would have given you living water." 11 She said to him, "Sir, you don't have a bucket, and the well is deep; so where do you get this `living water'? 12 You aren't greater than our father Ya`akov, are you? He gave us this well and drank from it, and so did his sons and his cattle." 13 Yeshua answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty again! On the contrary, the water I give him will become a spring of water inside him, welling up into eternal life!" But the living Mayim Chaim, the Living Water didn t flow out of Yeshua until He was struck! Sha ul, Paul understood the connection and significance of this in: I Corinthians 10:1-4. For, brothers, I don't want you to miss the significance of what happened to our fathers. All of them were guided by the pillar of cloud, and they all passed through the sea, 2 and in connection with the cloud and with the sea they all immersed themselves into Moshe, 3 also they all ate the same food from the Spirit, 4 and they all drank the same drink from the Spirit - for they drank from a Spirit-sent (pneumatikos {pnyoo-mat-ik-os'}; Divine Supernatural Spirit of God) Rock (Petra: a rock, a projecting rock, mountain) which followed them, and that Rock was the Messiah. As Moses said back in Deut. 32:3-4. "For I will proclaim the name of ADONAI. Come, declare the greatness of our God! 4 The Rock The name of Adonai, of God is Rock! Yeshua, Divine Son of God is that Rock that gives us water of eternal live, a spring that wells up inside of us! But what about Moses second encounter with the Rock? Numbers 20: "Take the staff, assemble the community, you and Aharon your brother; and before their eyes, tell (Davar: speak, declare, converse, command, 3

4 promise, sing) the rock to produce its water. You will bring them water out of the rock and thus enable the community and their livestock to drink." 9 Moshe took the staff from the presence of ADONAI, as he had ordered him. 10 But after Moshe and Aharon had assembled the community in front of the rock, he said to them, "Listen here, you rebels! Are we supposed to bring you water from this rock?" 11 Then Moshe raised his hand and hit the rock twice with his staff. Water flowed out in abundance, and the community and their livestock drank. 12 But ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon, "Because you did not trust in me, so as to cause me to be regarded as holy by the people of Isra'el, you will not bring this community into the land I have given them." Remember Moshes words in: Deuteronomy 32:47. For this is not a trivial matter for you;(ki lo-davar rek hu mikem: This is not an empty, worthless, vain, trivial word), on the contrary, it is your life! Through it you will live long in the land you are crossing the Yarden to possess." Yeshua the Rock was to be stricken only once! In Numbers 20 Moses was commanded to speak, declare, sing to the Rock, not strike again! But Moses, angered and upset by the peoples quarrelling and opposition to he and Aaron and I m sure grieved by the death of his sister, disobeys and strikes the rock twice, symbolically striking Yeshua twice! An upset and angry Adonai punished Moses and Aaron from ever seeing the promised land. As Moshe shared in Deuteronomy 32 Israel had rejected the Rock, God and continued to do so until the first Diaspora in Babylon. Solomon s stone Temple was destroyed. When the 70 years of captivity were complete Adonai restored those held captive in Persia back to Judah. Another Stone Temple was built which was also destroyed and Judah again was into Diaspora. But, just before the 2 nd Stone Temple, Herod s temple was destroyed by Rome Adonai, our Rock laid a cornerstone for a brand new temple, a living stone, the Son of the Rock. I Peter 2:4-8. As you come to him, the living stone, rejected by people but chosen by God and precious to him, 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be cohanim set apart for God to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to him through Yeshua the Messiah. 6 This is why the Tanakh says, "Look! I am laying in Tziyon a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone; and whoever rests his trust on it will certainly not be humiliated." 7 Now to you who keep trusting, he is precious. But to those who are not trusting, "The very stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone"; 8 also he is a stone that will make people stumble, a rock over which they will trip. They are stumbling at the Word, disobeying it - as had been planned. This new living stones Temple was a stumbling point, a rock that those who had veils over their eyes couldn t see for a time and season which is coming to the 4

5 end. This New Temple comprised of living stones can t be torn down, it can t be dismantled, it s not limited to a specific location, and its forever growing! When Yeshua was passing through Caesarea Philippi he asked his Talmidim who people were saying HE was, then HE asks them and Peter tells Yeshua You the Mashiach, the Son of the Living God. Yeshua replies to Peter that this is heavenly knowledge and goes on to say: Matthew 16:18. I also tell you this: you are Kefa (Petra: a rock, a projecting rock, mountain):," [which means `Rock,'] "and on this rock I will build my Community (Ekklesia: called out ones, congregation, assembly, a gathering of Israelites, a gathering of citizens, those who are united into one body, Kehillah in Hebrew), and the gates of Sh'ol will not overcome it. Its upon this corner stone, the living Rock the Yeshua will build His body, the bride, the Kehillah, the Ekklesia of living stones and the gates of HELL CANNOT PREVAIL AGAINST IT!! In great irony man has built cathedrals, synagogues, and various other buildings of stone that are modeled after the old Stone Temples but Adonai isn t building in stone anymore. The Living Stones Temple s glory by far outshines the glory of the old temple! The rocks and stones Solomon used were quite expensive, the purchase price of the stones of the new temple is far greater! Yeshua paid the price, He purchased the living stones with His own blood, thereby become the cornerstone Himself. Ephesians 2: You have been built on the foundation of the emissaries and the prophets, with the cornerstone being Yeshua the Messiah himself. 21 In union with him the whole building is held together, and it is growing into a holy temple in union with the Lord. 22 Yes, in union with him, you yourselves are being built together into a spiritual dwelling-place for God! The whole purpose for a temple is to provide and abode, a dwelling place for Gods presence. AS a temple of living stones God s presence dwells within us, in effect, we are His temple on the earth. AS we continue to learn how to approach Adonai, and we continue to grow spiritually, we draw closer, more intimate with Him as we a re being built together, one to another as a place of habitation for God, and place of indwelling for Him. Those who suffer construction flaws, whose foundation is weakened by character and integrity flaws, sin, selfishness, greed, divisiveness, and chip away at and destroy the peace and stability of God's living temple stand condemned before God I Corinthians 3: Don't you know that you people are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17 So if anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you yourselves are that temple. 5

6 The only entity on this earth that is capable of and has the power to break the enemies stranglehold on both individuals and nations is Gods Living Stones Temple with Yeshua the chief cornerstone. AS a temple of Living stones, filled with the presence of God and the Ruach HaKodesh we are a fluid force of supernatural life, a river of living water that can destroy mountain strongholds, carve deep valleys, fill in the gap, yet cannot be gripped by a hand, dismantled, or stopped by boarders, governments, or political correctness. With God s presence dwelling within us we have every resource, every provision, all of heavens dunamis power to move in signs and wonders, to be a supernatural force invading the natural, raising the dead, healing the sick, breaking the yokes of captivity that oppresses so many and push back strongholds and principalities. Adonai longs to see this Temple of Living Stones restored in preparation for the cornerstones return. But we must move as one, as Echad, with common purpose, singleness of mind, without gossip and slander, without criticism, without offence, without agendas, without religious spirits, without theology, without sin, singly focused upon seeing the Kingdom of God pour out upon humanity! I received I believe a word from Dean this week: There's a strong revival coming. Those that control the media and entertainment try to portray it differently. But they don't control the Spirit, nor the revival. And the Spirit is always stronger. So it may not be cool...it may not seem in vogue... but if you look with open eyes, you can see it's happening. And soon people will be proclaiming: "I was following the Ruach, when following the Ruach wasn't cool!" 6

Beth Yeshua International: Berean Call 3 Sh'vat 5774 / 4 January 2014

Beth Yeshua International: Berean Call 3 Sh'vat 5774 / 4 January 2014 Deuteronomy 6:1-3 Now this is the mitzvah, the laws and rulings which ADONAI your God ordered me to teach you for you to obey in the land you are crossing over to possess, so that you will fear ADONAI