Meer as net ‘n kleed se soom

Jesus was onderweg na Jairus se huis om dié se dogtertjie te gaan genees. In die gedrang van mense om Hom, voel Hy hoe sy krag Hom verlaat.

‘n Desperate vrou het voor Hom neergeval en betraand erken dat dit sy was wat aan Sy kleed se soom geraak het. Sy het twaalf jaar aan bloedvloeiing gely. Sy was raadop. Om aan bloedvloeiing van die omvang te ly in die Bybelse tyd, moes lewende hel gewees het.

Sy was onrein volgens Ou Testamentiese wette (Levitikus beskryf onreinheid vanweë bloedvloeiing in detail). Niemand kon by haar aan huis kom nie, haar geliefdes kon nie saam met haar eet nie, sy kon nie naby ander mense wees nie. Dink jou in om vir ‘n paar dae sonder ander ooor die weg te kom. Ek sal mal word. Sy het vir twaalf jaar uiterse verwerping beleef.

Verwerping, isolasie, vereensaming. Dink jou in. ‘n Skewe kyk van iemand kan ‘n mens soms omkantel, ‘n nee wanneer jy groot verwagtinge het smyt jou teen die grond. Hierdie vrou het dit tienvoudig beleef. Toe hoor sy van Jesus.

Kan jy dink hoe sy in vrees die by die skare aangesluit het?  Onrein, verstote. Kan jy die skrik sien wanneer Jesus vra wie aan Hom geraak het. Ek kan my indink dat haar mond te droog was om dadelik te antwoord, dat sy gebewe het. Die angs dat iemand haar herken en uitskree hoe onrein die mens is! Die skaamte en verwerping wat sy moes ervaar. ‘n Lewende dooie. ‘n Zombie wat haar gemeenskap aanbetref.

Het sy iewers Jesus se mosterdsaadjiegelykenis gehoor? Is dit wat haar daardie sprankie hoop gegee het? Is dit wat haar laat besef het dat net om aan Sy kleed se soom te raak, genoeg sal wees?

Ons is almal daardie verwerpte, onrein volgens ander se standaarde, onbeminde, seergemaakte, verwonde, vereensaamde vrou. Ons almal. Want ons is mense. Ons word in sonde gebore, ons leef daarmee en sal sterwe sonder om dit te ontsnap.

Die enigste weg na God en ewige vryheid is alleen deur Jesus. Ons kan maar niks doen om ewigheid en vergifnis te verdien nie. Nie deur goeie werke, nie deur nougeset volgens reëls leef nie, net mooi niks. Ons kry vergifnis en vrede en ewigheid alleen deur onverdiende goedheid van ons Vader en Jesus se lewende offer in ons plek.

So, as die storms woed, as mense jou die rug keer, as jy oorweldig voel, gryp na Jesus se soom. Net Sy soom.  Ek daag jou uit – reik net daar waar jy sit en lees, strek jou hand na bo en gryp Sy soom. Voeg die daad by die woord.

Maak daardie reik na Sy soom deel van jou elke dag se bestaan. Ons kan nie anders as om elke dag by Sy voete neer te val en te vra vir krag, genade en gensesing nie. Net so seker as die son elke dag opkom en ons ‘n nu we begin gee, net so is Jesus se kleed se soom daar vir ons om dieselfde rede.  Elke oomblik in jou werkdag, reik na Sy soom, kry die vrede en krag wat alle verstand te bowe gaan. Skielik is dit asof Sy liefde en gendae deur jou stroom, soos olie deur jou loop. ‘n Sagter woord, ‘n oor wat luister, hande wat liefhet en dien. So word ons meer en meer Sy hande, en hart en oë in ‘n seer wêreld.

“The healing of His seamless dress
Is by our beds of pain;
We touch Him in life’s throng and press,
And we are whole again.”

“en ’n sekere vrou, wat twaalf jaar lank bloedvloeiing gehad het en alles wat sy het aan dokters uitgegee het en deur niemand gesond gemaak kon word nie, 44het van agter af gekom en die bloulyn-soomtossel aan Sy kleed aangeraak en onmiddellik het haar vloei van bloed gestop. 45Yeshua sê: “Wie het aan My geraak?” Toe almal dit ontken, sê Shim’on Kefa en die wat saam met hom was: “Ons Meester, die mense druk teen U aan en U sê: ‘Wie is dit wat aan My geraak het?’” 46Hy sê: “Iemand het aan My geraak, want Ek weet dat krag vanaf My uitgegaan het.” 47Toe die vrou sien dat dit nie Sy aandag ontsnap het nie, kom sy bang en val aanbiddend voor Hom neer en maak bekend voor al die mense waarom sy aan Hom geraak het en hoe sy onmiddellik gesond geword het. 48Yeshua sê vir haar: “Wees bemoedig, My dogter, jou vertroue het vir jou lewe gegee. Gaan in vrede, vergenoegdheid, gesondheid en voorspoed.” Luka8:43-44 PWL

Ek lees raak dat die Englese Bybelvertaling die soom van Jesus se kleed beskryf as “the border of His garment.”  In Grieks is die woord kraspedon.  Die Hebreeus is die woord tzitzit (meervoud tzitziyot).

38“Praat met die seuns van Yisra’el en sê vir hulle, hulle moet vir hulle tossels maak aan die some van hul bo-klere, deur al hulle geslagte heen en hulle moet aan die tossel van elke soom ’n tou van blou stof vasbind. 39Die tossels sal wees sodat julle daarna kan kyk en al die opdragte van יהוה onthou en dit doen en nie agter dit aangaan waarna julle hart en jul oë aan hoereer nie 40sodat julle kan onthou om al My opdragte te doen en vir julle God afgesonder te wees. 41Ek is יהוה, julle God, wat julle uit Mitzrayim uitgebring het om vir julle ’n God te wees. Ek is יהוה, julle God.” Numeri 15:38-40PWL

Die tossels(tzitzit) is  om the herinner aan die opdragte (mitzvot) wat God aan sy mense gegee het. Die detail is vertsommend. Daar is 613 knope in die tossels en wys na die 613 wette wat God aan die Isrealiete in die woestyn gegee het.  Die blou tou verwys na God self, Sy troon is van saffier, die oorspronklike klip tablette waarop die Tien Gebooie geskryf was, ook. Die oorsprong woord vir tzitzit  beteken om te skyn, om te blom en om te skitter.

Grens of soom in Numeri 15:38 is  “kanaph” in grondteks. Die kleed het vier hoeke of grense gehad en wys  die vier uithoeke van die aarde ook die grense van die mense se grond. God het ‘n spesifieke opdrag oor die vier hoek van mens se grond. Die hoeke moes ongeoes gelos word vir die armes om te oes : ‘22Wanneer julle die opbrengs van julle land oes, moet jy die rand van jou land nie heeltemal af oes as jy oes nie en die are wat val, nie bymekaar maak nie. Vir die arme en die besoekers moet jy dit laat oorbly. Ek is יהוה, julle God.’ 

Verder lees ek dat “kanaph” ook dieselfde woord is wat as vlerk gebruik word. 

“maar vir julle wat My Naam (Karakter en Outoriteit) respekvol vrees, sal die Dienskneg van onpartydige opregtheid opgaan met genesing in Sy vlerke en julle sal uitgaan en rondhuppel soos kalwers uit die stal. 3(3:21) Julle sal die bose vertrap, want hulle sal as wees onder julle voetsole op die dag wat Ek voorberei,” sê יהוה-Tzva’ot. Mal’akhi 4:2

Sjoe.

Ons God is groot. Hy sorg vir elke detail van ons lewe. Hy voorsien reeds eeue vantevore vir ons elke behoefte. Hy skep orde in sy opdragte aan ons, stel  grense maar gee ook vir ons vlerke om mee te vlieg. Hy vertel self deur ‘n kleed dat ons  vir ander moet sorg en tot seën moet wees.

Ons geloof moet so seker soos die vrou s’n wees. Sy het besef haar enigste redding is Jesus – sy het geweet waarom Hy op aarde was en dat net deur sy kleed se soom aan te raak, genoeg sou wees.  Saam met haar, kan ons blom en groei en skitter.

(PWL – Die Pad van Waarheid tot die Lewe Afrikaanse Vertaling (Die Pad van Waarheid tot die Lewe Afrikaans Translation of the Bible). Courtesy of www.padwlewe.ch. Used by Permission.)

Lees hier verder en juig saam: Hallelujah!

THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT – B.R. Burton

The New Testament is concealed within the Torah, and the Torah is revealed in the New Testament. To accurately interpret the writings of the Apostles, one must understand the Torah. The Torah is an amazingly intricate, infinitely complex Tapestry – the very Garment of the Holy One. In fact, the King Messiah, Yeshua of Nazareth, is the Living Torah incarnate, the Kavod of Adonai dwelling in the mishkan (tent) of a human body. Indeed every jot and tittle of the written Torah mystically reveals the character of the King Messiah, and the nature of the universe.
As we begin to examine the patterns in this Tapestry, we begin to see amazing connections like interwoven threads that bind all things together. However, too often we fail to see the exquisite threadwork of light before our eyes, the fragrance under our nose, and the resonating Song of Redemption in our ears. We must brush away the confines of our own culture, the barriers of language, prejudice and preconceptions, in order to see the radiant beauty of design in the Torah. In the book of Malachi, one of the most prophetically messianic books in the Bible, the following can be found:
אבל בשבילך החוששים שמי השמש הצדק יקום עם כנפיים ריפוי

“But to you who fear My Name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.”
Malachi 4:2

Many Christians accurately see a reference to the Messiah in this verse. Judaism also recognizes this as a messianic prophecy:
“Moses asked: ‘shall they remain in pledge forever?’ G-d replied: ‘No, only Until the sun appears’, that is, till the coming of the Messiah; for it says, But unto you that fear My name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings.” Exodus Rabbah 31:10, Soncino Press Edition

In the Gospel of Matthew, Yeshua says that not one ‘jot’ or ‘tittle’ will pass away from the Torah. The letter in Greek for “jot” is “iota” and corresponds to the Hebrew letter “yud”. The yud is the smallest letter of the Hebrew aleph-bet. If even the shape of the letters in the Torah are everlasting, then the choice of words among synonyms that the Holy Spirit inspired Malachi and other Biblical authors to select are of utmost importance. Examining the verse above in Hebrew, Malachi uses the word כּנף (kanaph) for wing. When we examine this word, the threads hidden in the Tapestry of the Torah begin to become apparent.

In the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy, the Torah uses the word כּנף (kanaph) for the commandment of the tzitzit (fringes):
דבר אל-בני ישראל ואמרת אלהם ועשו להם ציצת על-כנפי בגדיהם לדרתם ונתנו על-ציצת הכנף פתיל תכלת

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them throughout their generations fringes in the corners of their garments, and that they put with the fringe of each corner a thread of blue.”
Numbers 15:38

The “kanaph” of a garment was the corner, edge, or “hem”. The Strong’s Concordance defines kanaph as:
Kanaph, Noun Feminine, Strong#: 3671 Wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt, – Wing, – Extremity skirt, corner (of garment)

As the Torah is revealed in the New Testament, we find an illuminated meaning,

“Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her wealth on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Yeshua said, “Who touched me?” When all denied it, Kefa and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes hold and press you, and you say, ‘Who touched Me?’ “But Yeshua said, “Somebody touched me, for I perceived power going out from me.” Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in shalom.” Luke 8:43 – 47, cf. Matthew 9:20, Mark 5:25

The Greek word for “border” is κρασπεδου (kraspedon), corresponding to the Hebrew word “kanaph”, as Strong’s Concordance notes:

Kraspedon, Noun Neuter, Strong#: 2899 The extremity or prominent part of a thing, edge, skirt, margin, – The fringe of a garment, In the NT a little appendage hanging down from the edge of the mantle or cloak, made of twisted wool, A tassel, tuft: the Jews had such appendages attached to their mantles to remind them of the law

What was the “flow of blood” the woman was afflicted with? It is interesting that, in Greek, the word ‘apo’ in this passage is left untranslated.

The word “apo” can mean “separation”, as the Strong’s definition states:

Apo (apo’) Word Origin: Greek, Strong’s # 575 Of separation, – of local separation, after verbs of motion from a place i.e. of departing, of fleeing, … – of separation of a part from the whole where of a whole some part is taken, – of any kind of separation of one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is destroyed, – of a state of separation, that is of distance, – physical, of distance of place, – temporal, of distance of time

In ancient Jewish culture, this would be immediately recognizable as separation in regards to the laws of niddah and zavah, meaning that the ‘flow of blood’ the woman was experiencing was a continuous menstrual condition (zavah), which rendered her ritually unclean, and unable to have sexual intercourse if she was married. This was not a regular monthly flow, but a flow that lasted many days, rendering her status not as a niddah, but a zavah, one with an abnormal flow of blood. Delitzsch reconstructs the Hebrew as follows:
וְאִשָה זָבַת דָם שְָ תים עשְ רה שָנָה

“And a woman with flow of blood two and ten years…”

Leviticus 15 states,
וְאִשָה כִֵָֽי־יָָזוּב זָֹוב דָמָהּ יָמִים רַָבִים

“And if a woman has a flow of her blood many days…”

“And if a woman has an issue, and her issue from her body is blood, she shall be impure (niddah) for seven days: and whosoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. And everything that she lies upon in her separation (niddah) shall be unclean: everything also that she sits upon shall be unclean. And whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. . . And if a woman has an issue (zov) of her blood many days out of the time of her separation (niddah), or if it flows beyond the time of her separation (niddah), all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation (niddah): she shall be unclean.” Vayikra (Leviticus) 15:19-28

In today’s society, many women have difficulty during the time of menstruation. Imagine dealing with this for twelve years? To make matters worse, she experienced this condition in a society where ritual impurity was incredibly important, as the Temple stood in the foreground of daily life. Such emphasis on ritual purity is not seen today like it was in the times of the Second Temple. She was probably avoided on all sides, from all people, who did not wish to become ritually unclean. If she was married, it would have caused great stress upon their marriage, as physical intimacy was forbidden.

In essence, this flow probably destroyed her life. With the importance that ritual purity was held in the times of the Temple, we can see why the woman approached Yeshua from behind, thinking that He may not want to make contact with her. She was perhaps accustomed to people avoiding her, and though her self confidence was crushed through years of emotional pain, it was overcome only by her extreme desperation to find healing. When Yeshua asked who had touched Him, she became afraid, because she, being ritually unclean, touched the corner His garment. Rather than being chastised for her action, the merciful Messiah said unto her, “Daughter, be of good cheer, your faith has made you well. Go in shalom.” She could now truly live in shalom, complete peace, as she found healing in the Wings of the Sun of Righteousness, in the kanaph of His garment.

When you feel separated from God, or so far from where you need to be with Him, know that He desires to cleanse you, and bring you into perfect peace with Him. Only the Father through Yeshua can bring restoration to our lives, our families, and even the entire world, if we have faith and draw near to Him. All in fulfillment of Malachi 4:2,