The Birth of Yeshua Ha'Mashiach by my rabbi- Rabbi Rick Chaimberlin
Date: Sep 15th, 2008 7:26:35 pm - Subscribe
Mood: incredible
Certainly one of the most marvelous and amazing events to happen in the history of man-kind is the arrival of the Messiah of Israel (and Savior of the world!) arriving on Planet Earth in the form of a helpless baby of a persecuted race. This is quite a step down. Yeshua was co-Creator of the Universe, according to Yochanan (John) 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16, and my understanding of Bereisheet (Genesis) 1:1. He left the glories of the heavenlies with HaShem. 1 to be born under a sukka,2 which was also serving as a stable for a bunch of animals. This sukka may have been attached to a cave, where animals were often kept after the conclusion of the autumn festivals. The “manger” which formed his cradle was the feeding trough for the animals. Artful renderings of this scene look very picturesque. Your nostrils might pick up a different picture. The animals were not “housebroken.”
Yeshua had an impressive genealogy, as is verified in the books of Matthew and Luke. Included are such notables as Adam and Noach. (Of course, we are all descended from those guys! ) Naturally, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are also in the genealogy of Yeshua, as these are the patriarchs of the Jewish people. Thus Yeshua’s “Jewish” credentials are impeccable. In addition, Yeshua also had royal ancestry, with King David as one of his progenitors. In addition, there are shiksas 3 in Yeshua’s ancestry (Rahab, Bathsheba, and Ruth). However, despite rumors to the contrary, Mary was not a Catholic, but was a Jewish virgin named Miriam.
Miriam was betrothed to Joseph at the time “she was found to be with child by the Ruakh HaKodesh.4 Being “betrothed” is a little like being “engaged.” The Hebrew term for the engagement would be erusin. In order to break the “betrothal,” one would require a get, which is a written decree of divorcement. However, the betrothal lacked the sexual privileges of marriage. When Joseph found out that Miriam was pregnant, he could easily have divorced her or even had her stoned to death for the “crime” of being pregnant! After all, he knew he didn’t do it, so the assumption was that Miriam had committed adultery. Being a rather kind gentleman, he decided to have her put away secretly – in other words, a quiet little divorce.
At this point, God Himself intervenes, and sends an angel to Joseph. Similar to some of the angelic encounters in the Tanakh (O.T.), the visitation occurs as in a dream or vision. The angel tells Joseph, “Do not be afraid to take Miriam as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bear a son, and you shall call his name Yeshua, for He it is who shall save His people from their sins.”5 Please note: The angel didn’t say to call his name “Jesus.” That term would have meant nothing to them. However, Yeshua means salvation.
Joseph did not divorce Miriam. He arose from his sleep, and did as the Lord told him, and took Miriam as his wife. The King James Version preserves a marvelous Hebraism,6 telling us that Joseph “knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son; and he called his name (Yeshua).” In Hebrew, you can say that you know mathematics, or science, or Spanish. However, when you say you know a person, it means that you know that person intimately, that is, carnal knowledge. In most other languages, when you say you know somebody, it merely means that you are acquainted with them. In this particular passage, we have a Hebraism preserved from the Hebrew, translated literally into Greek, and then translated literally into the English in the King Jimmy Version. Unfortunately, most other English translations (even Messianic translations!) do not preserve this beautiful Hebraism, which is more evidence that Matthew was written in Hebrew originally.
Events Surrounding the Birth of Yeshua
Miriam and Joseph lived in Nazareth, a city in the Galilee region of northern Israel. However, because of the census decreed by Caesar Augustus, the populous was required to go to the towns of their ancestors. Therefore, Joseph and Miriam departed to go to Bethlehem, the city of David, south of Jerusalem. This was quite a hike from Nazareth, where they were living, especially during those years of primitive transportation, and especially for a woman in late pregnancy. According to my Israeli road map, it is a 145 kilometer drive from Nazareth to Bethlehem, or about 90 miles. That would have taken them at least three days to make the journey, according to my NAS Study Bible.
You all know the story: There was no room for them in the inn, so they bedded down for the night in a stable, as the story goes. Yeshua was born in Bethlehem, called in Hebrew Beit Lechem meaning “House of Bread.” Curiously, in later years, Yeshua would say, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 1 This is in reference to the fact that He left his Father in Heaven to come to earth. However, He might also have been comparing Himself to the manna that fell from the sky during the wandering of the Israelites for 40 years. Yeshua was then born in Beit Lechem, the House of Bread. One of the primary means of livelihood in Bethlehem was raising sheep and lambs, many of which were used for the Temple sacrifices in nearby Jerusalem. Remember Yochanan’s greeting to Yeshua? “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” 2 Yes, Yeshua knew from a very early age that He was sent into the world to bear the sins of humanity as its sacrificial lamb.
The prophet Micah (5:1-2) foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem: “But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” This tells us the city of Messiah’s birth, and also the fact of Messiah’s pre-existence. There have been dozens of false messiahs, and perhaps none of them were born in Bethlehem. We respected Rabbi Schneerson, zt’l. However, he wasn’t born in Bethlehem, which is but one clue of many that he wasn’t the Messiah. I hasten to add: Schneerson never claimed to be the Messiah, although he didn’t discourage his Lubavitcher followers in Chabad from making that claim. Today, Rabbi Schneerson is dead. Many of his followers still believe he is the Messiah, and await his resurrection. Yeshua was indeed resurrected, and He still lives, making intercession for his followers today.
The world determines its calendar based on the birth of Yeshua. The calendar was set up by Dionysius Exiguus, a monk in the Sixth Century. However, he made some miscalculations. The generally accepted date for the birth of Yeshua is 4 BCE, or even earlier!
Shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks. This is common during the springtime, when many of the fat-tailed sheep actually need humans to help the male sheep mate with the female sheep. Talk about helpless animals! The tails get in the way, and the shepherds lend a hand. Another time that shepherds are busily tending their sheep is during the birthing process in the fall. Yes, these sheep have problems at this time also, so the shepherds serve as “midwives” to the sheep. It is entirely possible that Yeshua was born during Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles. “And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Shortly after Yeshua’s birth, there were some shepherds out watching their flocks. An angel of the Lord suddenly stood beside them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. In Judaism, this is called the Shekhinah (hnykv) – the majestic presence of God among men, a presence that can be felt or even seen on occasion.
Certainly one of the most marvelous and amazing events to happen in the history of man-kind is the arrival of the Messiah of Israel (and Savior of the world!) arriving on Planet Earth in the form of a helpless baby of a persecuted race. This is quite a step down. Yeshua was co-Creator of the Universe, according to Yochanan (John) 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16, and my understanding of Bereisheet (Genesis) 1:1. He left the glories of the heavenlies with HaShem1 to be born under a sukka,2 which was also serving as a stable for a bunch of animals. This sukka may have been attached to a cave, where animals were often kept after the conclusion of the autumn festivals. The “manger” which formed his cradle was the feeding trough for the animals. Artful renderings of this scene look very picturesque. Your nostrils might pick up a different picture. The animals were not “housebroken.”
Yeshua had an impressive genealogy, as is verified in the books of Matthew and Luke. Included are such notables as Adam and Noach. (Of course, we are all descended from those guys! ) Naturally, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are also in the genealogy of Yeshua, as these are the patriarchs of the Jewish people. Thus Yeshua’s “Jewish” credentials are impeccable. In addition, Yeshua also had royal ancestry, with King David as one of his progenitors. In addition, there are shiksas 3 in Yeshua’s ancestry (Rahab, Bathsheba, and Ruth). However, despite rumors to the contrary, Mary was not a Catholic, but was a Jewish virgin named Miriam.
Miriam was betrothed to Joseph at the time “she was found to be with child by the Ruakh HaKodesh.4 Being “betrothed” is a little like being “engaged.” The Hebrew term for the engagement would be erusin. In order to break the “betrothal,” one would require a get, which is a written decree of divorcement. However, the betrothal lacked the sexual privileges of marriage. When Joseph found out that Miriam was pregnant, he could easily have divorced her or even had her stoned to death for the “crime” of being pregnant! After all, he knew he didn’t do it, so the assumption was that Miriam had committed adultery. Being a rather kind gentleman, he decided to have her put away secretly – in other words, a quiet little divorce.
At this point, God Himself intervenes, and sends an angel to Joseph. Similar to some of the angelic encounters in the Tanakh (O.T.), the visitation occurs as in a dream or vision. The angel tells Joseph, “Do not be afraid to take Miriam as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bear a son, and you shall call his name Yeshua, for He it is who shall save His people from their sins.”5 Please note: The angel didn’t say to call his name “Jesus.” That term would have meant nothing to them. However, Yeshua means salvation.
Joseph did not divorce Miriam. He arose from his sleep, and did as the Lord told him, and took Miriam as his wife. The King James Version preserves a marvelous Hebraism,6 telling us that Joseph “knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son; and he called his name (Yeshua).” In Hebrew, you can say that you know mathematics, or science, or Spanish. However, when you say you know a person, it means that you know that person intimately, that is, carnal knowledge. In most other languages, when you say you know somebody, it merely means that you are acquainted with them. In this particular passage, we have a Hebraism preserved from the Hebrew, translated literally into Greek, and then translated literally into the English in the King Jimmy Version. Unfortunately, most other English translations (even Messianic translations!) do not preserve this beautiful Hebraism, which is more evidence that Matthew was written in Hebrew originally.
Events Surrounding the Birth of Yeshua
Miriam and Joseph lived in Nazareth, a city in the Galilee region of northern Israel. However, because of the census decreed by Caesar Augustus, the populous was required to go to the towns of their ancestors. Therefore, Joseph and Miriam departed to go to Bethlehem, the Further hints indicating the time of Yeshua’s birth can be obtained from Luke 1:5, when a priest named Zechariah of the course of Abiyah was ministering in the Beit HaMikdash (Temple). These courses (or divisions) are described in 1 Chronicles 24, with the course of Abiyah (meaning “My father is God”) being mentioned in the 10th verse. This course served for one week in approximately late June.3 Yochanan (“John the Baptist”) was born about 9 months later to Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah, perhaps late March.
Miriam became pregnant when Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant (Luke 1:26), in the month of Kislev (approximately in December), perhaps during the holiday of Chanukah. Addon 280 days, and you find Yeshua was born approximately the first day of Sukkot, which happens to be a High Holy Day. The 8th day is also a High Holy Day, called Shemini Atseret – the concluding festival of Sukkot. This would in all likelihood have been the day in which Yeshua was circumcised! How many of us have been born on a High Holy Day and then circumcised on another High Holy Day! Even as an infant, Yeshua was keeping Torah, as He entered into covenant with his Jewish people by being circumcised.1
We can’t be sure of the date of Yeshua’s birth, that the evidence seems to point to Sukkot as the season of his birth. One thing we can be sure of: Yeshua was not born on December 25. The shepherds would not be out in the fields watching their sheep at that time of year. The sheep would be in a cave or other shelter for warmth. (Yes, the areas around Jerusalem are often quite cold in late December.) However, the miracle wasn’t the birth of a baby. After all, babies are born all the time! The real miracle was the virgin conception, which occurred during Chanukah – the Feast of Dedication, approximately late December.
To the Temple….
After giving birth, a woman becomes ritually unclean. Miriam, after giving birth to a son, was ritually unclean for 33 days after the circumcision.2 When the days of her purification were completed, Joseph and Miriam took Yeshua to the Temple in Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. They were required to bring a sacrifice for the ritual cleansing. The Law of Moshe (Moses) required a lamb, but in cases of poverty, a pair of pigeons or turtledoves could be substituted.3 Miriam and Joseph brought the latter.
While at the Temple, a righteous old man named Shimon (Simeon) saw the infant Yeshua, and the Ruakh HaKodesh came upon Shimon. It had been revealed to Shimon that he would not see death until he had seen the Messiah. Simeon took the child in his arms, blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You do let your bond-servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation (Yeshua), which You prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” 4 Then Simeon blessed Joseph and Miriam and prophesied, saying, “Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; 35 Yea, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
There was also Hannah, a woman prophetess of the tribe of Asher, about 84 years old. She had lived with her husband for seven years. But the husband died, leaving her as a young widow. Thereafter, Hannah actually lived in the Temple, serving God night and day with prayers and fasting. When she saw Yeshua, she thanked God, for allowing her to see the redemption of Israel.
Who Were the Magi?
Other supernatural events also took place surrounding the early childhood of Yeshua. Some “magi” arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship Him.” I have read various theories as to the identity of these magi, or “wise men.” Some have postulated that they might be a class of wise men and astrologers such as who worked in the courts of Nebuchadnezzar and Darius the Mede, as we read about in Daniel 3 and 6. This is the majority opinion, and may be correct. These wise men were students of the “signs” in the heavens. However, I am personally of the opinion that they were of the Zoroaster faith in Persia, whose scriptures contained some of the writings of Moses, as well as Balaam. From the writings of Balaam, they would have known about the star (Numbers 24:17) that would herald the coming of a Deliverer in Israel. The Zoroaster religion is still in Persia (Iran), but faces heavy persecution from the Islamic government.
There are a number of theories about what this star was that led the wise men to Bethlehem. Some believe it was a planetary conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, which occurred in 7 BCE. Others feel that it was a supernova. However, there are no other reports of astrologers seeing such a spectacular sight in those years before the Common Era, so this is unlikely. Many of the phenomena of the Bible may have perfectly natural explanations. However, this was a star that led them to Yeshua and stood over the place where He was born. This seems to be a purely supernatural event. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if the star they saw was the Star of David (Magen David, lit. “Shield of David”)!
Also, despite the Nativity scenes that are prevalent during December, there were magi present at the birth of Yeshua. When the wise men arrived, Yeshua was a child living in a house,1 not a baby in a manger.
Herod the Great (or, as I prefer to call him, “Herod the Despot”) was king of Israel at the time of Yeshua’s birth. He was a monstrous excuse of a human being, jealously guarding his power by killing anyone he felt might be a potential threat, including many of the members of his wife’s family. Herod was an Idumean, descended from the Edomites (Esau). The Idumeans were the only nation to have been forcibly converted to Judaism. This happened during the Hasmonean Dynasty in the Second Century BCE, after the successful Maccabean Revolt against Antiochus Epiphanies in 165 BCE. Herod did an amazing job of rebuilding and enlarging the Temple in Jerusalem. He did it for his own glory, and also to win favor with his Jewish subjects. However, his extreme brutality alienated many of those he sought to impress.
Herod asked the magi to return to him and tell him where the “King of the Jews” was born, so that “I too might come and worship Him.” His plan of course was to find where the Messiah was born and then have Him killed. However, the magi were warned by God in a dream to not return to Herod, so they returned another way, avoiding Herod.
After the magi departed, an angel again appeared in a dream to Joseph, warning him to “Arise, and take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there, for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.” Joseph, Miriam, and Yeshua then departed for Egypt. A later dream brought them back to Israel, where they settled in Nazareth.
“Out of Egypt Have I Called My Son….” Hosea 11:1
The above Scripture passage is applied by Matthew (2:15) to refer to Yeshua being called out of Egypt. But if you go to Hosea 11:1, it is clearly a reference to Israel being called out of Egypt. It is understandable from the P’shat (“literal” or “simple” interpretation) to see why many might object to Matthew using this verse as a Messianic passage pointing to Yeshua. However, there are four levels of biblical interpretation in Judaism. The Remez (“hint”) is a level of interpretation in which additional meanings can be found which are not in the P’shat.
There are many ways in which Israel and the Messiah are almost synonymous. Isaiah 49:3 clearly identifies the “Servant” as being Israel. However, Isaiah 49:5-6 identifies this same Servant as being someone who will “raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel. I will also make You a light to the nations.” In this second case, the Servant is an individual. Likewise, the Rabbis claim Isaiah 53 refers to Israel. Much more clearly, the Suffering Servant of this passage is the Messiah, although I can see also Israel in some of the verses suffering for (or because of) the sins of the nations. The relationship between Israel and Yeshua is much closer than anti-Semites would like to imagine.
Regretfully, Herod unleashed a slaughter of Jewish children in Bethlehem in an effort to destroy the young Messiah. Moses also survived a slaughter of male Jewish children.
The Purpose in
Yeshua’s Birth
One day, I was reading the newspaper, and I read of some women who were celebrating a birthday in a restaurant. Someone asked whose birthday it was. One of the women volunteered that it was her one-year-old son’s birthday. However, since he was too young to appreciate it, they left him home with a sitter.
We aren’t big on Christmas, first of all because Yeshua wasn’t born on December 25, and secondly because of all the paganism and materialism that are now part of this day. However, it struck me that this is how Christmas is celebrated today. The one whose birthday they are supposedly celebrating isn’t even invited to the celebration. It is a day for partying and gift-giving, with no mention of the Messiah.
It matters not which day Yeshua was born, or if you celebrate his birthday. However, never lose sight of the one who came to earth, specifically to redeem fallen mankind. The best “present” that any of us could possibly receive is Yeshua, who came to earth to die in our place. Which means more to you? Presents, as in gifts, or presence, as in someone who is there for you? This would be an unfair question for a child, but as we get older, we see that having someone who loves us and whom we can love is far more important.
However, far more important than the birth of Yeshua is his death. He tasted death for us all, so that in Him, you might have eternal life. Have you trusted in Him for your salvation? Do you know Him as your Messiah and Savior? Are you living for Him?-
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Comments: (1)
anonymous - December 16th, 2010 |
