The Candlestick and Wisdom
The Menorah is formed of beaten gold
A great Sage said, “One who wants to become wise should turn to the south, and one who wishes to become rich should turn to the north.” * The meaning of this is the Table in the Mishkan was to the north, and the Menorah to the south.
To this another Sage added: One should always turn to the south, because through obtaining wisdom, he will obtain wealth (Bava Basra 25b). Thus, it is a most important thing to know that there is a very big difference between knowledge and wisdom. Wisdom is like gold that is always enduring, no matter what shape it takes.
Knowledge, on the other hand is like bread that is fresh one day and stale the next. Knowledge is available to just about anyone, but wisdom is available only to those who fear The Creator and praise His Holy name. Your world view (belief system) is being changed on a daily basis by life’s experiences. Like hammer blows that shape the Menorah and refine it, your belief system is shaped into something that you can depend on for wisdom as long as it conforms you to following the Torah.
But there are very few who place wisdom before personal opinion. Personal opinion seldom contains very much knowledge or wisdom but it is often nothing more than a platform for an ego looking for attention. What does this mean? There have been a lot of very smart people throughout history of this world, but not enough wise people have been acknowledged.
The candlestick was described as a single stem with three branches protruding from either side of the stem with the likeness of Almond blossoms worked into the branches Exod. 25:31-37. What then are we to see in the golden replica of an almond tree giving forth light? The blossoming of an almond tree signifies the mature age of man.
Many years of experience gives such a person much wisdom but their true wisdom depends upon their world view.
Eccl 12:1-5 – The stages of life
THE SUN, MOON AND THE STARS GROW DARK: A person’s pride begins to be dealt with until they no longer seek after the things of this world to bow down to him or her.
AND THE CLOUDS RETURN AFTER THE RAIN: Depression becomes prevalent as we begin to quit struggling with life and we really now understand how insignificant we are in the scope of thing.
KEEPERS OF THE HOUSE: Hands, as the defenders of the house tremble and begin to drop the things that they were hanging on to as being exclusively theirs.
THE STRONG MEN WILL STOOP: Shoulders will slump under a load that is not even theirs to bear. Once proud and strong they will now be humbled by a load that only the LORD can carry.
THE GRINDERS WILL BE FEW: The Teeth that subdued the things of this world for its own sustenance will one by one replace by man’s feeble attempts to hang on to youth that he once had.
THOSE WHO LOOK OUT THE WINDOWS: The eyes grow hazy and fail to see thing in both the natural and the spiritual as they truly are.
THE DOORS IN THE STREET: The ears begin to join the eyes in failing to bring information in from the natural world. One finds himself confined to those things, that are already in his house, as being the only things that can be looked upon for comfort. The things are memories, and as such, they themselves are temporal and subject to being lost.
SOUND OF GRINDING LOW: Hunger declines and for this reason, the whole body falls into decline.
RISE UP AT THE VOICE OF BIRDS: Rising up early - not able to sleep late because there is no peace within. The false peace of “thinking one would live forever” erodes away as the pain of reality sets in to destroy the last vestiges of pride that remain.
DAUGHTERS OF MUSIC BROUGHT LOW: The voice begins to go, and the knowledge that you once thought you had can no longer be communicated without putting someone else to sleep. The daughters of music are praise and joy.
AFRAID OF THAT WHICH IS HIGH: Fear of falling becomes a reality but it seems that everyone has six feet to fall before they begin their dirt nap.
TERROR IN THE ROAD: the pathway that you have chosen will no longer be as favorable as it once seemed before.
ALMOND TREE: White blossoms means that your hair has turned white and
GRASSHOPPER A BURDEN: Your legs are too weak to carry a burden
DESIRE SHALL FAIL. Things that were important won’t be any more and what once brought you pleasure, the memory of it will only bring you pain.
ETERNAL HOME: the decision is made and your fate is cast.
The argument Solomon proposes for our dependence upon God and out seeking of significance in Him rather than in that which is under the sun becomes a very personal argument with each of us.
The old age onset:
Torah attempts to head off the mid life crisis in men and women as they begin to recognize their limitations and inabilities. Solomon describes growing older as a natural process. Thus, limitations and inabilities will creep into our lives because that is normal in the course of life.
To fight “old age onset” is to be distracted by it. We must take what God gives us today, appreciate it and enjoy it before the evil day come when our flesh no longer lives.
Those who do not, search for significance in their lives fail to understand we were created for a purpose. What is our purpose should be the main question in our minds?
Mankind forgets that they were created to have a relationship with God.
So now that he/she is older and has exhausted all the means by which man can find significance under the sun, he/she finds that they lack wisdom.
But happy is the man who sees all this before his total decline and he praises his Creator because now he knows he is wiser in knowing that he should have obeyed God all along.
David acknowledged his sin and repented. He was known as a man after God’s own heart.
Jere 1:11-12 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. Then the LORD unto me, You, have seen clearly: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
Almond trees also represent haste and alertness to activity to perform God's will. The almond tree blooms late in winter. The thought of "earliness" is the light or fact that almonds bloom before spring when all other blossoms appear. How can alertness and older age blend together to make a single picture? They seem to contradict, however, when we recognize the point of wisdom, represented by older age, which comes with maturity, we can see how one will be spiritually alert and sensitive after obtaining God's wisdom.
The judges in Britain still wear white wigs in order to signify the wisdom of their judgment, as the white hair of a man tells us that he has experienced many years which have provided him with much wisdom. The wisdom of God makes us sensitive to the things of the Spirit. We are then able to understand how to hear from God. We have to have our spirits tuned to our Creator to clearly receive any revelation from God. The hope is that we are well experienced in hearing His voice and acting in faithfulness.
As light emits from the candlestick, Torah’s light, has a maturing effect upon us. The source of the light in the Tabernacle is the almond tree of wisdom and maturity. These seven lights represent the seven spirits of God as listed in Isaiah 11:2.
1. The Spirit of the Lord, Himself (typified by the main stem of the tree.)
2. Spirit of Wisdom
3. Spirit of Understanding
4. Spirit of Counsel
5. Spirit of Might
6. Spirit of Knowledge
7. Spirit of the Fear of the Lord
The main Stem of the main branch (Spirit of the Lord) branches out, as it were, and endows the believer with the 6 other attributes of the Holy Spirit. As one begins to lean upon the Spirit (love for God) for his wisdom and does not turn to his own understanding, he will have Peace. Proverbs 3:5
It was predicted, a rod from the stem of Jesse would grow - a Branch - out of his stump and roots. This Is Yeshua, the unique Son of God. He is our Sabbath rest and our righteousness. He is living waters that changes the status of all who submit, like Naaman, to the muddy waters of the Jordan. (Mikveh or Baptism).
The Menorah of the Temple had seven branches, like the days of the week.
And, like the days of the week, six of the branches were different from the seventh branch, three being on each side of the middle branch, just as the last three days of the week, and the first three days of the next week, envelope the Shabbat that follows and precedes them.
We, as believers are also Sons of God, and the light of God's seven spirits must rest upon us in order to cause us to mature. It makes us capable of judging righteously and not after the sight of our eyes and hearing of our ears. We often judge according to what we see and hear, and that is often misleading as to the truth of the situation in need of judgment.
It is faulty judgment, to judge according the externals of sight and sound. The connection is that the acquisition of wisdom is only relevant in this world, which was made in seven days. Only in this world is wisdom so necessary for survival, and in order to make good sense of the opportunity of life. And yet, it is so hidden, and because it is, we can use our free-will to pursue it, to acquire it, and to benefit from it along our path to fulfillment.
If you want it like money and seek it like buried treasures, then you will understand fear of God and Godly Knowledge you will find. (Proverbs 2:4- 5) Light emits from the candlestick and rests upon those under this tree. It brings about a maturity and changes our lives.
In order to judge righteously, we must receive this work of maturity just as Yeshua matured in spirit. When we possess such maturity and wisdom we will righteously judge and be fit to accomplish God's will more properly.
Moses lacked this ability in his initial endeavor to deliver Israel, so he failed.
After his wilderness purging, though, he lost all immature, misdirected zeal, and matured to understand the proper method of deliverance.
The wilderness corresponds to the holy place as being the place between initial salvation in the Outer Court of Egypt (where the altar of the slain lamb stood), and the goal of the Holiest-of-Holies, where God's throne and presence (depicted by the mercy seat on the ark) was placed.
The Holy Place was the room outside the Holiest Place where the candlestick stood. In the wilderness, the counterpart to the Holy Place, mankind gains wisdom. Moses knew Israel needed freedom from Egypt, but he did not know, at that point, where to take Israel after having freed them. All religions know that man must be freed from evil in this world but how many know where to lead man after taking him out of evil?
In actuality, they do not know, and they wind up having to flee the process, leaving man in the evil without deliverance. And we have see as a result is an empty religion void of true power: A social club.
Yeshua, alone, knows the goal to which man must be taken after freed from sin. Many believers are not Spirit-led and, therefore, cannot lead man into anything better than what the religions of the world can lead him into, which is nothing. Carnal religion encourages man to handle the flesh himself and exert human will power to be free from sin.
Paul, however, discovered that will power is not enough when it comes to being a means of deliverance from sin.
Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not.
Yeshua and repentance is the only “Way”. Isai 11:3-4 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
1Cor 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: