Today’s Random Psalm: Psalm 18

I love You, O Yahuah, my strength.
Yahuah is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
my Elohim, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call upon Yahuah, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.

The cords of death encompassed me,
and the torrents of destruction terrified me.
The cords of Sheol surrounded me;
the snares of death confronted me.

In my distress I called upon Yahuah,
and cried to my Elohim for help;
He heard my voice out of His temple,
and my cry for help before Him came into His ears.

He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

Yahuah was my support.
He brought me forth also into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.

Yahuah lives, and blessed be my rock;
and exalted be the Elohim of my salvation.

Bonus

Romans 8

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua.
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

For what the Torah could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, Elohim did:
sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh.

For those who are led by the Spirit of Elohim, these are sons of Elohim.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of Elohim,
and if children, heirs also, heirs of Elohim and fellow heirs with Messiah.

We know that Elohim causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose.

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Summary of Parashah Terumah

Exodus 25:1–27:19

Terumah stands as a turning point in the narrative of redemption. After deliverance from Egypt, the giving of the Torah, and covenant ratification, the focus shifts from liberation to habitation. Freedom is not the end; it is preparation for presence. Yahuah declares His intention: “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” This statement reframes the entire wilderness journey. The exodus was not merely about escape from oppression but about establishing a dwelling place for Elohim among His people.

The offering (terumah) is voluntary. This is the first critical theological layer. Divine dwelling is built from willing hearts. The materials listed — gold, silver, bronze, fine linen, goat hair, ram skins dyed red, acacia wood, spices, oil, onyx stones — reflect both beauty and costliness. Former slaves now possess wealth taken from Egypt, and that wealth is redirected toward sacred purpose. Redemption reassigns resources.

The Ark is described first, not the altar. Presence precedes sacrifice in this construction order. The Ark is a wooden chest overlaid with gold, containing the testimony. It is crowned with a mercy seat, overshadowed by cherubim. This imagery evokes Eden — guardians of sacred space and communion between heaven and earth. The Ark becomes the focal point of divine communication. Yahuah promises to meet and speak from above the mercy seat.

The Table of the Bread of the Presence follows. Twelve loaves represent the tribes continually before Yahuah. Provision is constant, not occasional. Then comes the Menorah — hammered from a single piece of gold. Its almond blossom design recalls watchfulness (the almond tree being first to bloom). Light in the sanctuary symbolizes revelation and guidance.

The Mishkan’s structure is layered with coverings — fine linen with cherubim, goat hair, ram skins, and durable outer layers. Holiness is veiled yet accessible through appointed means. The frames, sockets, and bars create stability. Though portable, the sanctuary is not flimsy. Divine presence travels with covenant people.

The altar of burnt offering anchors the courtyard. Sacrifice establishes approach. Bronze, associated with judgment and endurance, contrasts with the gold of the inner sanctuary. Movement inward symbolizes increasing holiness.

Terumah teaches ordered worship. Every dimension is specified. Creativity operates within obedience. The Mishkan becomes a mobile Sinai — a continuing encounter.

Prophetically, Terumah anticipates greater dwelling realities. The Temple era reflects expansion, the incarnation reflects embodiment, and the final restoration envisions unhindered presence. Yet the core remains unchanged: Yahuah desires to dwell among a sanctified people.

Theologically, the parashah reveals that sacred space is constructed through generosity, obedience, beauty, and reverence. It demonstrates that divine nearness is not abstract mysticism but covenantal relationship anchored in tangible practice.

Terumah ultimately asks a question that echoes through generations: Will the redeemed people build a dwelling for the Redeemer? The answer is found not merely in architecture, but in hearts that give freely so that presence may abide among them.