A Thematic Study From Beresheit through Hitgalut Introduction & Overview By Barbara L. Klika, MSW Undershepherd Set Apart Ministries, Inc. Spring, 2011

This is an intensive study of the theme of our Elohim choosing a picture of “One becoming Two” in order for the “Two to eventually become One” again. In some ways, the story of my life has been the method in which He taught me these things. You may see the story of your life here as well. It spans all of time from before the foundation of the world was laid until that world is rolled up as a scroll and the New Jerusalem is established.

Often it seems that the simple must become complex, and then be brought back to the simple once again in order to be fully understood. Our Elohim is good and He values order. All things come about as He has ordered them. He is a Parent and a Husband and everything that we have needed in between in order to bring about the Final Marriage Feast of the Lamb.

Seeking Him First Abba, You have worked in my life to show me these things over long years, patiently adding one thing to another, until I could no longer miss the picture. Grant me now please Your vision, wisdom and understanding to lay out this picture as You would have it be for the uplifting of Your Word and Your plan in these days as we prepare for the return of our Messiah Yeshua. Give us Your eyes to see and Your ears to hear, understand and obey. In Yeshua’s Name, I ask. May it be so.

Before the earth was brought forth from Himself, the All Sufficient One had a desire – not need but desire – for relationship with someone “other” but no companion was found suitable for Him.

How would an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Being go about establishing Relationship with an “other?” Clearly He would have to take something of Himself, the One, to become two. He chose to create a physical representation of the spiritual reality of Who He is. In this setting, He would parent, nurture and grow the “other” toward maturity and completion until the fullness of time: the time for love.

In some miraculous way--- YHWH willed ----The Word moved And something visible Came forth From something invisible. This is not a pantheistic picture, but some kind of “begetting.”

In Scriptural terms, we consider the impact of there being two where there was one: the Hebrew understanding of “two” as-- It takes two to witness in agreement And it takes two to have division.

He would have to do something that would ensure that this division from Himself would be able to develop independently enough that the resulting desired relationship would be one of choice and love; not just “built-in” because of Who He is. What would it take for that to happen? In developmental terms we call it “individuation.”

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary has this information: verb \ ˌ in-d ə - ˈ vi-j ə - ˌ wāt\ transitive verb 1 : to give individuality to 2 : to form into a distinct entity

 In every detail, far more than we can even see, I believe that He created a reflection of His experience and desired plan.  Everything is designed to move and work toward that desired goal of relationship.  Every aspect of creation, from the heavens and the earth to mankind reflect this picture.

 He has embedded metaphors there to help us understand more fully.  They have been there, waiting, until the fullness of time arrives!

The earth is suspended in the heavenly waters. The earth itself went through the process of separation/division in several ways--  Light and dark  upper and lower waters  Water and dry land. The waters overtook the earth, in mikveh, and the dry land emerged. One river separated into the four rivers of Eden that encompassed the land.

 The land of Eden was established by our Elohim, and within that land, was the Garden of Eden— Gan Edan in Hebrew—a shielded, protected place within the larger land.  The Garden was surrounded by the four rivers, perhaps a smaller picture of the earth suspended in the heavenly waters.

 Seed bearing plants and trees were established in the land and in the Garden.  A sun to rule the day and a moon to rule the night, greater and lesser lights, were established.  The birds and the fish came forth from the waters.

 Mankind, both male and female, was created from the dust of the earth, which was separated out from the waters.  Mankind was placed within the set apart land within the protected place surrounded by waters.  Can you see a womb-like image in this picture? And even a Tabernacle/Holy Place/Most Holy Place picture?

 Now we have mankind in a protected place but like our Creator, no companion was found suitable for him.  Reflecting what happened earlier, something of mankind was separated out to make the one into the two… and the prophetic direction for the two to become for the two to become one was given! one was given!

 The Garden was created to be delightful to the sight; their eyes. They could see YHWH.  Mankind—Adam and Chava-- were naked and not ashamed, created in His image.  They had the spirit of the living God walking and talking with them in the midst of the garden. He created all things to be the perfect place for them to be with Him.

He could be in their midst— -- penetrating their lives with His Presence as they responded to and accepted His surrounding of them in that protected place.

The Hebrew word translated as “male” is “zaker”, Strong’s # The man’s function includes an initiator role; literally sense of penetration, forward motion that, at its best, I understand as protective. He gives in response to the need of the receiver, just as Messiah gives in response to our needs.

The Hebrew word translated as “female” is “uneqevah” from the root, “naqav”, Strong’s #5347. The woman’s function includes a sense of responding, to express, to receive. In graphic Hebrew terms, one might say a “hole,” a “receiver.” A receiver provides a place to “fit” or safety, again, something our Messiah does for His people.

 A similar word is paired with this word in Jeremiah 31:22. A woman (who receives) is said to encompass, Strong’s #5437 “cabab” a surrounding or a turning back that, at its best, I see as protective, as Messiah is protective of us.

 Together, men and women provide a picture of the fullness of Elohim and His care for us.  When one is penetrated, one cannot help but surround!

 We were created to have the riches of the entire creation at our disposal, to walk and see in His light, in need of no other covering but Him.  The physical picture of His spiritual truth, of His care and plan encompassing us daily.  Yet mankind accepted Satan’s inference that they really were blind and needed to have their eyes opened…

…and in acceptance of that assessment, they became blind…to the things of YHWH…and open to the things of the world.  Deception entered in as YHWH knew it must.

 Division is necessary in order to provide witness; just as He had to divide the light and dark, the upper and lower waters at Creation, Sun and moon, Heaven and earth.  I submit that division was necessary to allow mankind to individuate from the Creator, in order to be genuinely able to ultimately return in complete voluntary submission to Him. I submit that division was necessary to allow mankind to individuate from the Creator, in order to be genuinely able to ultimately return in complete voluntary submission to Him.

 In pain, the first couple were expelled— birthed—out from the Garden, through the waters into the larger land beyond.  By stepping away from obedience and confidence in Him, they stepped out from His covering and became naked…

They became poor: no longer walking in the spirit of their first love. His Shekinah presence of light had been with them, the “ habitation of heaven,” but when it faded, the mortal nature of their physical bodies became evident.

 They tried to cover themselves, unsuccessfully. Could these self-made coverings have come from the leaves of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?  Our own efforts in coverings will not be successful either, just as YHWH put theirs aside and He made coverings for Adam and Chava.

Yet for all that, though they deserved immediate death physically and spiritually, YHWH preserved them and covered them; and allowed them—us, through the generations--time to learn and grow and mature. They were now poor in spirit, blind in eye and naked in body, but newly able to testify to the grace of YHWH for covering them while yet in sorrow.

Throughout the Scriptures, we are given the picture of our Creator’s penetrating and surrounding presence as He calls us to Himself. There He is in the midst of the garden… in the midst of the exodus… in the midst of the Tabernacle… in the midst of His people… in the midst of the lampstands of the assemblies.

 Our Abba knew that we would have need for Him to cover us—to make a way back, to turn us back.  As Messiah accepted the penetration of the spear because of His encompassing love for us, so are we penetrated in our being by His Presence, choosing to accept and respond…or not.

 Messiah demonstrated His piercing encompassing love for us by the acceptance of the cup the Father prepared and in so doing, made the way open for us to make teshuvah, repentance and return!  There is a corresponding physical picture of the need to be restored – pierced and encompassed —in the very nature, form and function of mankind.

 The prophet Jeremiah foretold that new thing in the earth…. A woman shall encompass a man. There have been several understandings of this. Mary’s birthing-surrounding-- Yeshua The Land of Israel again surrounding His people Jerusalem again surrounding His people

 I have been shown another aspect about how a woman shall encompass a man.  It is embedded in the very form and function of men and women, foretold in the pictures we have of the lives of Jacob and Rachel.  As four rivers gave life in the garden, four women gave life to the tribes of Israel.  As four kingdoms are foretold, so Jacob and Rachel are the fourth couple.

 Rachel, a favored one, died “ on the way ” in their return to the Land, while birthing Benjamin— Son of Sorrow & yet also Son of the Right Hand or of the South. This “barren one” mothered both Northern & Southern Tribes yet did not live to see her own children grown.  In this context, Jeremiah told of the new thing to happen as a woman encompasses a man.

 Generations of enmity, all creation groaning in travail, birthing pains of what is to come…  “ On the way ” to the final restoration of all of creation, our YHWH has allowed us to be part of the picture He has prepared in the earth and in mankind…  We have been chosen to choose!

 So did He make the image of Himself with male/female together, male surrounding female;  yet also declare the new thing of a woman to surround a man that would come in the end of days.  Splitting them with direction to become one, and ultimately to become one with Him as a Bride.

Not just each couple: but also over all time– immediate, intermediate, and final fulfillment, At the Marriage Feast of the Lamb!

Men and women going through the divisions and strife on the way back eventually to become the Bride—the mature, complete, pure, spotless Bride of Messiah! Pictured in many ways in Creation itself Beginning & Ending in the Garden Finally to set aside enmity to focus On growing up in every way into Messiah Who alone is our Head-- At last drawing on all the attributes Of YHWH working in harmony.

And when the restoration of all things is at hand, The Spirit and the Bride say, Come! There will be no more need of sun and moon, because Messiah Yeshua will be our Light! Pierced and encompassed! The division of two will be restored to the witness of two who have become One!

 YHWH’s character  Purpose, Form and Function in Hebraic Thought  The Creation -- Events & Metaphor  The Tree of Life & the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil  The womb-like experience of Gan Edan  The Four Rivers and the Four Women  The Good Shepherd Metaphor & Iron Sharpening Iron  Parenting & Husband & Wife images throughout Creation  Vulnerability & Misperceptions  Character, Place & Occupation of the Patriarchs & Matriarchs  The Necessary Division of two Houses of Israel  Brother Issues: Jacob & Esau, Judah & Joseph  Sister Issues: Leah & Rachel  Pierce/Encompass Implications for Conflict Resolution  The Necessary Division between Men and Women  The Quiet Power of Mature Authority  Difficult Aspects of Understanding Men as Bride  The Necessary Restoration of Men’s & Women’s Roles Foretold

 Mindmapping as a study tool reflects a different way of viewing and thinking about the relationships of people, places, events and plans.  Outlines are generally linear or penetrating toward a point.  Mindmaps are encompassing; surrounding a topic with relevant information & questions.

 The study includes a narrative of the progression of my understanding over time.  I understand this to be another picture of the concept of “on the way” which is so central to this way of seeing the physical reflection of spiritual truth.

 May you be blessed and strengthened as you give prayerful consideration to these things.  For the full study, please contact us. Set Apart Ministries, Inc. P. O. Box 5584 De Pere, WI (920)