RR The Heart of the Greetings (Part 2) By David Harwood
Shabbat Shalom,
I’ve often prayed along the lines of Luke 2:52 for family members. In fact, I turned it into a scripture-prayer chorus. Trust me, the chorus is not for public consumption, but it is helpful to me. Here is the verse I am referencing.
And Yeshua kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor (charis/grace) with God and men. (Luke 2:52)
My lyrics:
Oh, may (he/she) increase
in wisdom and stature
and favor with You, Lord,
and all that (he/she) meets!
It is a sincere prayer. Why would I pray along these lines for a family member, a friend, or a colleague? Simply put, there is no substitute for divinely ordained favor. If you love someone you want them to experience that favor.
I believe the earliest disciples excelled in love for one another. The more spiritually mature a believer is, the more they will love the brethren.
If someone has legitimate, God ordained, spiritual authority in another’s life, they can release blessing to them.
Now it is beyond dispute that the lesser is blessed by the greater. (Hebrews 7:7)
What better blessing could they receive than favor with God and people?
And so, we return to our topic, the heart of the Apostolic Greetings. Let’s reconsider 1 Peter 1:2b.
May favor (charis) and shalom be multiplied to you. (1 Peter 1:2b)
After this greeting, we find two more mentions of charis in 1 Peter.
As each one has received a gift (charisma), use it to serve one another, as good stewards of the many-sided grace (charitos/favor) of God. (1 Peter 4:10)
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace (charis/favor) to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may lift you up at the appropriate time. (1 Peter 5:5b–6)
Peter believed that disciples received individual manifestations of favor (charisma-gift) to steward as servants of the believing community (1 Peter 4:10). He also instructed them to expect favor that lifts them up, exalts them, in God’s specific timing (1 Peter 5:5b–6). Perhaps these two examples of charis/favor/grace help reveal the type of favor Peter expected to be released through his blessing (1 Peter 1:2).
I wouldn’t be surprised if those nuances of grace were part of the results of multiplied favor (1 Peter 1:2b).
What type of favor did Peter emphasize in his greeting. We can find hints of that in the opening salutation in 2 Peter 1:2.
May favor (charis/grace) and shalom be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Yeshua our Lord. (2 Peter 1:2)
This form of favor (...the knowledge of God and of Yeshua...) is closely connected to saving favor. After all, eternal life is knowing the Father and the Messiah.
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Yeshua the Messiah, the One You sent. (John 17:3)
Is there anything more important than knowing God? No, and notice, this favor can be multiplied. To what extent can it be multiplied? I don’t know. However, it seems to me that since God has no limit, the relational potential has no end.
Concerning the word, multiplied. It’s a good translation. The Greek word, plethuno, simply means to grow or greatly increase. It is also translated multiply. Here’s an example:
The word of God kept on spreading, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem greatly multiplied (plethuno) (Acts 6:7a)
Wouldn’t you like to experience the multiplication of favor and shalom? I would love this greeting to be actualized in my life and the entire Body of the Messiah.
I encourage you to bless someone with these words, today.
May (charis/favor) grace and shalom be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Yeshua our Lord. (2 Peter 1:2)
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sat6-Sep-2025 13th of Elul, 5785 Parashat Ki Teitzei
De 24:14-25:19Isa 54:1-10Rom 8:18-30
I’ve often prayed along the lines of Luke 2:52 for family members. In fact, I turned it into a scripture-prayer chorus. Trust me, the chorus is not for public consumption, but it is helpful to me. Here is the verse I am referencing.
And Yeshua kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor (charis/grace) with God and men. (Luke 2:52)
My lyrics:
Oh, may (he/she) increase
in wisdom and stature
and favor with You, Lord,
and all that (he/she) meets!
It is a sincere prayer. Why would I pray along these lines for a family member, a friend, or a colleague? Simply put, there is no substitute for divinely ordained favor. If you love someone you want them to experience that favor.
I believe the earliest disciples excelled in love for one another. The more spiritually mature a believer is, the more they will love the brethren.
If someone has legitimate, God ordained, spiritual authority in another’s life, they can release blessing to them.
Now it is beyond dispute that the lesser is blessed by the greater. (Hebrews 7:7)
What better blessing could they receive than favor with God and people?
And so, we return to our topic, the heart of the Apostolic Greetings. Let’s reconsider 1 Peter 1:2b.
May favor (charis) and shalom be multiplied to you. (1 Peter 1:2b)
After this greeting, we find two more mentions of charis in 1 Peter.
As each one has received a gift (charisma), use it to serve one another, as good stewards of the many-sided grace (charitos/favor) of God. (1 Peter 4:10)
“God opposes the proud, but gives grace (charis/favor) to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may lift you up at the appropriate time. (1 Peter 5:5b–6)
Peter believed that disciples received individual manifestations of favor (charisma-gift) to steward as servants of the believing community (1 Peter 4:10). He also instructed them to expect favor that lifts them up, exalts them, in God’s specific timing (1 Peter 5:5b–6). Perhaps these two examples of charis/favor/grace help reveal the type of favor Peter expected to be released through his blessing (1 Peter 1:2).
I wouldn’t be surprised if those nuances of grace were part of the results of multiplied favor (1 Peter 1:2b).
What type of favor did Peter emphasize in his greeting. We can find hints of that in the opening salutation in 2 Peter 1:2.
May favor (charis/grace) and shalom be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Yeshua our Lord. (2 Peter 1:2)
This form of favor (...the knowledge of God and of Yeshua...) is closely connected to saving favor. After all, eternal life is knowing the Father and the Messiah.
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Yeshua the Messiah, the One You sent. (John 17:3)
Is there anything more important than knowing God? No, and notice, this favor can be multiplied. To what extent can it be multiplied? I don’t know. However, it seems to me that since God has no limit, the relational potential has no end.
Concerning the word, multiplied. It’s a good translation. The Greek word, plethuno, simply means to grow or greatly increase. It is also translated multiply. Here’s an example:
The word of God kept on spreading, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem greatly multiplied (plethuno) (Acts 6:7a)
Wouldn’t you like to experience the multiplication of favor and shalom? I would love this greeting to be actualized in my life and the entire Body of the Messiah.
I encourage you to bless someone with these words, today.
May (charis/favor) grace and shalom be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Yeshua our Lord. (2 Peter 1:2)
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sat6-Sep-2025 13th of Elul, 5785 Parashat Ki Teitzei
De 24:14-25:19Isa 54:1-10Rom 8:18-30
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RR Psalm 28:5 Part 5RR Psalm 28:6 Part 6RR Psalm 28:7a Part 7RR Psalm 28:7b Part 8RR Psalm 28:7c Part 9RR Psalm 28:7d Part 10RR Psalm 28:8 Part 11Rabbi’s Reflections - Saturday, May 10, 2025 by David HarwoodRR Psalm 28:9 Part 12RR Psalm 28:9 Part 13RR Psalm 28:9 Part 14RR Psalm 28:9 Part 15RR Psalm 29:1 Part 1RR Psalm 29:2 Part 2Favor From a Fooled Philistine By David HarwoodRR Psalm 29:3 Part 3RR Psalm 29:4 Part 4RR Psalm 29:5 Part 5RR Psalm 29:6 Part 6RR Psalm 29:7 Part 7RR Psalm 29:7 Part 7Favor/Grace in 2 Samuel and 1 Kings By David HarwoodRR Psalm 29:8 Part 8RR Psalm 29:10 Part 10RR Psalm 29:9 Part 9RR Psalm 29:11 Paert 11RR Psalm 30:1,2 Part 1RR Psalms 30:3 Part 2RR Psalm 30:4 Part 3Favor (Chen/Charis) in the Psalms By David HarwoodRR Psalm 30:5 Part 4
June
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