Rabbi’s Reflections – Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Shalom,
In the words of Barney Fife, “This is big, really big.” Here is a link to help our sister congregations in Israel reach their matching fund goal. https://tikkun.tv/50000-match/
Wow! We just finished the 22 days of the fall Feasts of the Lord.
Rabbi Trail: There are 22 days of biblical holidays. They begin with Yom Teruah (Rosh Hashanah) and end with Shemini Atzeret (the 8th day celebration added on to Shavuot). Simchat Torah is an add on day that is rabbinical and not scriptural. End RT.
These fall holidays have not had their reality fulfilled. The reality of the spring feasts was fulfilled in the first coming. Yeshua is the reality of the Pascal Lamb, the first fruit of the resurrection and the 50th day of Shavuot had it’s reality in the giving of the Holy Spirit.
The trumpets (shofars) of Yom Teruah will announce Yeshua’s triumphant return. We will crown Him King. Ten days later, on Yom Kippur, Yeshua will judge the earth according to Psalm 98.
Psalm 98:5 Sing praises to Adonai… 6 With trumpets and sound of the shofar blast a sound before the King, Adonai. 9… for He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with fairness.
Then 4 days after that, the Feast of Tabernacles. The Tabernacle (Sukkah) reminds us of the 40 years of desert experienced by the children of Israel after the exodus from Egypt. The reality of the presence of Yeshua is the promise of living water in abundance.
John 7:37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast (could be either Hoshana Raba or Shemini Atzeret, probably Shemini Atzeret), Yeshua stood up and cried out loudly, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, ‘out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
Yeshua is the rock that brought forth water. Those who believe in Him have a piece of the rock.
Jewish revival leads to worldwide revival. This is a future reality. Zechariah 14:16 will be fulfilled on Sukkot. Zechariah 14:16 Then all the survivors from all the nations that attacked Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot, and to celebrate Sukkot.
So Yeshua’s second coming will provide the reality for all of the fall Feasts of the Lord. It is our heritage and inheritance as followers of Yeshua.
Week 43
Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 15:3 For I also passed on to you first of all what I also received— that Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
211 10/21 Monday: 1 Corinthians 15-16
212 10/22 Tuesday: 2 Corinthians 1-2
213 10/23 Wednesday: 2 Corinthians 3-4
214 10/24 Thursday: 2 Corinthians 5-6
215 10/25 Friday: 2 Corinthians 7-8
Question of the day: How many times is “encouragement” mentioned in the 5 verses from 2 Corinthians 1:3-7?
Answer: 8 times. But beyond that, what is really going on here? Paul starts what would become the second letter to the Corinthians with a whole lot of encouragement. Why? Because of what follows…
2 Corinthians 1:8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our trouble that happened in Asia. We were under great pressure—so far beyond our strength that we despaired even of living. 9 In fact, we had within ourselves the death sentence—so that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead.
Yes, you read that right. We are being encouraged because we are about to learn of Paul’s “death sentence” which requires dependence on resurrection living. All of us need this walk of faith in our lives. Yeshua came, died, and was resurrected so we would not fear death.
Do you sense any fear I what Paul is writing here? None at all! Furthermore; what does Paul mean by declaring everything in Messiah Yeshua is “Yes,” and there is not any “No?”
He means that everything in the Lord is upside, positive, and good. Even the things that seem to tear us down actually build us up in Him. So 2 Corinthians, chapter 1 builds to this… (verse 20) “For in Him all the promises of God are “Yes.” Therefore also through Him is the “Amen” by us, to the glory of God.”
Then in Chapter 2, Paul builds along another track to forgive those who bring doubt and negativity into the body. He makes a point in verse 11 that I hope we will all internalize today. We pray in a positive way…
2 Corinthians 2:11 so that we might not be outwitted by satan—for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
This is huge. We are being told to live by faith and not by our wits. What are “wits?” “Wits” is brain power. “Wits” is our own thinking ability. “Wits” is making quick decisions based on what we see. “Wits” is the opposite of faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. But we won’t get to that until next Thursday.
The point here is that we must base our lives and life decisions on faith in God. We are not called to live a “pin-ball” existence. The pin-ball is bounced around and knocked around and cannot control its own destiny.
I heard a teaching recently (sorry, I forget where or from whom) that we must make decisions based on hearing from God. As believers we are prone to the “paralysis of analysis.” When we don’t make decision to control circumstances, decisions will be made for us that do control circumstances for us. A “pin-ball” existence is the opposite of following Yeshua with purpose. Shema (or rather Tishma, the command form), God is answering, we need to listen.