Rabbi’s Reflections – Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Shalom *|FNAME|*,
Last reminder: Yom Kippur this week:
Tuesday, October 8th, Kol Nidre Service at 7:00pm.
Wednesday, October 9th, Yom Kippur Service at 10:30am.
Wednesday, October 9th, N’ilah Service at 6:00pm.
A catered dinner will follow this service. There is no charge and no reservation needed. We ordered a lot of good food, so please come and partake.
I wish to thank each of the 50 or so people who came to our community Sukkah building on Sunday. Pictured above is the Sukkah for 5780 (the 5th year for this Sukkah originally made by Bob Ritter. Everything this year is the best ever. Thank you and thank God.
Now the RR…
Tuesday night, October 8th, is Kol Nidre, the opening service of Yom Kippur. You can go to abundant resources on the internet to learn about the meaning of this to most Jewish communities around the world. What is not so immediately available on the internet is what it means to our Messianic Jewish community. That’s what I’m writing about here.
Rabbi Trail: Also, I’m not going to write an RR for Wednesday or Thursday at all due to the Yom Kippur holiday. For those who request, I will extend your free subscription by 4 days as compensation. Why that’s two for one, (or 4 for 2) which is a great deal. Thank you Rabbi Michael. You’re welcome. End RT.
Yeshua is the reality of all the Feasts of the Lord. So when we celebrate any Feast (including Shabbat) we are celebrating (ie. honoring) Yeshua and the manifestation of his victory (over sin and death and the prosecutors of sin and death).
Yom Kippur is an ordained Feast of the Lord on which we are commanded to afflict our souls. Leviticus 23:27 “However, the tenth day of this seventh month is Yom Kippur, a holy convocation to you, so you are to afflict yourselves….” This we do by abstaining from food.
Rabbi Trail: In orthodox Judaism and its various iterations, both food and beverages (including water) are fasted. In my late 30’s I fasted food and water. The result was kidney stones (never take any medication without reading the label). That year I took a bunch of Rolaids for heartburn and did not drink water as directed on the label. The result was a buildup of calcium in my kidneys resulting in a hospitalization for kidney stones. I no longer have heartburn, but to this day I only fast food, and I drink a lot of water. Lesson learned, the stoney way. End RT.
Jewish tradition informs us that Yom Kippur is the annual Day of Judgement when it is decided who will live and who will die in the next year. This is believed to be based on good deeds (known as mitzvoth in Hebrew). As Messianics, we do not find that in the Bible (as an annual event). There is a Lamb’s Book of Life and we are serious about being written in it for eternity (not for just another year).
So we fast on Yom Kippur in intercession for the Jewish people who do not yet know Yeshua as their Savior and Lord. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some consider slowness. Rather, He is being patient toward you—not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance. 10a But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.
So let’s enter into this solemn day with hearts to see the word of the Lord fulfilled. Romans 11:26 and in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer shall come out of Zion. He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. 27 And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”
See you on the flip side.
Week 41
Memory Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of shalom Himself make you completely holy; and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept complete, blameless at the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 24 Faithful is the One who calls you— and He will make it happen!
201 10/7 Monday: 1 Thessalonians 3-5
202 10/8 Tuesday: 2 Thessalonians 1-3
203 10/9 Wednesday: Acts 18:18-19:41
204 10/10 Thursday: 1 Corinthians 1-2
205 10/11 Friday: 1 Corinthians 3-4
Question of the day: What is our take-away from 2 Thessalonians 3:2b and3a?
Answer: Let’s let those two partial verses answer the question. 2 Thessalonians 3:2b for not all (people) are trustworthy. 3a But the Lord is trustworthy—
Got it? It’s that simple, or maybe it’s not. People are not trustworthy, but God is trustworthy. Well, maybe some people are trustworthy. The whole verse 2 Thes 3:2 “Also pray that we may be rescued from perverse and evil people, for not all are trustworthy.” That means some people are trustworthy and some people are not. “Not all are trustworthy” has a different meaning from “All are not trustworthy.”
One of our first memory verses is Proverbs 3:5 Trust in Adonai with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Let’s do that, “trust God.” In Hebrew the word is “Betach” meaning simply trust, or literally, “count on it.” “Betach” is also translated as “of course” or “for sure.” Several of my Israeli friends get it mixed up and translate “Betach” as “of sure.”
So then, what do we believe? We believe the promises of God. Which promises? All of them!