Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, January 14, 2021
Shalom,
Bonus (#7 in a series of 7, the final entry):
“.לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ”
Lech-l’cha May’artzecha U’Mi’molad’t’cha U’Mi’Bayt Avicha, El-Ha’aretz, Asher Ar’e’cha.
Genesis 12:1 Then Adonai said to Abram, “Get going out from your land, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.”
Today, the last 2 words in Genesis 12:1, “Asher Ar’e’cha” meaning “that I will show you.” The verse started with a command to Abraham, then a promised result. The command is to “get up and leave your father’s house.” That command is then followed by information that would change the world. In fact, this whole episode changed the world. The promised result became the promised land.
The promised land is both physical and spiritual, and both are important. We all know the land of Israel is once again, since 1948, a real country. But spiritually speaking, God has a kingdom in which His commands are obeyed immediately and without question. Where God is obeyed, God is King, and where God is King, all of His promises are yes and amen.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu 14-Jan-2021 1st of Sh’vat, 5781 Rosh Chodesh Sh’vat
Ex 8:7-18 1 Ki 10 Ps 109 -110 Lk 22:1-38 (Php 2)
I want to focus on the last verse of today’s Aliyah reading. Exodus 8:18a “But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are dwelling.” God was performing signs and wonders in Egypt to judge the Egyptians. I believe the setting apart of Goshen is a picture of when the Lord returns to judge the earth. The people of God (Yeshua’s followers) will be set apart while the world is judged.
It seems like it is becoming challenging to follow Yeshua. To live by the principles of the Bible is to put a target on your back. Just reading the Bible is considered hate speech. Our enemies and accusers say we can believe what we want, just don’t tell anyone. How long before the modern equivalent of the yellow star will be required of every Yeshua follower? Before the difficulty increases, we better make up our minds that nothing will separate us from the love of God.
Acts 4:18 So they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Yeshua. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you decide. 20 For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
One last thought. It concerns the idea that as Yeshua followers we have died to self. Galatians 2:19 For through law I died to law, so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Messiah; 20 and it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me. And the life I now live in the body, I live by trusting in Ben-Elohim—who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
The only way to go through the fire without being burned alive is to already be dead to self. Hear the words of Job and make them your own words… Job 13:15 Even if He slays me, I will wait for Him; I will surely defend my ways before Him. 16 This, too, will be my salvation for no godless can come before Him.
Week 3
Memory Verse: Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had received the promises was offering up his one and only son— 18 the one about whom it was said, “Through Isaac offspring shall be named for you.” 19 He reasoned that God was able to raise him up even from the dead—and in a sense, he did receive him back from there.
11 1/11 Monday: Genesis 18-19
12 1/12 Tuesday: Genesis 20-21
13 1/13 Wednesday: Genesis 22
* 14 1/14 Thursday: Genesis 24
15 1/15 Friday: Genesis 25:19-34;26
Question of the day: Last Tuesday I wrote to the men. Today, I’m writing to the women. Genesis 24:23a “Whose daughter are you?”
Answer: When Eliezer asked this question to Rebekah, she told him about her earthly family. But Eliezer was on a mission to find a wife for Isaac. “A wife for the son of promise.” Are you getting a feeling for where I might be going spiritually speaking? Every Shabbat we honor the women among us, praying that each one will be a Proverbs 31:10-31 woman. Then we pray over our children. The blessings over the girls is “May God make you like Sarah, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel.
All of us (both men and women) have a bride calling on our lives. Revelation 19:7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready, 8 She was given fine linen to wear, bright and clean! For the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the kedoshim.” 9 Then the angel tells me, “Write: How fortunate are those who have been invited to the wedding banquet of the Lamb!” He also tells me, “These are the true words of God.”
This doesn’t happen in a vacuum? The bride must make herself ready. How? Complete Abraham’s assignment. Genesis 17:1 When Abram was 99 years old, Adonai appeared to Abram, and He said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Continually walk before Me and you will be blameless.”
Although this is in Genesis, it is not just for Old Testament saints. Romans 8:3 For what was impossible for the Torah—since it was weakened on account of the flesh—God has done. Sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as a sin offering, He condemned sin in the flesh— 4 so that the requirement of the Torah might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Ruach.
“So that the righteous requirement of the Torah might be fulfilled in us.” There you have it. Walk, follow, no… run after Yeshua and stay close. Especially in these days. Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also get rid of every weight and entangling sin. Let us run with endurance the race set before us, 2 focusing on Yeshua, the initiator and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame; and He has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God. The invitation to join Him there is open, choose to be chosen.