Rabbi’s Reflections – Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Shalom H Michael,
For more than 20 years, Rick and Patti Ridings have championed 24/7 prayer from Jerusalem through their ministry, Succat Hallel. Last Sunday, 1/17/21, they were led to pray down occult strongholds in America. This is not long and you can read and (even more importantly), agree with their prayer. https://succathallel.com/pray-
As of this writing there are over 20,000 troops (more than in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria combined) guarding our nation’s Capitol and Capital. They are there to guard against violence. However; real power is not conventional (physical), but spiritual. There is no army capable of fighting against the power of the Spirit.
My point is simply that we believe the Bible. Therefore; we must realize that 2 Corinthians 10:4 (10-4 good buddy is a “10 – code” that means “message received”) speaks the truth to our current situation. 2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but powerful through God for the tearing down of strongholds. We are tearing down false arguments. So, let us join with the Lord’s army, as we use the spiritual weapons of our warfare (prayer) to “tear down false arguments.” The reality of this “fight” is taking place in the heavenlies. Let us unite to call on the One True and Living God to expose the lies of the enemy, in Yeshua’s name. Amen.
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Bonus #3 in a series on Psalm 112. Psalm 112:2 His offspring will be mighty in the land. The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Verse 2 builds on verse 1 which identifies the joyful man. In Hebrew, “Zaro,” meaning “his seed” will be mighty in the land. Then the second half of the verse, in Hebrew, “Dor Yisharim,” meaning “a generation of righteous” will be blessed.
We all want the best for our children. Why not give them the best parents? Deuteronomy 28:1a “Now if you listen obediently to the voice of Adonai your God, taking care to do all His mitzvot that I am commanding you today,… 4a Blessed will be the fruit of your womb.”
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Tue 19-Jan-2021 6th of Sh’vat, 5781
Ex 10:24-11:3 1 Ki 14 Ps 116-117 Lk 24:1-27 (Col 2)
Why did God pass judgment on Egypt? The answer is found in the Aliyah reading for today. Exodus 11:7b so that you may know that Adonai makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel. The Hebrew name for Egypt is “Mitz’ra’yim” meaning “troubles.” I’m making a pun… the juice (Mitz) of evil (Ra), plural (Im). Seriously, the name “Mitzrayim” is from the Shoresh meaning “trouble.”
This is a picture of a future judgment. Here are the last 3 verses of Psalm 96. Psalm 96:11 Let the heavens be glad, let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar—and all that fills it. 12 Let the land exult—and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy— 13 before Adonai, for He is coming! For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.
Yeshua is coming back to judge the earth. In that judgment, He will make a distinction between who (or what) is His and who (or what) belongs to the adversary. Romans 2:6 He will pay back each person according to his deeds. 7 To those who by perseverance in doing good are seeking glory, honor, and immortality—eternal life. 8 But to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—wrath and fury. 9 There will be trouble and hardship for every human soul that does evil—to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
In ancient Egypt the final judgment (plague) was between life and death. So too, in our day, the final judgment will be between life and death. Matthew 25:46 These shall go off to everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life.” Revelation 21:7 The one who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But for the cowardly and faithless and detestable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars—their lot is in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Keep the faith.
Week 4
Memory Verse: 1 John 3:18 Children, let us not love with word or talk, but in deed and truth!
16 1/18 Monday: Genesis 27-28
* 17 1/19 Tuesday: Genesis 29-30:24
18 1/20 Wednesday: Genesis 31-32
19 1/21 Thursday: Genesis 33;35
20 1/22 Friday: Genesis 37
Question of the day: Jacob asks the question today. Genesis 29:5a So he said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s son?”
Answer: Of course the men at the well answered, Genesis 29:5b They said, “We know.” Jacob missed the nuance of their brief answer. What they were saying is, “We know Laban, and that’s all we’re going to say about him, because our mothers told us, ‘Unless you can say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”
It’s actually an amazing family, full of deceit. Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife. Then Laban and his mother tried to extort Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, when he asked if they would permit Rebekah to marry Isaac. Then Isaac told the same lie as his father, Abraham, about his own wife, Rebekah, to the same king, Abimelech. Then Rebekah helped Jacob to lie to Isaac to get the blessing of the first born even though he was not the first born. No wonder that all we hear about Laban is… nothing good, just, “We know (him).”
It is a questionable start for Abraham and the blessing he and his seed would be to the rest of the world. However; this should give each of us hope that we, ourselves, will be used of God as the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God doesn’t need us to be perfect. He just needs our hearts to be inclined to say “yes” to Him.