Rabbi’s Reflections – Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Shalom,
Pillar Three: The Kingdom is Expressed in Community – part 2
We ended our discussion last Saturday with this sentence… “What we become in community is an expression here on earth of who God is in heaven and on earth.” We are His ambassadors… 2 Corinthians 5:20a We are therefore ambassadors for Messiah,.
How do we build a community here on earth that is a pattern of God’s heavenly reality “community?” We build it with love for one another through relationships.
1 John 3:11 For this is the message you have heard from the beginning—we should love one another.
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep your love for one another constant, for “love covers a multitude of sins.”
It is impossible to “love” one another until we know how unlovely we are. Many use “unloveliness” as a reason to break covenant, but let me propose that it is only love tested through adversity that is proven to be genuine.
And we will never know how unlovely we are unless we are in relationship. M point is that being a “solo pilot” for God is not according to the pattern of heaven. God commands us to prove we love Him BY loving each other.
1 John 4:20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar. For the one who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that the one who loves God should also love his brother.
This provides us the image of the cross. The vertical beam represents the greatest commandment, Deuteronomy 6:5 Love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Then the horizontal beam represents the second greatest commandment. Leviticus 19:18 You are not to take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am Adonai.
Yeshua quoted both of these scriptures. The “beams” of these two great commandments form the cross. And they “cross” over the heart of the savior, as He stretched His arms out wide and invited us (with arms open wide) into His kingdom. His kingdom is always the place where He is enthroned, honored, obeyed, and made King. It is inconceivable that we could make Him our personal King without becoming a part of His kingdom here on earth, together with fellow believers. We find nothing like that in Scripture.
Week 5
Memory Verse: Romans 8:28 Now we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified; and those whom He justified, He also glorified.
21 1/27 Monday: Genesis 39-40
22 1/28 Tuesday: Genesis 41
* 231/29 Wednesday: Genesis 42-43
24 1/30 Thursday: Genesis 44-45
25 1/31 Friday: Genesis 46-47
Question of the day: What comments do you have for us today rabbi?
Answer: I’m glad you (me, myself) asked. I can’t get past the first verse in the reading today. Genesis 42:1 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, so Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you looking at each other?”
Jacob is quoted, but it’s not a complement. I feel like I just started watching an episode of the “Three Stooges.” There is so much in those 7 words. Jacob seems to be saying, “Doesn’t any of you have a thought on solving our hunger problem?” I also hear in this something like, “You boys have been useless since your brother died. You’re certainly not productive. All you do all day is stand around and look at each other. Do something!”
What happens next is a story that foreshadows the coming revelation of Yeshua to His Jewish brothers. I believe this will happen (and soon) in our day. In Hebrew we say, “Kol Yisrael Yivasha,” meaning “all Yisrael will be saved.” (Remembering our dearly departed friend, Marc Chopinsky. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIyb1HhmN3c )
The first thing that happens is Joseph’s brothers don’t recognize him. Isn’t it the same for Yeshua? Then at the beginning of chapter 43, Judah steps forward to redeem the bad situation. The “Lion of the Tribe of Judah” also steps forward to redeem a bad situation.
What’s the bad situation? The brothers realize they can’t buy food (what sustains life). Neither can Jewish people (today) buy salvation. When they try, their money is returned to them. They (and we) have nothing with which to bargain. We can’t help ourselves. We are totally dependent on the kinsman redeemer, even if we don’t recognize Him.
This story will be continued tomorrow. I hate to leave you like this, but I have to follow the text which picks up the story in the reading tomorrow.