Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, January 5, 2023
Shalom,
Important Announcement from Keith Henschen, senior leader of Shomair Yisrael. (From Monday, January 2nd at 4:22pm Eastern Time.) If you don’t check our Church Center app, you might not have seen it. “Happy New Year, family! We are excited to be with you this Shabbat! This year we will study the Torah portion during the Saturday morning Bible study. Come prepared by reading this week’s portion, Vayechi.” For those needing help, use the website www.hebcal.com. For those less tech savvy, this week is the last portion of Genesis (47:27-50:26).
___
The Gap Between A Lie And The Truth
“Ani Mitkaven!” Do you remember from yesterday what this translated Hebrew phrase means? It means, “I really mean it!” Today I want to write about what a useless phrase this really is. The context in which I wrote yesterday concerns the gap between what we say and what we do. It is a gap that should not exist.
If we have to say, “Ani Mitkaven,” what about all the times we don’t say it? Should we suppose we’re lying? To God, “words” are not just “words,” they are power and life. God spoke the world into existence. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. And that “Word” was/is Yeshua.
That was the beginning of John. The Torah begins similarly… Genesis 1:1a In the beginning God created… 3a Then God said, “Let there be light!” The rest of the creation story of Genesis 1 is filled with the phrase “Then God said.” By speaking, God put in motion the world we have today. The effect of God’s spoken word is power and life, even until today and beyond.
We are created in His image, so too, our words have power both today and beyond. Ephesians 4:29 Let no harmful word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for building others up according to the need, so that it gives grace to those who hear it.
How many times have we heard the phrase, “There is grace for that?” Believers seem to excuse the sin of speaking a falsehood by claiming grace. Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may abound? 2 May it never be! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Rabbi’s note: These three chapters of Romans (6,7,8) are Paul’s treatise on being free from sin.
Yeshua confirms this… Matthew 5:37 But let your word ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’—anything more than this is from the evil one.” And this verse is consistent with hundreds of other Scriptures, for Yeshua IS the Word. Numbers 30:2 Whenever a man makes a vow to Adonai or swears an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he is not to violate his word but do everything coming out of his mouth.
So, what do we do when there is a gap between what we say and what we do? Repent! Don’t just claim grace for that, have a submissive change of heart and make it right, both to God and to men. Let’s explore this further tomorrow.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu 05-Jan-2023 12th of Tevet, 5783
Ge 49:19-26 2 Sa 18 Ps 90 Lk 11:29-54 (2 Co 13)