Rabbi’s Reflections – Friday, December 15, 2023
(Early) Shabbat Shalom,
Love Each Other / Glorify God part 9 – Romans, part 234
Romans 15:8 For I declare that Messiah has become a servant to the circumcised for the sake of God’s truth, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs 9 and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy. As it is written, “For this reason I will give You praise among the Gentiles, and I will sing to Your name.”
Yes, these are the same verses from Romans we used yesterday. I have to tell you so you’ll know that I know, and it is intentional, not an error on my part. I have more to say about them. Yeshua has become a servant to Jewish people (here referred to as “the circumcised”) “to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs.” God made similar promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Those promises are being fulfilled in Messiah Yeshua.
In Romans 15:8, Yeshua is spoken of as a “servant.” In Hebrew, this is a “Shamash,” the one candle that is like all the others, but different in that it is used to light all the others. In the Chanukiah, it sits a little higher than the others. May Yeshua light the flame of your spirit so that you will burn brighter every day until He returns.
Verse 9 is a bit remarkable in that “Gentiles… glorify God for His mercy.” Yes, the subject is God’s mercy toward the circumcised. Gentiles ought to be glad that God has included Jewish people in His family. Why? If God can show mercy to such a stiff-necked and rebellious people, how much more to those who from the nations have turned to God!
Ephesians 3:6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are joint heirs and fellow members of the same body and co-sharers of the promise in Messiah Yeshua through the Good News.
Which brings us to the Tabernacle of David, where we left off yesterday. The Tabernacle of David was a Temple of praise (without any sacrifices) that only lasted about 30 years between Moses’ Tabernacle in the wilderness and Solomon’s Temple built on Mount Moriah.
Amos 9:11 “In that day I will raise up David’s fallen sukkah. I will restore its breaches, raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in days of old 12 —so they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations called by My Name.” It is a declaration of Adonai, the One who will do this.
Acts 15 takes this restoration and applies it to all the nations. Acts 15:16 ‘After this I will return and rebuild the fallen tabernacle of David. I will rebuild its ruins and I will restore it, 17a so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord—namely all the Gentiles who are called by My name—says Adonai.
Here is the bottom line, and we’ll close with this today… Jewish people will not reach their God-given destiny without a lot of non-Jewish people coming along. And non-Jewish people will not reach their destiny without a lot of Jewish people coming along. Since this is God’s plan, we ought to receive it and each do our part. This is our (both Jews and Gentiles) calling to an interdependent life of mutual blessing.
If you really want to go deeper on this subject, here is a link to Dr. David Rudolph’s paper. https://collective.tku.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/One-New-Man-Hebrew-Roots-Replacement-Theology.pdf It is long, and I haven’t studied it close enough to know if I agree completely with all his conclusions, but I promise it will be thought provoking. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Fri 15-Dec-2023 3rd of Tevet, 5784
Chanukah: 8th day (the 8 candles were lit on Thursday night)
Ge 43:16-29 1 Sa 21 Ps 61 Mk 14:27-52 (2 Co 2)
Nu 7:54-8:4, 1 Macc 15-16