Rabbi’s Reflections – Sunday, February 11, 2024
Shavuah Tov,
A Prayer For Today
Part 1
What is happening? The world seems to be turning upside down. Good is called evil and evil is called good. Rather than despair, let’s pray (you know, talk to God about it). But before we pray, let me detail what I’m seeing and relate it to Scripture.
First, “never again” is happening again. It’s open season on Jews in Europe, in America, and in Israel, really everywhere. The Holocaust didn’t start as the Holocaust. It started as unchallenged (even legal) expressions of anti-Semitism, just as we’re seeing in the world today.
I’m comforted by the fact that God has His way of turning everything to accomplish His purpose. God is love. He opposes hate. There is an “at once” harvest coming. Yeshua spoke this much in His parable of planting and harvesting. Mark 4:29 “But when the grain is ready, at once he sends in the sickle, for the harvest has come.”
To be clear, everything is purposed to grow His kingdom, even things which seem to oppose His kingdom. So we know that everything works to bring about His ultimate victory. This is the lesson of Yeshua’s one verse parable. Matthew 13:33 He told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like hametz, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.” Usually, “hametz” (leaven) is a symbol of pride, but not here. The lesson is that everything will ultimately become affected by the righteousness of the kingdom of God.
Someone planted “weeds” (evil) in God’s field of righteousness. Matthew 13:25 But while the men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 Now when the stalk sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. But don’t be fooled, the harvest is coming. Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time, I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the weeds and tie them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
As we pray, I love to pray the Scriptures. God loves for us to remind Him (not that He “forgets,” but so He knows that we know.) of His promises from long ago. Let us pray… Father in heaven, we come to Your throne of grace. We must turn to You in time of trouble. You warned us of such a time of trouble, John 16:33b “In the world you will have trouble.” But that was taken out of context. We want to pray the fullness of the entire verse upon us. John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have shalom. In the world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world!” Just as you were not alone (because the Father was with You), so, we also, abide in You. From Your promise in the Torah through Moses. Deuteronomy 31:8 “Adonai—He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you. Do not fear or be discouraged.” Lord, provide a hedge of protection around Your people, in Yeshua’s name. Amen.
There is much more to write and pray on this. Let’s try again tomorrow. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
2 Adar I Sunday 11-Feb-24
Exodus 25:1-16 1 Kings 19 Psalm 110 John 5 2 Timothy 1