Rabbi’s Reflections – Friday, February 16, 2024
(Early) Shabbat Shalom,
Reminder: Joshua Aaron (together with Aaron Shust and Yaron Cherniak) is coming to Knoxville the night of Sunday, March 24th starting at 6PM. The concert will be held at Mar 24, 2024, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Fairview Knoxville Church, 7424 Fairview Rd, Corryton, TN 37721, USA. Tickets are only $15 each and can be purchased at this link. https://www.joshuaaaron.tv/event-details/worship-night-with-joshua-aaron-aaron-shust-yaron-cherniak-1 Hope to see you there.
A Prayer For Today
Part 6
Yesterday we prayed into Zechariah 2, verse 11(7) [Verse 11 in the TLV, but verse 7 in most other bibles.] Today let’s move our focus to the next 3 verses. Here we will find that God receives “glory” through victory over His enemies. Then the prophesy that is hard to avoid, (and the reason we must sing and rejoice) “I am coming and I will live among you.” Please read these three verses and then we’ll unpack them.
Zechariah 2:12 “For thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, He has sent me after glory to the nations that plundered you—because whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye— 13 ‘For behold, I will shake My hand against them and they will be plunder to their servants.’ Then you will know that Adonai-Tzva’ot has sent me. 14 “‘Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will live among you’—it is a declaration of Adonai.”
Question: Who is the “Me” and “I” in these verses? Answer: “Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot…” The Lord, Yeshua, Himself, is Adonai-Tzva’ot (the Lord of Hosts). He is speaking in the first person. For proof, let’s jump to the conclusion, “I am coming and I will live among you.” Could it be any clearer?
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and tabernacled (dwelled) among us. We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth.
One would have to have blind eyes to miss this. 2Corinthians 4:3 And even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so they might not see the light of the Good News of the glory of Messiah, who is the image of God.
There are several “then you will know” moments throughout Scripture. God openly performs signs and wonders so “we will know.” Two are in Exodus. The first was just before the 10th plague in Egypt (killing of the first born). The Lord declared… Exodus 11:6a There will be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, 7b —so that you may know that Adonai makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel.
After the Exodus, the people complained while they were in the desert wilderness because they were hungry. The Lord spoke to Moses and promised quail for meat and mana for bread. Exodus 16:11 Adonai spoke to Moses 12b …saying, ‘At dusk you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am Adonai your God.’”
I believe there will be another “so that you may know” moment for all Israel. It is promised in Zechariah 12 (read the whole chapter). The “keystone” verse of this prophesy is Zechariah 12:10 “Then I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication, when they will look toward Me whom they pierced. They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son and grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for a firstborn.”
Let’s pray into that… Dear heavenly Father, we approach Your throne of grace to invite the power of Your promised deliverance on the whole house of Israel. Pour out, pour out, pour out Your spirit of grace and supplication on all Israel. Open their (our) eyes to see and grieve bitterly for Yeshua HaMashiach, Who is Your Firstborn Son. In Yeshua’s name we pray. Amen.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
7 Adar I Friday 16-Feb-24
Exodus 27:1-8 2 Kings 2 Psalm 115 John 8:1-30 Titus