Rabbi’s Reflections – Sunday, February 2, 2025
Shavuah Tov,

Psalms
Psalm 24:3,4 – Part 3

Psalm 24:3 Who may go up on the mountain of Adonai? `Who may stand in His holy place? 4 One with clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully.

Joshua Aaron and Aaron Shust put these verses to song.  Enjoy…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRx35QQtVPw

Psalm 24 is an important addition to the Yom Teruah (Rosh Hashanah) liturgical service in most synagogues.  The “Feast of Trumpets” is celebrated on the first day of the 7th month.  It is the start of the spiritual year in which we anticipate the celebratory return of Yeshua (we call it “the second coming”) to the earth.

To “go up on the mountain of Adonai” is euphemistic for an unspoken reality.  Moses went up on the mountain only weeks after the Exodus.

Exodus 24:12 Then Adonai said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the Torah and the mitzvot, which I have written so that you may instruct them.”

The second coming (not yet, but soon) is a continuation of the first coming, which was made necessary on account of the weakness of the people to obey God’s commandments.  Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of time came, God sent out His Son, born of a woman and born under law— 5 to free those under law, so we might receive adoption as sons. 6 Now because you are sons, God sent the Ruach of His Son into our hearts, who cries out, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave but a son—and if a son, also an heir through God.

We also must answer God’s call to go up on God’s mountain and “stay there.”  Do we really want to tell God, “Sorry, I’m busy and gotta go now.”  May it never be!  Take off your shoes, for the place you are standing is holy ground.  In other words, God is saying, “Don’t be running off while I’m talking to you.”  God has promises He wants to communicate to us.  What are they?

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.

This verse from Ephesians 3 is a short version of what Paul said a few verses previously.

Ephesians 2:11 Therefore, keep in mind that once you—Gentiles in the flesh—were called “uncircumcision” by those called “circumcision” (which is performed on flesh by hand). 12 At that time you were separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (Here it comes…) 13 But now in Messiah Yeshua, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. 14 For He is our shalom, the One who made the two into one and broke down the middle wall of separation. Within His flesh He made powerless the hostility.

We are all (both Jewish and non-Jewish) called to a “mountain top experience” with the Lord to receive His promises.  The promise is that of inclusion in His family.

2Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and virtue. 4 Through these things He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, since you have escaped the corruption that evil desires have brought into the world.

This message is such profound “good news!”  We must be eternally grateful that God has poured out His love on us in such a magnificent way.  Shalom shalom.

Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sun 2-Feb-2025 4th of Sh’vat, 5785
Ex 13:17-14:8 1 Ki 13 Ps 115 Lk 23:26-56 (Col 1)