Rabbi’s Reflections – Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Shalom,
Coronavirus, COVID-19, epidemic, pandemic, health crisis, economic crisis, worldwide crisis, and all events cancelled. There, I said everything there is to say about our situation in the world today. Oh, I left out “wedding plans.”
Yes, I have wedding plans, and although modified, the plan is still for Jan Strous and me to get married. Yesterday we obtained our marriage license, before they shut down city hall. If you haven’t seen our engagement photo yet, please click this link to our website. syknox.org/weiner-wedding
We are now planning a very private ceremony. Later, when it is acceptable, God willing, we hope to have a celebration of our wedding to which you will all be invited. Until that day, please celebrate with us from a distance.
Pillar Twelve: The Kingdom is Extended through Prayer – part 2
The kingdom of God grows in two ways. It grows up and it grows out. It grows up as saints mature in their walk with God. It grows out as people are brought into the kingdom through evangelism.
Years ago (maybe 12) Billy Graham brought one of his evangelical events (festival or celebration. The word “crusade” fell out of favor.) to Knoxville. I participated in a few of the planning meetings leading up to the big event. To my surprise, 90% of the planning meetings were prayer focused. The BGEA had figured out that evangelism only takes place in an atmosphere of prayer.
Psalm 22 may be the most Messianic prophetic Psalm of them all. Yeshua quoted several verses of Psalm 22 from the cross. David wrote Psalm 22 1,000 years before Yeshua was crucified, but knew then the power of prayer.
Psalm 22:4(3) Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
Yes, there is power in the blood. But that power (wonder working power) is released through prayer. 2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare (prayer) are not fleshly but powerful through God for the tearing down of strongholds. We are tearing down false arguments 5 and every high-minded thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Messiah— 6 ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
There will be more on prayer tomorrow.
Week 12
Memory Verse: Joshua 1:8 This book of the Torah should not depart from your mouth—you are to meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will make your ways prosperous and then you will be successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Chazak! Be strong! Do not be terrified or dismayed, for Adonai your God is with you wherever you go.”
56 3/16 Monday: Deuteronomy 8-9
57 3/17 Tuesday: Deuteronomy 30-31
* 58 3/18 Wednesday: Deuteronomy 32:48-52; 34
59 3/19 Thursday: Joshua 1-2
60 3/20 Friday: Joshua 3-4
Question of the day: Which is it? Is there another prophet like Moses or not?
Answer: Our reading for today says not… Deuteronomy 34:10 There has not risen again a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom Adonai knew face to face. But there is another promise from Moses, himself. Deuteronomy 18:15 “Adonai your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst—from your brothers. To him you must listen.”
The rabbis believe that “other prophet” is Joshua. Similar name, but I believe it is Yeshua. When Deuteronomy 34 was written it was true. When Deuteronomy 18 was written, it was true. They are not mutually exclusive.
To be “like Moses” is to speak with God in apparent speech. Aaron and Miriam (Moses’ brother and sister) got in trouble over this issue. Numbers 12:6 “Hear now My words!” He said. “When there is a prophet of Adonai, I reveal Myself in a vision, I speak to him in a dream. 7 Not so with My servant Moses. In all My house, he is faithful. 8 I speak with him face to face, plainly and not in riddles. He even looks at the form of Adonai! Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
All this to say, “Yeshua is the one who came to Israel 1,500 years after Moses.” He prayed to God and gave Himself as an example to us in all things. Please join me in turning to God in prayer for the world at this perilous time. Everyone needs God. Some of us know it and some of us haven’t figured it out yet.
Secular humanism thinks we can fix our problems if we will just try harder. Hey, secular humanists, look around and figure it out. Things aren’t getting better, they’re getting worse. Things don’t “morph” into cures, they morph into diseases.