Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, March 26, 2020
Shalom,
The government is stepping into our lives in unprecedented ways. While I don’t like it, this sets up a conflict that only Yeshua can resolve. Keep reading. I respect government, as this is commanded by the Lord. Romans 13:1 Let every person submit himself to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are put in place by God. 2 So whoever opposes the authority has resisted God’s direction, and those who have resisted will bring judgment on themselves. The minute government steps into any aspect of life, we have all stepped onto a slippery slope with no way out.
Rabbi Trail: The concept of a slippery slope was brought forward by Winston Churchill in the days leading up to the second world war. He rejected the idea to even meet with Hitler and other representatives of the Axis Powers because he said it was like stepping onto a “slippery slope” toward surrender. End RT.
This is like allowing the devil to have part of my life. Allowing him in at all removes every boundary. Any access to the devil is unlimited access, because he knows no limits. The Bible even calls this a “stronghold.” A “stronghold” is like a beach head in war. Let me tell you what brought this line of thinking forward.
I listened to a press conference by the governor of New York a few days ago. In it he suspended all evictions (business or residential) for 90 days. Of course, this affects rent payments, which the governor did not address. And those landlords, not receiving rent payments but being forced to allow tenants to live rent free, still have to make mortgage payments. And this means banks will not get paid… and so, any one action has a succession of unforeseen consequences. Remember this truth, every time someone gets something for nothing, someone else is getting nothing for something.
The governor justified his action by saying any landlord who was allowed to evict a tenant in this season couldn’t get another tenant anyway, because people are not allowed to travel in order to see the new location. So everything grinds to a halt. Except time… time marches on. And payments come due. Someday it will be time to pay the piper.
My point? Don’t go one more day into these perilous times without either establishing or deepening your relationship with God. 1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your worries on Him, for He cares for you. And when you vote, vote for the candidate who will most likely keep the government out of our lives.
Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and ‘you will find rest for your souls.’ 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Week 13
Memory Verse: Joshua 24:14 “Now therefore, fear Adonai and worship Him in sincerity and in truth. Get rid of the gods that your fathers had worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and worship Adonai. 15 If it seems bad to you to worship Adonai, then choose for yourselves today whom you will serve—whether the gods that your fathers worshipped that were beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will worship Adonai!”
61 3/23 Monday: Joshua 5:10-15; 6
62 3/24 Tuesday: Joshua 7-8
63 3/25 Wednesday: Joshua 23-24
* 64 3/26 Thursday: Judges 2-3
65 3/27 Friday: Judges 4
Question of the day: Must history repeat itself?
Answer: Apparently, yet maybe there is hope. Judges 2:10 But when all that generation were gathered to their fathers, there arose another generation after them that did not experience Adonai or the work that He had done for Israel. 11 Then Bnei-Yisrael did what was evil in Adonai’s eyes, and worshipped the Baalim.
This is the history of Israel, even to this day. God pours out a blessing and the people forget from where the blessing comes. The higher calling is to be a people of grace. People of grace have left the system of works and entered into the undeserved favor of God. It is the Gospel. These are people who have taken up their cross to follow Him.
A people of grace fulfill this commandment. John 10:14 “I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, 15 just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not from this fold; those also I must lead, and they will listen to My voice. So there shall be one flock, one Shepherd.
This will break the cycle of unbelief and disobedience. Do your part, for you are a child of grace.