Rabbi’s Reflections – Saturday, March 5, 2022
Shabbat Shalom,
Growing in Love for God 6
by David Harwood
Unlike the rest of us, Yeshua was not a spiritual Absalom. He was not in opposition to the Father. He had no selfish ambition provoking Him to rebellion. He was, and is, the perfect Son. Father delighted in Him and in the wholehearted love Yeshua had for Him.
One thing we know is that the Messiah submitted Himself to the Torah. His love for Father was encouraged by the Foremost Command.
Love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5 TLV)
This love pre-existed the incarnation. It was there in the beginning (John 1:1). The command was given to help bring heaven’s foundational culture to earth. The reality of this pre-incarnate love is a window into the relational phenomena described by the John:
God is love (1 John 4:8,16)
Through the call to love God we are invited to fully participate in our true identity. Each individual is the image of God, and is being conformed to the image of God. Corporately, as well, we are the image and likeness of God. This is relevant to the foremost command because God knows Himself completely, and God loves Himself supremely. We, also, as His image, are to know God. Out of that true knowledge we are called to love God, in fellowship with God.
God’s love within Himself, for Himself, is eternal. It is happening right now. It shall always be the case.
What metaphor might I circumspectly employ to partially describe the nature of God’s eternal, immediate, interactive Trinity-love? Here’s one: it is like a feast, a celebration, a party, and it is one to which we are invited. The living God wants us to be a part of this.
Why?
Why? Because we were created in such a way that our appreciation of Him would be something that is meaningful to Him. Since we are made as His image our love for Him is akin to His love for Himself. Expressed another way, our love for Him is the image of how God loves Himself. It is valued in the same way, according to the same measure. Since we are made as His image, His love for us is similar to His love for Himself.
that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them as You loved Me. (John 17:23b TLV)
By the way, that is true now – in our current state. How much more shall this be true after we are glorified? We really do have something to look forward to. “We boast in the hope God’s glory (Romans 5:2b TLV).”
This mutual loving relationship is so important to our God that He wants to help our appreciation of Him. His wonderful Ruach ha-Kodesh inspired a prayer that can be helpful to us for as long as we live. Paul wrote:
I do not cease to give thanks for you remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord (Yeshua the Messiah), the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him (Ephesians 1:16 ESV)
By the way, I agree with The English Standard Version which capitalizes “Spirit” in this prayer. I see this as one aspect of the Messiah’s body partaking of the Messianic anointing. Isaiah prophesied:
The Ruach of Adonai will rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and insight, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Adonai. His delight will be in the fear of Adonai. (Isaiah 11:2–3a TLV)
Consider the activity of the Ruach of wisdom and understanding. Surely this anointing includes the knowledge of God. Consider the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of Adonai. The Ruach of Adonai reveals the knowledge (revelation) of God, producing reverent love for the LORD. When tempted, this reverent love for God kept the Messiah steady in His love for the Father.
By the Ruach, Paul prayed for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. This enduement brings the believing community into fellowship with the Messiah to whom this anointing belongs. God wants us to have this enabling favor. Why? Because He cherishes our love for Him and it is the Ruach ha-Kodesh Who will enable us to fulfill the Great Command.
Let’s pray:
Father, in Yeshua’s name, please give to us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the true awareness and experience of what You are truly like.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sat 05-Mar-2022 2nd of Adar II, 5782 Parashat Pekudei
Ex 40:28-38 1 Ki 7:51-8:21 Lk 16:1-13