Rabbi’s Reflections – Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Shalom,
The Psalms
Psalm 5:9(8) – Part 6
Psalm 5:9 Lead me, Adonai, in Your righteousness, because of my enemies. Make Your path straight before me.
The entire RR today is one big “Rabbi Trail.” We’ll return to this subject verse tomorrow.
Rabbi Trail: Well, it happened! I have a regret from yesterday’s RR. I wrote about grace, but should have done a better job of it. Grace is a huge subject and deserves much of our attention. David Harwood, who writes the RRs on Saturday, is going to do an entire series on grace which will add to our understanding.
For my part, I regret not making a distinction between the grace of the Hebrew Scriptures (which means to be viewed favorably) and the grace available after Yeshua’s sacrificial death and resurrection (meaning to be saved). What is available to us now (and was not available to our fathers) is access to the presence of God (you are the Temple… 1Cor 3:16) through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:22b …you are to lay aside the old self… 23 be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self—created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Yeshua is the Intermediary Who changes everything. Before Yeshua there was a series of “ones”… one place (the Holy Temple), one man (the High Priest), once a year (Yom Kippur afternoon). But in Messiah Yeshua, we all (both Jews and Gentiles) have access to the Father, any time and any place.
One last note on this… traditionally, Jewish people have always insisted that an intermediary (between God and man) is not necessary. This is not historically nor factually correct. Jewish people have always needed an intermediary. First it was Moses and Aaron, then other priests. Also, the offeror would lay hands on the offering, thus making the animal or grain an intermediary.
Now, our High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (my righteous king) is our once-for-all-time sacrifice. More than every other priest, Yeshua offered Himself as the intermediary for our sins. Now that changes everything. End RT.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
9 Nissan Wednesday 17-Apr-24
Leviticus 14:33-53 Isaiah 37 Proverbs 18 Matthew 6 1 Peter 2