Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, April 23, 2020
Shalom,
Counting the Omer – Day 12
Here is the proper blessing to be said each day. This is how Jewish people fulfill the command to count.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל סְפִירַת הָעֹֽמֶר
Baruch Atah Adonai Elohenu Melech Ha-Olam, Asher Kid’shanu B’mitzvotav, Vitzivanu Al Sefirat Ha-Omer.
Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by his commandments and commanded us about the counting of the Omer. Today is one week and five days of the counting of the Omer.
Today I am writing for the 4th time on the longing to be fascinated. The Lord has made provision for us to satisfy this longing through the revelation of His Son. I’ve heard it called a peak to peek experience. We have a “mountain top experience” (peak) through the revelation of Yeshua. This allows us to see over the top (peek) to the next vista. Our lives become a series of revelation experiences, and each revelation fascinates us with increasing wonder.
This reminds us of the eternal experience (a confirmation of Isaiah 6) in Revelation 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes all around and within. They do not rest day or night, chanting, “Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot, asher haya v’hoveh v’yavo! Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of Hosts, who was and who is and who is to come!” They are constantly filled with wonder.
There are a few more Scriptures which support these postulates. 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Messiah.
God is light. John 8:12 Yeshua spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows Me will no longer walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” We are not called to stumble about in darkness… 1 John 1:5 Now this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you—that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with Him and keep walking in the darkness, we are lying and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of His Son Yeshua purifies us from all sin.
Let us not lose our first love (Revelation 2:4) but stay fascinated as we gaze into the face of our Lord. The Bible refers to this fascination as a “coming alive.” The King James Version calls it a “quickening.” Psalm 22:27(26)b Let them who seek after Him praise Adonai. May your hearts live forever!
When Messiah is revealed, and we become fascinated with that revelation, we are empowered. We change… 1 Corinthians 15:50b flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God… 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— We have a destiny to be fascinated with Yeshua for all eternity. Why wait?
Week 17
Memory Verse: Psalm 23:1 A psalm of David. Adonai is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.
81 4/20 Monday: 2 Samuel 1-2:1-7
82 4/21 Tuesday: 2 Samuel 3:1; 5; Psalm 23
83 4/22 Wednesday: 2 Samuel 6-7
* 84 4/23 Thursday: Psalm 18; 2 Samuel 9
85 4/24 Friday: 2 Samuel 11-12
Question of the day: Can we examine Psalm 18:47(46) in the Hebrew?
Answer: Sure thing… there are only 7 Hebrew words and they are all easily understood. Psalm 18:47 Adonai lives! And blessed be my Rock! Exalted be God my salvation!
- Chai: Life (or alive)
- Adonai: This is the “Yud-Hay-Vav-Hay” ineffable name for God. We follow the custom of the rabbis and substitute “Adonai” which means “Lord” or “Master.” It is a plural form that is spoken in the singular (like Elohim). Put together with the first word it means “God is alive!” Rabbi Trail: Interesting that Friedrich Nietzsche declared God is dead, then in 1900 (when he was only 55 years old) God said, “Nietzsche is dead.” End RT.
- U’Varuch: The “U” in front is the “Vav” which means “and.” Varuch means “blessed” (as in Baruch).
- Tzuri: A “Tzur” is a “rock.” Tzuri is “my rock.” It is coupled with word 3 to make the phrase, “Blessed is my rock.” So far we have, “God is alive and blessed is my rock.” Let’s continue…
- V’Yarum: The “V” is for the “Vav” again which still means “and.” “Rom” is “high” or “exalted”. The “Y” prefix indicates 3rd person, masculine, singular… “He will be… exalted”
- Elohay: One of God’s names, but personal, as in “my God.”
- Yishi: My Yeshua (or my salvation).
Psalm 18:47 Adonai lives! And blessed be my Rock! Exalted be God my salvation!
What do we have? One of the great verses of Scripture. Steve McConnell wrote a song out of it in Hebrew. Of course he took some liberty. Here is the link. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJWe3Jv7h40