Rabbi’s Reflections – Friday, April 24, 2020
(Early) Shabbat Shalom *|FNAME|*,
Counting the Omer – Day 13
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 six days of the counting of the Omer.
Yesterday I wrote about the worldly counterfeit to godly fascination. Today I want to write about the reality of our fascination with Messiah Yeshua.
Everything we write in the RR (every RR) is based on Scripture. Without the Word of God as our firm foundation, we are writing vain imaginations. In that case, without Yeshua and the Word of God, we are to be most pitied for creating something out of nothing. Of course, Yeshua is the cornerstone (of our foundation and reality). Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus says Adonai Elohim: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone, a firm foundation— whoever trusts will not flee in haste.
But, then again, Yeshua is also the Word of God… John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth.
My point in all of this is that the entire Bible testifies to the longing to be fascinated and filled with the wonder of God. Moses saw a burning bush in the desert and was filled with wonder… Exodus 3:3 Moses thought, “I will go now, and see this great sight. Why is the bush not burnt?” And God waited… Exodus 3:4a When Adonai saw that he turned to look, He called to him out of the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”
We just read the story of David and Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:46 This very day Adonai will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and take your head off you,… Then all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel. How can we not be fascinated with God Who causes a shepherd boy (with no armor and without a sword) to kill a champion fighter?
Yeshua’s ministry is filled with stories of fascination… Consider Jarius’ daughter – Mark 5:42 Immediately, the girl stood up and began to walk around! (She was twelve years old.) And they were overcome with astonishment. Yeshua commanded the storm… Mark 6:51 Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped. They were utterly dumbfounded.
Yes, this fascination (astonishment) applies to us as well… 1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, (Isaiah 64:4 & 65:17) “Things no eye has seen and no ear has heard, that have not entered the heart of mankind— these things God has prepared for those who love Him.” Prepare to be fascinated and astonished, then stay that way.
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 you explain the great lesson of repentance in these two chapters?
Answer: Well, I can try. David is confronted by Nathan the prophet, who tells David a parable. If you don’t already know the story, read it. Then David (not knowing the character in the story was representative of himself) said, 2 Samuel 12:5b “As Adonai lives, the man that did this deserves to die!”
David’s own words condemned him. It’s quite easy to find fault with David, but we must realize that we are all “Davids.” Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Nathan told David, “Thou art the man.” Now we see that we are all “the man.”
Here is the distinction between David and Saul. Both men sinned against God. David turned to God in repentance while Saul made excuses. 2 Samuel 12:13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Adonai.”
So we too must make confession… 1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
When we receive His forgiveness, the weight lifting from our shoulders is tangible. Be set free today and receive liberation from bondage to sin in the name of Yeshua.
Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in our trespasses, He made us alive together with Messiah. (By grace you have been saved!) 6 And He raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Messiah Yeshua— 7 to show in the olam ha-ba the measureless richness of His grace in kindness toward us in Messiah Yeshua. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not from yourselves—it is the gift of God.