Rabbi’s Reflections – Monday, April 24, 2023

Shalom,

Day 16 of counting the Omer

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 two weeks and two days of the counting of the Omer.

Follow up that prayer by remembering a blessing from the Lord and give Him thanks.

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Victory Over Sin 11 – Romans, part 72

Romans 6:19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you yielded your body parts as slaves to uncleanness and lawlessness, leading to more lawlessness, so now yield your body parts as slaves to righteousness, resulting in holiness.

What is it about sin?  Well, for one thing, sin is never satisfied.  Only Yeshua can bring us to a place of satisfaction, and, certainly, sin will never do that.  Psalm 107:8 Let them (the redeemed of the Lord – see verse 2) praise Adonai for His mercy and His wonders for the children of men, 9 for He satisfies the thirsty soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Yes, Yeshua is that bread that satisfies, both hunger and thirst…. John 6:35 Yeshua said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.”  He is the only One without sin.  He alone is able to fully satisfy.  In other words, He fills us with His shalom.

Another way to look at sin is this, “Trying to fulfill a God-given desire in an ungodly way.”  We are created (by God, in His image) with God-given longings that need to be satisfied, but will only be satisfied in His righteousness.  Everything else is sin, which will never satisfy.  Proverbs 27:20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man.

By now it should be impossible to miss the point of Romans 6… “Don’t let sin have dominion over you.”  Sin leads to death, but I’m getting ahead of myself.  We won’t get to this for a couple of days… Romans 6:23 For sin’s payment is death, but God’s gracious gift is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.  Shalom shalom.

Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)

Day 16 of the Omer

Mon 24 Apr-2023 3rd of Iyar, 5783 Day 16 of the Omer

Le 16:25-17:7 Isa 51 Job 9 2 Pet 1 (Mt 11)