Rabbi’s Reflections – Friday, April 26, 2024
(Early) Shabbat Shalom,
GREAT NEWS: Lars Enarson called me yesterday. He lives in Jerusalem, but he’s visiting friends in Chattanooga and he wants to come visit us at Shomair on Shabbat. We arranged for him to speak on his favorite subject, “The Truth About Palestine,” which just happens to be the title of his new book. Doug, Keith and I are delighted the whole congregation will have this opportunity to visit with and hear from Lars. https://www.larsenarson.com/. As with all of our worship services, guests are welcome. End GN.
The Psalms
Psalm 6:1-4(1-3) – Part 3
Psalm 6:1 For the music director, on the eight-string lyre, a psalm of David. 2 Adonai, do not rebuke me in Your anger! Do not discipline me in Your wrath. 3 Be gracious to me, Adonai, for I am weak. Heal me, Adonai—for my bones are shuddering with fear, 4 as is my soul—and You, Adonai—how long?
Today, let’s focus on the last part of verse 3 and all of verse 4. (Verses 2 & 3 in Christian Bibles). Yesterday, we left off at the beginning of verse 3 with a cry that I am “fading away, falling apart, and withering on the vine.” What appears next in most translations is a plea for help, “Heal me, Adonai.” But in the Hebrew, I don’t see it that way. In Hebrew it is more of a declaration, “Ani Rofa’ay’ni” meaning, “I am healed!” Don’t beg for healing, declare it prophetically.
This is the faith of Abraham, who called upon… Romans 4:17b God in whom he trusted, Who gives life to the dead and calls into existence that which does not exist. We are made in God’s image. Part of that is to speak with power. This is the full meaning of Yeshua’s teaching. Mark 11:23 Amen, I tell you, if someone says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but trusts that what he says is happening, so shall it be for him. 24 For this reason I say to you, whatever you pray and ask, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Rabbi Trail: Don’t confess, “I am sick,” or “I have a disease.” Rather say, “I’m battling sickness” or “I’m fighting this disease. It may be a small distinction to you, but the power of our words is great. God spoke you and the whole world into existence with words.
On another note… Today, there are an abundance of people and ministries who abuse these verses for self-serving purposes. God does not honor selfishness. True love is always self-sacrificing, and God is love. (1 John 4:8b) One more note, prophesy is not fortune telling. When we speak prophetically, we speak the will, mind and heart of God. End RT.
Our subject verses go on to say (my interpretation of the Hebrew), “My bones and my soul are greatly troubled.” The word for “troubled” appears twice speaking of both bones and soul. It is a word that appears in the Hebrew Scripture over 1,000 times, “Bahal” (Bet-Hey-Lamed) meaning “dismayed, disturbed, or even hurried and hastened. The first time it is used is near the end of Genesis when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, and they are “troubled” by it.
It is a word that describes being caught up in a difficult situation for which there is no relief through our own efforts. The second time it is used is in Exodus 15 in the lyrics of the Song of Moses to describe how all the enemies of Israel will “tremble with fear” when they hear how God delivered the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage.
Our subject verses end with a real question, “Until when?” How long will this go on? For the answer to that question, come back to the RR on Monday when we move on to Psalm 6:5 & 6.
Rabbi Trail: Do you see the “(CH”M)” as a notation beside Pesach IV (the 4th day of Pesach)? It’s an abbreviation for “Chol HaMoed,” meaning “half holiday.” The Passover holiday is 7 days long (8 days outside of Israel by rabbinic tradition). The first day and last day are days of rest (full holidays). Side note: Outside of Israel, it is the first two and last two. That leaves the five middle days (4 outside of Israel) as half holidays. They are holidays in which work is permitted. End RT.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
18 Nissan Friday 26-Apr-24 Pesach IV (CH”M)
Exodus 22:25[24]-23:19; Numbers 28:19-25 Isaiah 43 Proverbs 23 Matthew 11 2 Peter 2