Rabbi’s Reflections – Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Shalom,
Day 4 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 no weeks and four days of the counting of the Omer.
Follow up that prayer by remembering a blessing from the Lord and give Him thanks. Psalm 7:18(17) I will praise Adonai for His justice. I sing praise to the Name of Adonai Elyon!
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The Psalms
Psalm 6:7,8(6,7) – Part 6
Psalm 6:7 I am worn out with my groaning. Every night I make my bed swim, drenching my pillow with my tears. 8 My eyes are weakened with grief—they age because of my enemies.
Rabbi Trail: Before we dive into the serious repentance that is going on here, there are two Hebrew words I want to highlight. Translated “they age” is a word “A’tiqah” meaning “grow old.” It sounds like the English word “antique” without the “n.” I doubt there is any real connection, probably just in my mind.
The other word is translated “my bed.” In Hebrew, a “bed” is a “Mitah.” “My bed” is “Mitati” and “her bed” is “Mitata.” It is just one of those words that is fun to say. Go ahead, try it. Okay, fun is over. Now move on to the serious shedding of tears. End RT.
King David is obviously pouring his heart out as he shares his innermost emotions. What has captured his passion? He is crying out over what he knows he deserves, God’s rebuke and discipline. David knew (and so do we) what Isaiah knew upon seeing the Lord… Isaiah 6:1 In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw Adonai sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the Temple.
Isaiah’s response to seeing the Holy God was recognition of his own unholiness. Isaiah 6:5 Then I said: “Oy to me! For I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I am dwelling among a people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot!” David is highly favored by God. The prophet, Samuel, made this pronouncement of judgment to King Saul… 1Samuel 13:14a But now your kingship will not last. Adonai has sought for Himself a man after His own heart. So Adonai will appoint him as ruler over His people.
Yet, even David, with a pure heart, was capable of grievous errors. (Which the prophet Nathan exposed.) 2Samuel 12:7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says Adonai, God of Israel: It is I who anointed you king over Israel, and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul…. 9 Why then have you despised the word of Adonai by doing such evil in My eyes?
Three hundred years later, the prophet Isaiah wrote this message from God…. Isaiah 30:15 For thus says Adonai Elohim, the Holy One of Israel: “By repentance and rest you are saved, in quietness and trust is your strength—but you were not willing.” Seven hundred years later, Yeshua came to raise up a people who would be willing to repent. Are you willing? If you think you have nothing over which to repent, immediately repent for lying.
Luke 24:45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “So it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance for the removal of sins is to be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
King David taught the world much about repentance, Yeshua perfected it. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
23 Nissan Wednesday 1-May-24 4th day of the Omer
Leviticus 16:1-17 Isaiah 45 Proverbs 25 Matthew 12:22-50 1 John 1