Rabbi’s Reflections – Friday, May 12, 2023
(Early) Shabbat Shalom,
Day 34 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 four weeks and six 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 part 22 – Romans, part 83
Romans 7:21 So I find the principle—that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I delight in the Torah of God with respect to the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in my body parts, battling against the law of my mind and bringing me into bondage under the law of sin which is in my body parts.
Paul says he is “battling against the law” both mentally and physically. There is tension between good and evil, between God and the adversary named Satan (whose name means adversary). Each of our lives represents a battle in the greater war. But, who will win the war? Don’t give in to sin. Jacob 1:15 Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is full grown, it brings forth death. What follows is a warning against deception. Jacob 1:16 Do not be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.
Plainly stated, the victory was assured at Calvary by the death of the Son of God. Question: Is that right, the greatest victory of all eternity was determined by death? Locked in a fight to the death with the adversary (the originator of rebellion against God), Yeshua died on the cross, and by dying, secured our victory for all eternity.
Colossians 2:15 After disarming the principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in the cross.
Likewise; we too must die to win. Only through humble submission could Yeshua gain the victory, and the same is true for us as well. Only by the power of God (and not our own power) will we win by dying. We die to self (our fleshly desires) and humility grows within us, giving space for the Spirit of God.
Revelation 2:7b “To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of God.”
And we overcome by faith and through the power of His blood. 1John 5:4 For everyone born of God overcomes the world. And the victory that has overcome the world is this—our faith.
I’ve got more to write on this, but I’m going to save it for Monday. Have a blessed weekend and happy Mother’s Day. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Day 34 of the Omer
Fri 12 May-2023 21st of Iyar, 5783
Le 27:1-15 Jer 5 Job 25-26 Ro 6 (Mt 24:29-51)