Rabbi’s Reflections – Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Shalom,
Day 18 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 four days of the counting of the Omer.
Follow up that prayer by remembering a blessing from the Lord and give Him thanks. Psa 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 7:12-14(11-13) – Part 10
Psalm 7:12 God is a righteous judge, a God who is indignant every day. 13 If He does not relent, He will sharpen His sword. He has bent His bow and made it ready. 14 He prepares His own deadly weapons. He makes His fiery arrows.
Today, we focus on verse 14(13). Yesterday we found out that WE are God’s arrows. (God is tightening His bow, so He must have arrows.) As we closed our meditation yesterday, we shared this thought, “May we all fulfill our destiny to be fiery arrows for God’s kingdom,” based on Isaiah 49:2. These (we) are called “deadly weapons,” or in other translations, “deadly implements. We know “Thou shalt not murder” is true, so in what sense are we “deadly?”
The plain truth is that the old man must die. Romans 6:6 knowing our old man was crucified with Him so that the sinful body might be done away with, so we no longer serve sin. Even Jeremiah acknowledged this need.… Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and incurable—who can know it?” If it can’t be cured, it must be killed. The great commission is… Matthew 28:19a “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” We, “followers of The Way” are agents of new life in Him.
The old man can’t be the new man. 1Corinthians 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruptibility , and this mortal must put on immortality. The old man must die. The “born again” experience involves the death of the old man. 2Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Good news, the new man can do things the old man never could. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Messiah who strengthens me.
The Lord is making fiery arrows. Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship—created in Messiah Yeshua for good deeds, which God prepared beforehand so we might walk in them. My prayer today is, “May we each receive His blessing and be used by Him as instruments of new life.” Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
7 Iyar Wednesday 15-May-24 18th day of the Omer
Leviticus 23:1-22 Isaiah 60 Job 6 Matthew 22:1-22 Romans 5