Rabbi’s Reflections – Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Shalom,
Day 38 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 five weeks and three 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 24 – Romans, part 85
Romans 7:24 Miserable man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—it is through Messiah Yeshua our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself serve the Torah of God; but with my flesh, I serve the law of sin.
Today we are closing out our discussion of Romans, chapter 7. Tomorrow we’ll launch into Romans, chapter 8, the third and final chapter of a trilogy of chapters on victory over sin. Paul starts with a question. It is a question with assumptions. The first, assumption is that he (and by extension, we) need rescuing from sin. Paul calls that sinful condition a “body of death.”
The second assumption is that sin is making him (and by extension, we) miserable. Until we are rescued, we will be stuck in that miserable state.
Rabbi Trail: People are lost, lost in their sin. And yet, my observation is that those same lost people seem to expect to receive the blessing of joy and happiness (not death, pain, and suffering) while continuing in their sin. That strikes me as a fairly accurate description of delusion, confusion or just plan mistaken belief that everything will be fine, even if nothing changes. I’m thinking of a sermon titled “faith or fantasy” because too many people have determined to live by their own reality instead of following Yeshua as their Lord and Savior. End RT.
Hey world, it’s not working! Why not try Yeshua? Paul comes to that conclusion in the very next verse, the last verse of Romans, chapter 7. Paul gives thanks to God for his deliverance, and nails it with the phrase, “Through Messiah Yeshua.” Yes, Yeshua is the solution to every issue of life.
Joshua presented this same “great divide” to the children of Israel. Although they had been through the wilderness for 40 years with God’s complete provision, they could not seem to make up their minds. The same choice confronts us today as well.
Joshua 24:15a If it seems bad to you to worship Adonai, then choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. Then Joshua gave the people his own life as an example to follow. Joshua 24:15c But as for me and my household, we will worship Adonai!”
It’s time! Time for the people of God to grow beyond the duplicity of “playing” in their sin. Today is the day to listen to Paul’s admonition… 1 Corinthians 10:14 Therefore, my dearly loved ones, flee from idolatry. If anyone or anything other than God on the throne, this is idolatry.
Is this beyond your personal strength to leave the temptations of this world behind? You bet it is! But be strengthened in the spirit. Even Yeshua had to endure this trial. Yeshua prayed and gave up His will as even He submitted to the will of the Father. Luke 22:42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” 43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.
Many times in Scripture one with that strength is called an overcomer. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has taken hold of you except what is common to mankind. But God is faithful—He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can handle. But with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, so you will be able to endure it.
Did you catch that? “You will be able to endure it!” Go forth in victory. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Day 38 of the Omer
Tue 16 May-2023 25th of Iyar, 5783 38 of the Omer
Nu 2:1-34 Jer 8 Job 29 Ro 9 (Mt 26:36-75)