Rabbi’s Reflections – Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Shalom,
Day 24 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 three 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.
___
Victory Over Sin part 15 – Romans, part 76
Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the Torah sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the Torah. For I would not have known about coveting if the Torah had not said, “You shall not covet.”
As we get into the subject verse for today, let’s appreciate the context by reviewing the last part of the previous verse. Romans 7:6c …so that we serve in the new way of the Ruach and not in the old way of the letter. Something is changed, but what is it? The Torah certainly has not changed. It was, is and always will be the righteous standard of God.
Yes, it is our approach to the Torah that has changed and not the Torah itself. Romans 7:6b even calls our approach “the new way” and “the old way.” Still this is a challenge to understand. We know we have been released from the Law, (“Romans 7:6a But now we have been released from the law) and have died to it, (Romans 7:6b having died to what confined us), yet we still serve God.
What has died is our striving (effort in the flesh to please God). The Torah is God’s (unchanging) righteous standard. It shows us that we have a “sin problem.” But it can’t fix the problem. The cure for our sin problem is faith in Yeshua. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not from yourselves—it is the gift of God.
Therefore; we realize that we can’t work our way into God’s good graces. In Messiah Yeshua, we start out in His favor, in relationship to Him, because He loves His Son. When we love what He loves, He commands our blessings to flow.
So, how does Paul answer the question, “Is the Torah sin?” May it never be! It is only by knowing the Torah that we know what sin is. The Law of God is truth. Yeshua prayed to God… John 17:17 “Make them holy in the truth. Your word is truth. Only through Yeshua do we add grace to God’s truth (the revelation of God’s wisdom). John 1:17 Torah was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Yeshua the Messiah.
When we receive Yeshua as our Lord and Savior, we receive the blessing of God’s answer to every issue of life, now and for all eternity. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Day 24 of the Omer
Tue 2 May 2023 11th of Iyar, 5783
Le 22:17-33 Isa 60 Job 16 1 Jn 5 (Mt 16)