Rabbi’s Reflections – Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Shalom,
Counting the Omer – Day 39
Here is the proper blessing to be said each day. This is how Jewish people fulfill the command to count.
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 four days of the counting of the Omer.
Tomorrow is the 40th day of counting our blessings. It is the day (on the Jewish calendar) that Yeshua was taken up… Acts 1:3 To them He showed Himself to be alive after His suffering through many convincing proofs, appearing to them for forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
Then He ascended. Acts 1:9 After saying all this—while they were watching—He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
… and that is exactly how He will return. Acts 1:10 While they were staring into heaven as He went up, suddenly two men stood with them in white clothing. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you keep standing here staring into heaven? This Yeshua, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.”
We honor this season (of counting the Omer) by counting our blessings. This year we are counting the blessings of being created with longings; longings that are only fulfilled and satisfied in our relationship with Messiah Yeshua. Now we are thanking God for the longing to be great and successful.
Every road has a destination. Whether we know it or not, our relationship with Yeshua has a destination too. In Messiah Yeshua, we are all on the “Road to Jerusalem.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arhlDBRPk1w The physical and spiritual reality of that destination is the marriage supper of the Lamb. Revelation 19:9 Then the angel tells me, “Write: How fortunate are those who have been invited to the wedding banquet of the Lamb!” He also tells me, “These are the true words of God.”
What? You were hoping for something better? What would it be? Something great? There is nothing greater. Someway to be more successful? There is nothing higher. To be seated at His table together with Him is (as we say in Hebrew) “Achi Tov” meaning “the best.”
The tools of our growth to maturity is the 5 fold ministry offices. Ephesians 4:11 He Himself gave some to be emissaries, some as prophets, some as proclaimers of the Good News, and some as shepherds and teachers— 12 to equip the kedoshim for the work of service, for building up the body of Messiah.
We are built up until we reach His level of maturity. Yeshua’s bride must be worthy of relationship with Him. Ephesians 4:13 This will continue until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of Ben-Elohim—to mature adulthood, to the measure of the stature of Messiah’s fullness.
Yes, it’s time to “grow up”… Ephesians 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be like children, tossed around by the waves and blown all over by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of men with cunning in deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all ways into Messiah, who is the Head.
Rabbi Trail: Anyone can “speak the truth” and run roughshod over anyone unfortunate enough to be listening. The grace of God is to “speak the truth in love” (which I am still learning). By the grace of God we will all grow in this area. End RT.
Pray this for yourself as we pray together: Thank you, Lord, for placing Your anointing on me. The call to join You at Your marriage supper is the greatest honor of my life. Please continue to anoint me to bring forth the fruit worthy of such high honor in every opportunity. In Yeshua’s name, amen.
Week 21
Memory Verse: Psalm 17:15 I in righteousness will behold Your face! When I awake, I will be satisfied with Your likeness.
101 5/18 Monday: 1 Kings 16:29-34; 17
102 5/19 Tuesday: 1 Kings 18-19
* 103 5/20 Wednesday: 1 Kings 21-22
104 5/21 Thursday: 2 Kings 2
105 5/22 Friday: 2 Kings 5; 6:1-23
Question of the day: What did Micaiah prophesy?
Answer: Ahab was convinced he wouldn’t prophesy anything good concerning him. So, even when Micaiah said this… 1 Kings 22:“March and triumph… and Adonai will give it into the hand of the king.” Ahab wisely refused to believe that was the whole story. 1 Kings 22:16 But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to speak to me nothing but the truth in the Name of Adonai?”
And sure enough, the very next verse… 1 Kings 22:17 Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills, as sheep without a shepherd. Then Adonai said, ‘These have no master; let each of them return home in peace.’” Micaiah is prophesying the death of Ahab, the king of Israel, and Ahab knows it. 1 Kings 22:18 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he wouldn’t prophesy good concerning me, only evil?”
And what was the result? 1 Kings 22:37 So the king (Ahab, king of Israel) died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
The lesson for us is simple… listen with unbiased intent to the answer God provides when we inquire of Him. There are those who will not… 2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not put up with sound instruction, but they will pile up for themselves teachers in keeping with their own desires, to have their ears tickled. 4 And they will turn away from hearing the truth and wander off to myths.
But we must “Shema” (listen) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ5JL8l3_pc 2 Timothy 4:5 You, however, keep a clear mind in all things, withstand hardship, do the work of proclaiming the Good News, and fulfill your service.
And like Paul, receive your crown… 2 Timothy 4:8 In the future there is reserved for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not to me only, but also to everyone who has longed for His appearing.