Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, May 20, 2021
Shalom,
Counting the Omer – Day 47
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 six weeks and five days of the counting of the Omer.
One of the names we use for God is “The Great I AM.” Moses’ discussion with God before the burning bush is recorded in Exodus 3:13 But Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to Bnei-Yisrael and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His Name?’ What should I say to them?” 14 God answered Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. ” Then He said, “You are to say to Bnei-Yisrael, ‘I AM’ has sent me to you.”
In the Hebrew here, God identifies Himself as “Eh-yeh” (Aleph-Heh-Yud-Heh). This is not “I AM,” which would be present tense. This is a first person future form of the verb “to be.” God is saying, “I will be,” and He says it twice, “I will be Who I will be.” Then, God says the same thing a third time. God is telling Moses (and us) that He will never be done revealing Himself. We will never know enough. We will never understand God completely. (It’s a heart thang.) When we think we do, there’s still more.
God gives power to His people, but He never has less power Himself. That’s because the power He gives is in the form of authority. To have authority from God, one must be under God. It’s like God gives us His credit card to use, but His name is always on the “credit card.” If we abuse it, He revokes our privilege.
God’s arm is never short. Nothing is hard or easy for Him. Way too often, we don’t use the authority He has given us. Luke 9:1 Now when Yeshua called the twelve together, He gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. You might say, “That was them, and this is us.” But I would say that we have the great commission based on Yeshua’s authority.
Matthew 28:18 And Yeshua came up to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Ruach ha-Kodesh, 20 teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. And remember! I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The age isn’t over. Let’s “go” as instructed under His authority.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu 20 May-2021 9th of Sivan, 5781
Nu 5:1-10 Jer 19 Job 39 (Mk 6:30-56) 1 Co 3
1 Corinthians 3:7b but only God who makes things grow. Our “job” is to point people to Yeshua and get out of the way. The applause is not for us, it’s for Him. The praise is nice to hear, but be careful, it can lead to pride. Give God the glory. John 15:7 “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. 8 In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples.”
Week 21
Memory Verse: Psalm 63:1 A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. 2 O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You. My soul thirsts for You. My flesh longs for You in a dry and weary land, where there is no water.
101 5/20 Monday: 1 Kings 16:29-34; 17
102 5/21 Tuesday: 1 Kings 18-19
103 5/22 Wednesday: 1 Kings 21-22
* 104 5/23 Thursday: 2 Kings 2
105 5/24 Friday: 2 Kings 5; 6:1-23
I ran short of time today, so I’m reprinting this one from two years ago. You got a problem with that?
Question of the day: Why did I choose this verse? 2 Kings 2:9b “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
Answer: Well that was easy. Elisha (the younger) is answering Elijah (the elder), who asked (I’m paraphrasing), “What blessing would you like to have when I’m gone?” Elisha asked for a double portion, and Elijah said (paraphrasing again), “Wow, that’s hard. I don’t know if God will do that.”
By many accounts Elisha followed Elijah (as a disciple) for about 12 years. Elisha was taunted 3 times early in the chapter, but each time he remained humble.
The reason I brought this up is that we want the power of God in our lives, but we tend to undervalue the importance of a humble (broken) spirit. God is never done teaching us humility. The biggest part of growing to maturity is growing in humility.
One thing I admire in great men of God is their humility. I’m not going to start naming names, but if you know me and you know whom I value. The chief characteristic in them all is their humility. None of them ever acts as if they deserve some royal treatment, even though they are royalty.
Thank you for reading today. Tomorrow is another day.