Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, May 28, 2020
Shalom,
** Sunday is Shavuot (Pentecost). Shomair is having a special worship service beginning at 10:30am in the sanctuary. We are meeting together with Grace & Glory Fellowship. This is one of the three annual “Chagim Regalim” (literally, “foot holidays”) on which all Israel was commanded to appear before the Lord. I hope you will come and share in the blessing with both congregations. We were originally planning a picnic following the service, but that has been cancelled due to social distancing standards.
** There are a number of online opportunities to connect to Shavuot celebrations around the world. Here are some links now available on our Shomair website. syknox.org Some require advance registration.
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.
The longing for a deep and lasting impact is fully realized eternally when we become part of the Bride of Messiah. Revelation 21:9 Then came one of the seven angels holding the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues, and he spoke with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 Then he carried me away in the Ruach to a great and high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,… 26 And they shall bring into it the glory and honor of the nations. 27 And nothing unholy shall ever enter it, nor anyone doing what is detestable or false, but only those written in the Book of Life.
Concerning “deep and lasting impact,” could there be anything deeper or more eternal than to be by the side of Messiah Yeshua, as His helpmate, supporting His work? Could He do it without you? Sure, but He doesn’t want to. John 15:16a “You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I selected you so that you would go and produce fruit, and your fruit would remain.” “Fruit that remains” means lasting impact of the deepest kind.
The results of our partnership with Yeshua is nothing less than the changing of the whole world. 1 John 5:4 For everyone born of God overcomes the world. And the victory that has overcome the world is this—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world, if not the one who believes that Yeshua is Ben-Elohim? Those who are in Yeshua are the overcomers.
We are children by faith, born from above, born of the Spirit, born again unto eternal life. John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from Me, you can do nothing.”
Yeshua prayed a prayer recorded in John 17, only moments before He was arrested and crucified (He knew prophetically what was about to happen). Hear His words, a “death bed” confession, and make them your own… John 17:1 Yeshua spoke these things; then, lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, so the Son may glorify You.2 Even as You (Father God) gave Him (Yeshua) authority over all flesh, so may He (Yeshua) give eternal life to all those You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Yeshua the Messiah, the One You sent. Is there any possible greater and lasting impact than being one with God?
Week 22
Memory Verse: Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life. Abundance of joys are in Your presence, eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
106 5/25 Monday: Jonah 1-2
107 5/26 Tuesday: Jonah 3-4
108 5/27 Wednesday: Hosea 1-3
* 109 5/28 Thursday: Amos 1:1; 9
110 5/29 Friday: Joel 1-3
Question of the day: What is the greatest of prophesies? Of course there are many great prophesies and it is debatable about which is the greatest.
Answer: Certainly, a case can be made for the prophesy found in Amos 9. The last 5 verses change everything. The Lord has snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Don’t miss the wonder and blessing of it all.
Amos 9:11 “In that day I will raise up David’s fallen sukkah. I will restore its breaches, raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in days of old 12 —so they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations called by My Name.” It is a declaration of Adonai, the One who will do this. 13 “Behold, days are soon coming” —it is a declaration of Adonai — “when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the one treading grapes, the one sowing seed. The mountains will drip sweet wine and all the hills will melt over. 14 Yes, I will restore the captivity of My people Israel. They will rebuild desolated cities and dwell in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine. They will also make gardens and eat their fruit. 15 Yes, I will plant them on their land, and they will never again be plucked up out of their land that I have given to them.” Adonai, your God, has said it.
David’s Sukkah was a place where the Ark of the covenant was kept while Solomon’s Temple was being built. There were no sacrifices made there, but only praise and worship. Verse 13 holds the key. Things will be topsy-turvey, with harvesters catching up to planters, and planters catching up to harvesters. In other words, harvest 24/7. In the end of days it will be all about the harvest. I gladly yield the last word to Paul. (He wrote it to the Galatians, but it applies to us today as well.)…
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived—God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he also shall reap. 8 For the one who sows in the flesh will reap corruption from the flesh. But the one who sows in the Ruach will reap from the Ruach eternal life. 9 So let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we don’t give up.