Rabbi’s Reflections – Saturday, June 25, 2022
Shabbat Shalom,
Growing in Love for God 22
by David Harwood
Yeshua made progress. I really love this verse:
And Yeshua kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:52 TLV)
The Greek (προκόπτω prokoptō) means to go forward, to advance. It may imply making progress towards a goal. The same word is used of Paul’s advancing in the understanding, spirituality, and practice of Judaism (Galatians 1:14 TLV).
Although not strictly accurate in translation, I think of increase as growth, and Luke wanted us to know that our Messiah’s relationship with God was not static. He grew. He made progress.
He grew in wisdom with God. He was getting to know His Father better.
He grew in stature. The Greek means height. I guess what’s being said is that Yeshua got bigger in the eyes of the Father. He was growing up. He was maturing. He was progressing in His relationship with God.
The Lord’s development in wisdom and maturity brought about an increase of favor. Imagine. As Yeshua advanced in wisely understanding God’s ways, and as He responded relationally to His Father in greater maturity, He increased in favor with God. He pleased Father more and more.
Of necessity, this must include the Great Commandment. It is safe to say that the Messiah steadily grew in expressing His love for God and experiencing the God He loved.
Please reconsider the Messiah’s anointing. It included the knowledge of God.
The Ruach of Adonai will rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and insight, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Adonai. His delight will be in the fear of Adonai. (Isaiah 11:2–3a TLV)
He grew in His anointing and, as a result, became mature in His relationship with the Father. He was not only morally perfect, Yeshua was relationally whole.
Though He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered. And once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him— (Hebrews 5:8–9 TLV)
He learned obedience as the Ruach revealed Father’s voice and point of view, within the guidelines of what was written: the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. We know that Yeshua considered the command to love God as His highest priority. He said so. Through the rejection, humiliation and pain, culminating at the cross, Yeshua brought the Greatest Command to the Greatest Fulfillment.
Nothing stopped the Messiah from loving the LORD His God with all His heart, soul, mind and strength. He did it perfectly and was made perfect.
We’re destined to become like Yeshua.
For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. (Romans 8:29 TLV)
We’re God’s children right now.
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall again into fear; rather, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15 TLV)
This identity will be fully realized when we are raised from the dead. We will be God’s children then.
and not only creation, but even ourselves. We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Ruach, groan inwardly as we eagerly wait for adoption—the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23 TLV)
As was mentioned, we are currently God’s children. Because of this, the Ruach of God’s Son dwells in us.
Now because you are sons, God sent the Ruach of His Son into our hearts, who cries out, “Abba! Father!”(Galatians 4:6 TLV)
I know this is elementary, but allow me to remind you, this is the same Spirit who rested upon Yeshua. I find this to be one of the most lovely verses in the Bible. Here it is again:
The Ruach of Adonai will rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and insight, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Adonai. His delight will be in the fear of Adonai. (Isaiah 11:2–3a TLV)
We’re on the path to spiritual, relational wholeness. Spiritual maturity is related to the quality of our love for God. Our growing love for God is based upon our response to the revelation we receive through the Scriptures and His Spirit.
And you can be motivated to express your love for God to the God you love.
Why? Because you were masterfully created a person whose love for God is important to God.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sat 25-Jun-2022 26th of Sivan, 5782 Parashat Sh’lach
Nu 15:27-41 Jos 2:1-24 Heb 3:7-4:13