Rabbi’s Reflections – Saturday, June 4, 2022
Shabbat Shalom,
Growing in Love for God 19
by David Harwood
The New Covenant speaks to me of a growing relationship. Adonai said He would put His laws on our hearts and write them on our minds. (Hebrews 10:16) This activity is initially transformational and then relational. We are born from above and then we grow. We get to grow in the knowledge of God. An aspect of this knowledge is intellectual, but primarily it is getting to understand the Person we’ve come to know.
God put His best foot forward. Look at the majesty and beauty of creation. Consider His liberating Israel from Egypt. Think about what He did for us in the Messiah’s redeeming sacrifice and (dare I use the word glorious? In this context it’s a cliché word for a reason) glorious resurrection. Meditate upon His promises pertaining to the age to come.
He wants to be known. He wants to be loved. Review the Great Commandment:
Love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5 TLV)
If that does not speak to His great desire, I don’t know what would. I hope you agree that it reveals that we are the type of creation whose love for our Creator is desired by our Creator. Hence the command.
If we want to love God more, we can ask Him to help us.
Perhaps the most famous biblical encouragement to ask was said by the Messiah. Let’s apply it to the desire for insightful fellowship with God. Yeshua said:
Ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7 TLV)
Let’s ask God for more insight into who He is and what He’s like. To grow in our love for God, we can ask Him to remind us of what He’s done and show us the motivations behind His acts. God will give us wisdom. Wisdom from God helps us love God. Ask for wisdom.
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all without hesitation and without reproach; and it will be given to him. (Jacob/James 1:5 TLV)
The Ruach of wisdom and the knowledge of God comes from the God who demonstrated His desire to be known. God knows Himself, and He knows our limitations and proclivities. He is able to disciple us in how we might best relate to Him in a way that will bring us into fellowship with Himself: Loving God, with God.
Wisdom is connected with reverencing God. It is connected to the knowledge of the One who is truly holy. Sanctified wisdom’s origin is the fear of Adonai. We are instructed to search for wisdom, and prophetic wisdom guides us into the desire to seek God.
The fear of Adonai is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10 TLV)
The beginning of wisdom is the deep reverence of God, knowing that God is not mocked, and what people sow determines the harvest they reap. Wisdom is seen when we believe God is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. If we seek Him we will find Him. If we ask for wisdom so we may know how wonderful He is we may legitimately expect illumination to come our way.
Those who have some degree of wisdom know that the God of the Bible is worth loving. The foolish reject the God of whom the Scripture testifies.
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. (Psalm 14:1 TLV)
Wisdom not only says that there is a God, the wise pursue God. They reap the knowledge of God. The foolish deny that God exists.
Let’s be wise.
Our Creator determined that seedtime and harvest would continue as long as the earth exists. The wise cooperate with what He established.
While all the days of the land remain, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will not cease.” (Genesis 8:22 TLV)
Responsibly responding to seedtime will generally result in a reliable harvest. This is woven into the fabric of our natural and spiritual experience.
We really can apply natural principles to our pursuit of God. We can employ these principles in developing our love for God.
Let’s consider this in our next meditation.
Counting the Omer – Day 42
Here is the proper blessing to be said each day.
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 no days of the counting of the Omer.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sat 04-Jun-2022 5th of Sivan, 5782 Parashat Bamidbar Erev Shavuot 42nd day of the Omer
Nu 4:1-20 Hos 2:1-22 1 Co 12:12-27