Rabbi’s Reflections – Wednesday, June 9, 2021
Shalom,
The next couple of days may be a little spotty regarding my responsibility in writing the RR Daily Devotional. I know you’ll be understanding. Tuesday (as I’m writing this) is our packing day, Wednesday is our closing day and Thursday is our moving day. The rest of the month will be our unpacking day. It’s a big job when you’re old.
I’m so impressed that Lars chose the name “Daily Bread” for his daily reading schedule and diary. Connect the dots here… John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth. Okay, the “Word” became “Flesh.” Then at the last supper Passover meal, Yeshua held up matzah and said… Luke 22:19 And when He had taken matzah and offered the bracha, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you. Do this in memory of Me.” Now the final piece is Yeshua’s first response to Satan as He is tempted… Matthew 4:4 But He replied, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” But where is that written? Moses is retelling the story of the Exodus and desert wanderings of the Israelites. Deuteronomy 8:3 He afflicted you and let you hunger, then He fed you manna —which neither you nor your fathers had known—in order to make you understand that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of Adonai.
This is our “Daily Bread.” Acts 17:28a for ‘In Him we live and move and have our being.’
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Wed 9 June-2021 29th of Sivan, 5781
Nu 17:9-15 Jer 38 Esr 1 (Lk 2:22-52) 2 Co 3
It seems like the rabbis have added two verses to the Torah (Numbers chapter 17, verses 14 & 15) that don’t appear anywhere in other translations. Someone smarter than I (and I know you’re out there) will have to explain it to me. When they (whoever “they” are) do, I will pass it on to you all.
This Aliyah is not a good testimony (once again). In the last verse of yesterday’s Aliyah, we learn that Aaron’s rod budded almonds. That’s a major miracle. It’s not like Moses soaked Aaron’s rod in water and left it in the sunshine and then it budded. Over night and without any water it budded (while the others next to it did not).
God’s purpose in this was to silence the grumbling. Numbers 17:10 Adonai said to Moses, “Put Aaron’s staff back in front of the Testimony to keep as a sign to the sons of rebellion, so that it may put an end to their grumblings against Me, and so they will not die.” But Aaron’s rod did not silence anything… Numbers 17:12 But Bnei-Yisrael said to Moses saying, “Look! We will die! We are all lost! We are lost! 13 Anyone approaching the Tabernacle of Adonai will die! Must all of us die?”
Actually, (to answer their question) yes, we must all die. That wasn’t what they meant by asking the question. The question highlighted the fear in which they were living. But we are called to be people of faith. Faith in what? Faith that God is the One Who keeps His word. We believe the promises of God.
2 Peter 1:4 Through these things He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, since you have escaped the corruption that evil desires have brought into the world.
Trust in God. To quote Mark Levin, “Get it? It’s that simple.”
Week 24
Memory Verse: Jeremiah 1:15 Behold! I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north.” It is a declaration of Adonai. “So they will come and each will set up his throne at the entry of the gates of Jerusalem, against all her surrounding walls and against all the cities of Judah.
116 6/10 Monday: 2 Kings 17-18
117 6/11 Tuesday: 2 Kings 19-21
* 118 6/12 Wednesday: 2 Kings 22-23
119 6/13 Thursday: Jeremiah 1-3:5
120 6/14 Friday: Jeremiah 25; 29
Question of the day: What is notable about the Judean King Josiah?
Answer: He was one of the few about whom this could be said… 2 Kings 23:2 Now he did what was right in the eyes of Adonai and walked in all the ways of his father David, and turned not aside to the right or to the left. What was right? He abolished all forms of idol worship (and there were many). He was only 8 years old when he began to reign. How did an 8 year old ever figure out what so many who were older (and as a consequence supposedly wiser) could not? At his young age, Josiah decided that there is one God and we, His people, must obey Him (and only Him). Then he used his influence as king to put an end to all forms of idol worship.
Our responsibility, make those same decisions. Except it is much easier for us. We have Yeshua’s example to follow and the entire canonization of Scripture. We truly are blessed and without excuse. Shalom.