Rabbi’s Reflections – Monday, September 26, 2022
Shalom,

Today (Monday, which starts Sunday night on the Hebrew calendar) is Yom Teruah (first day of the 7th Hebrew month, Tishre), meaning “the day of the shout.”  It is a day of sounding Shofars usually called Rosh Hashanah by modern Jews.  What are the top 10 things to think about as we sound the Shofar?  I’ll talk about that in the Message Sunday night (the holiday celebration starts at 7pm and continues Monday at 10:30).  Hope to see you there.

The Upper Room Discourse (part 40 of ???)

John 15:21 “But all these things they will do to you for the sake of My name, because they do not know the One who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin.

This breaks my heart, and it is not the first time Yeshua has addressed the issue of unbelief in Israel.  In fact, He addressed it many times.

Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate!

But wait, bless the Lord, this is NOT the end of the story.  Yeshua promises to return to His people, most of whom rejected Him 2,000 years ago. Matthew 23:39 “For I tell you, you will never see Me again until you say, ‘Baruch ha-ba b’shem Adonai. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”  That is a literal translation of an idiomatic phrase.  “Baruch Ha-Ba” means “welcome.”  When His people welcome Him, He will appear.

Most Jewish people did not welcome Yeshua’s first coming.  But we will all welcome His second coming.  Isaiah saw this and prophesied over it…

Isaiah 45:22 “Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For I am God—there is no other. 23 By Myself I have sworn— the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness, and is irrevocable: that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear…. 25 In Adonai all the seed of Israel will be justified and give praise.”

Yeshua came to us 2,000 years ago as a Suffering Servant, so that we would be without excuse.  He will fulfill His promise to return as the Lion of the tribe of Judah and put all darkness under His feet.

Psalm 110:1 A psalm of David. Adonai declares to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

The really good news is that when He is crowned King, we also will share in His coronation.  1 Peter 5:4 When the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Mon 26-Sep-2022 1st of Tishrei, 5783 Rosh Hashana
Ge 21 Nu 29:1-6 1 Sa 1:1-2:10 1 Th 4:13-18

Week 40
Memory Verse: Acts 17:11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, because they received the message with goodwill, searching the Scriptures each day to see whether these things were true.

196   9/28      Monday:       Acts 15-16
197   9/29      Tuesday:      Galatians 1-3
198   9/30      Wednesday: Galatians 4-6
199   10/1      Thursday:     Acts 17-18:17
200   10/2      Friday:          1 Thessalonians 1-2