Rabbi’s Reflections – Friday, July 24, 2020
(Early) Shabbat Shalom,
The Jewish prophets, foretold of a return to the land. Let’s look at a few such prophesies.
Rabbi Trail: Saying “Jewish” prophets is like saying “Jewish” rabbis. Is there any other kind? Every Biblical prophet was Jewish. Oh sure, there were a few exceptions, so let me clarify. Every prophet with an Old Testament book named after him was Jewish. But I digress… End RT.
Ezekiel 36:24 “‘For I will take you from the nations, gather you out of all the countries and bring you back to your own land.”
(Jacob’s dream) Genesis 28:15 Behold, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land, for I will not forsake you until I have done what I promised you.”
Jeremiah 29:14 Then I will be found by you,” says Adonai, “and I will return you from exile, and gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,” says Adonai, “and I will bring you back to the place from which I removed you as captives into exile.”
Jeremiah 32:41 “Yes, I will delight in doing good for them, and with all My heart and all My soul I will in truth plant them in this land.”
Ezekiel 11:17 Therefore say, thus says Adonai Elohim, “I will gather you from the peoples and collect you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
Zechariah 10:6a I will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, for I have compassion on them.
Isaiah 43:5 Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bring your offspring from the east and gather you from the west. 6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring My sons from far and My daughters from the ends of the earth.
Deuteronomy 30:3 then Adonai your God will bring you back from captivity and have compassion on you, and He will return and gather you from all the peoples where Adonai your God has scattered you.
And the last 2 verses of Amos… Amos 9:14 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.
Of course there are many more. The Bible is full of such prophesies. What brought this to mind is how we are at the end of reading the Hebrew Scriptures (in our F-260 reading plan). The Hebrew Scriptures end with the historical narrative of the first return, the return of the exiles from Babylon. Yet these prophesies seem to speak of another time. I believe we are living in those days, prophesied so long ago, of ingathering.
There is a planting and establishing taking place in our day. But wait, there’s more… there is a cleansing prophesied; not in the verses above, but in many of the verses that follow them. Here are just two such examples…
Ezekiels 36:25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean from all your uncleanness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover I will give you a new heart. I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the stony heart from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Ruach within you. Then I will cause you to walk in My laws, so you will keep My rulings and do them.
Zechariah 10:12 So I will strengthen them in Adonai and they will walk in His Name. It is a declaration of Adonai.
There is more than just a “return to the land.” There is a promised “aliyah” (calling up) to righteousness that is yet to be fully realized. Please pray into that; for God’s fullness to come upon all Israel. In Yeshua’s name, amen.
Week 30
Memory Verse: Psalm 51:17 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.
146 7/23 Monday: Nehemiah 13
147 7/24 Tuesday: Malachi 1
148 7/25 Wednesday: Malachi 2
149 7/26 Thursday: Malachi 3
* 150 7/27 Friday: Malachi 4
Side note: Isn’t this interesting. Malachi 3 and 4 are mashed up into Malachi 3 in the TLV (Tree of Life Version). Malachi 4 has only 5 verses. So just for yesterday and today I’m following the chapter divisions in the Christian Bible. And, in our F-260 reading plan, today we are finishing the Hebrew Scriptures. On Monday we will begin the New Testament which will take us to the end of the calendar year. This is our third year in this reading plan.
Question of the day: With only 5 verses in the reading for today, there has to be something good. What is it?
Answer: It’s right here in Malachi 4:1 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will prepare and clear the way before Me. And the Lord [the Messiah], whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.
Strange that only the first part of this verse is found in part in the TLV (Malachi 3:23). The Hebrew does say “the Messenger of the covenant.” The spirit of Elijah was on John the Baptist. But this is more. This is the presence of “the Lord, Whom you seek.”
The question is asked by Motel the tailor at the end of “Fiddler On The Roof,” “Rabbi, we’ve been waiting for the Messiah all our lives. Wouldn’t now be a good time for him to come?” Oh Lord, open the eyes of Your people Israel. The waiting is over. The Messiah has come. Today is the day of the Lord. Moses said it at the Red Sea… Exodus 14:13a But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid! Stand still, and see the salvation (Yeshua) of Adonai. Oh Lord, open blind eyes.