Rabbi’s Reflections – Friday, August 14, 2020
(Early) Shabbat Shalom,
Already? Are you kidding me? It’s almost Shabbat? Again? So many questions and so little time. Yes, it is almost Shabbat, and this is a special one. Don Finto will be ministering at Shomair. If you don’t know Don, here is a link to his website… https://calebcompany.org/don-finto/
First there was the exodus from Egypt. Three days later deliverance through the Red Sea. Then, 7 weeks later (a week of weeks) there was the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Then, after 1,500 years, there was the crucifixion of Yeshua, followed by His resurrection on the 3rd day. Then, 7 weeks later (a week of weeks) there was the giving of the Holy Spirit. All of these things happened in the spring of the year.
Flip the calendar to the fall of the year, but before we do, we memorialize calamity on Tisha B’Av (the 9th day of the Hebrew month, Av), when both Temples were destroyed, and many other events of a seriously adverse nature occurred on the same date throughout Jewish history. From Tisha B’Av (this year, July 30) we count 7 weeks (a week of weeks) to the start of the spiritual year, the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah), literally “the day of the shout.” This year, Friday night, September 18th.
There are 7 Shabbats from Tisha B’Av to Yom Teruah. Each of them has a Haftarah reading from Isaiah intended to comfort those who mourn in Zion. And what do each of these readings have in common? They each prophesy a coming kingdom that includes the restoration of Israel.
Before I provide you with one verse from each of these readings, I want to comment further. God takes us (His people) from calamity to deliverance. From destruction to revival. The shofar (ram’s horn) has 4 types of sounds. I will discuss them in detail in a future RR. For now, I want to say one purpose to sound the shofar is to announce Yeshua’s coronation. But another important purpose is to wake the dead.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself shall come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the blast of God’s shofar, and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left behind, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air—and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Week 1 Isaiah 40:1 “Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God. 2 Speak kindly to the heart of Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed.
Week 2 Isaiah 49:14 But Zion said: “Adonai has forsaken me, Adonai has forgotten me.” 15 “Can a woman forget her nursing baby or lack compassion for a child of her womb? Even if these forget, I will not forget you. 16 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands. Your walls are continually before Me.
Week 3 Isaiah 54:13 All your children will be taught by Adonai. Your children will have great shalom. 14 “In righteousness you will be established. You will be far from oppression —for you will not fear— and from terror— for it will not come near you.
Week 4 Isaiah 51:12 “I, I am the One who comforts you.”… 16b and say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’” 17a Awake, awake! Stand up, Jerusalem!
Week 5 Isaiah 54:1a “Sing, barren one, who has not given birth. burst into singing and shout, you who have not travailed…. 3 For you will spread out to the right hand and to the left. Your offspring will possess the nations and will resettle the desolate cities. 10 Though the mountains depart and the hills be shaken, My love will not depart from you, nor will My covenant of peace be shaken, says Adonai who has compassion on you.
Week 6 Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come! The glory of Adonai has risen on you. … 3 Nations will come to your light, kings to the brilliance of your rising.
Week 7 Isaiah 61:10 I will rejoice greatly in Adonai. My soul will be joyful in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me in a robe of righteousness— like a bridegroom wearing a priestly turban, like a bride adorning herself with her jewels.
Week 33
Memory Verse: Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters—and yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.
161 8/10 Monday: Luke 9:10-62
162 8/11 Tuesday: Mark 9-10
163 8/12 Wednesday: Luke 12
164 8/13 Thursday: John 3-4
* 165 8/14 Friday: Luke 14
Question of the day: Yeshua asks the question today… Luke 14:3 So Yeshua said to the Torah lawyers and the Pharisees, “Is it permitted to heal on Shabbat, or not?”
Answer: You’re saying to yourself, “Not this again. Of course it is permitted to heal on Shabbat.” Well, yes it is, but why? Again, let’s go to the words of Yeshua for our answer. Mark 2:27 Then He said to them, “Shabbat” was made for man, and not man for Shabbat. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of Shabbat.”
Sounds nice, but help me here. God has place His word above His own name. (I have to go to the ASV to get the translation I want…) Psalm 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, And give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. This means God, Himself, is subject to His own promises. God cannot lie, God cannot violate His own Word.
My point here is that we must allow God, through the Holy Spirit to inform our obedience to His Word. The Holy Spirit gets to tell us how to obey God. And God clearly said (and He upset the rulers of His day by saying) that it is permissible to heal on the Shabbat.
In line with that thought, I am announcing a special healing service on Saturday morning, August 22nd. Come expecting God to move with power. Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, Adonai, and I will be healed. Save me, and I will be saved. For You are my praise.
1 Peter 2:24 He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed. (AMP)
At the end of that service, we will again go to the Holston river to baptize anyone who’s heart is right and ready.