Rabbi’s Reflections – Monday, October 19, 2020
Shalom,
I want to quote a verse from the Torah, and then I want to ask a question about it.
Deuteronomy 7:6 For you are a holy people to Adonai your God—from all the peoples on the face of the earth, Adonai your God has chosen you to be His treasured people.
And here’s the question… “What would it take to get this right?” This was spoken to Israel in the Torah, but Israel never got it right. Now, we who follow Yeshua, are grafted in (or regrafted in), but I have to ask the same question again, “What would it take to get this right?”
We are called to be “a holy people.” The call is to be “Am Kadosh.” This means set apart from all the other peoples of the earth. I’m afraid, there are more points of similarity than there are points of difference between the people of God and all the other people.
I like this phrase from the middle of Jacob 4:4b Don’t you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Need that explained to you? 1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the boasting of life—is not from the Father but from the world.
If we get this right, Deuteronomy 7:6 promises that we will be God’s “Am Seugula,” His “treasured people.” WARNING! Don’t treat this lightly or throw it away. God is making us an offer that we must not refuse. The instruction is… Deuteronomy 7:2b You are to make no covenant with them….
We make covenant through nonaggression; we make peace treaties with the ungodly. There are plenty of Scriptures that tell us to stand fast which is the opposite of bending to make covenant. 1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on the alert! Stand firm in the faith! Be men of courage! Be strong!
And that verse is out of the reading for today, so let’s go there next.
Week 43
Memory Verse: Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the Good News, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who trusts—to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 In it the righteousness of God is revealed, from trust to trust. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by emunah.”
* 211 10/22 Monday: 1 Corinthians 15-16
212 10/23 Tuesday: 2 Corinthians 1-2
213 10/24 Wednesday: 2 Corinthians 3-4
214 10/25 Thursday: 2 Corinthians 5-6
215 10/26 Friday: 2 Corinthians 7-8
Question of the day: What is Paul saying about resurrection?
Answer: He says much about resurrection, and it’s not for nothing. We should remind ourselves every day of what we hope for. 1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also has come through a Man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah will all be made alive.
The resurrection is an important and prominent part (okay, it’s the pinnacle) of the Gospel. Paul is telling us that we have natural bodies, and the same God Who gave us natural bodies, will also give us spiritual bodies in the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption! 43 Sown in dishonor, raised in glory! Sown in weakness, raised in power! 44 Sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body! If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
This is really great. I don’t want to reprint the whole Bible here, so please read 1 Corinthians 15 and be built up in the faith and encouraged.