Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, November 19, 2020
Shalom,
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu 19-Nov-2020 3rd of Kislev, 5781
Ge 26:30-27:27 Jdg 21 Ps 44 Mk 3 (Ro 14)
Finally, I’m feeling more like myself, so I’m going to try to write something original today. What inspires me is the last part of today’s Torah reading. It’s a strange story of trickery, deceit and subterfuge. It all seems to receive God’s blessing and appears necessary to accomplish His purpose.
Personally, I have to believe that Isaac is nobody’s fool. Isaac asks questions during his encounter with Jacob who is pretending to be his older twin brother, Esau. Genesis 27:18b “Who are you, my son?… 20b “How in the world were you able to find it (game) so quickly, my son?” Then he makes a statement. Genesis 27:22b Then he said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice but the hands are Esau’s hands.” Then Isaac asks again… Genesis 27:24b Are you really my son Esau? Finally, Isaac uses his sense of smell to confirm that he is blessing Esau (but he is really blessing Jacob). Genesis 27:27 So he came closer and kissed him. When he smelled the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, “Behold, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that Adonai has blessed.
Tomorrow I will write in detail about the blessing itself, which is in tomorrow’s reading. Today I want to write about that first question, “Who are you, my son?” When God lays His hand on you and asks you the question, there will be no pretending.
Isaac was blind in his old age. But, while God is called the Ancient of Days, God is not diminished by old age. His eternal nature means He doesn’t get old. His omniscience means He never asks a question for which He doesn’t already know the answer. So, before we answer God, and tell Him who we are, we better assure ourselves we are telling the truth.
God is asking the question, but a clue to the answer is in the question. “Who are you, my son?” And we respond, “Yes, Lord, I am Your child (son or daughter). You are my Father. I have believed in Your Son, Yeshua….” Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren. AMP
And so, Lord, we are ready to take accept Your offer. Hosea 2:21(19)Then I will betroth you to Me forever—yes, I will betroth you to Me with righteousness, justice, covenant loyalty and compassion. 22 I will betroth you to Me with faithfulness, and you will know Adonai.
That’s who I am. I am eternally betrothed to You, Lord, in covenant loyalty. 1 John 3:1 See how glorious a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God’s children—and so we are!
I believe that it is going to get very difficult to be known as a child of God. We better make up our minds now that we will stand in faithfulness with God, no matter the cost.
Job 13:15 Even if He slays me, I will wait for Him; I will surely defend my ways before Him.
Week 47
Memory Verse: Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not from yourselves—it is the gift of God. 9 It is not based on deeds, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship—created in Messiah Yeshua for good deeds, which God prepared beforehand so we might walk in them.
231 11/16 Monday: Colossians 1-2
232 11/17 Tuesday: Colossians 3-4
233 11/18 Wednesday: Ephesians 1-2
* 234 11/19 Thursday: Ephesians 3-4
235 11/20 Friday: Ephesians 5-6
Question of the day: What is Paul talking about when he says in Ephesians 3:4 When you read this, you can understand my insight into the mystery of Messiah?
Answer: Paul gives us some detail himself as he begins to reveal the mystery. Ephesians 3:5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, as it has now been revealed by the Ruach to His holy emissaries and prophets.
And then he makes the great reveal… Ephesians 3:6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are joint heirs and fellow members of the same body and co-sharers of the promise in Messiah Yeshua through the Good News. And there it is ladies and gentlemen “Gentiles are joint heirs.” What, you need more?… “and fellow members of the same body.” Oh, you need even more? “And co-sharers of the promise in Messiah Yeshua!!!”
There, that should be enough for anybody. As Eitan Shishkoff makes clear in his book “What About Us?” there is a full provision for non-Jewish people in the kingdom of God. There is nothing better than “joint heirs and fellow members.” We all have a calling to bless one another as we march into eternity together… but that was our reading yesterday. Ephesians 2:14 For He is our shalom, the One who made the two into one and broke down the middle wall of separation. Within His flesh He made powerless the hostility.