Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, November 26, 2020
Shalom,
Amazingly, I’m still not feeling myself yet. Thank you again for your prayers. And let us continue to lift up every member of our family of faith.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu 26-Nov-2020 10th of Kislev, 5781
Ge 30:28-31:16 1 Sa 8-9 Ps 51 Mk 8 (1 Co 4)
Let me give you some “broad strokes” without much on specifics. In 1 Samuel, chapters 8 and 9, we read about Saul being chosen by God to rule over Israel. Samuel called him out as the best looking, biggest, and bravest, to save Israel from the Philistines.
It was an auspicious beginning, but, as we will read in a few chapters, not such a special ending. In the course of time, God had to judge against Saul because he was not faithful. The very one Samuel anointed for service to God as king, ultimately had to be rebuked by that same prophet as unworthy.
Another king, David, would be anointed in place of Saul. David made mistakes too, but David displayed adequate repentance over his mistakes. All of us who follow Yeshua have the capacity to either be like Saul or David. We will all make mistakes. And when we do, will we persist in pride or submit in repentance.
1 Peter 5:5b “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Week 48
Memory Verse: Philippians 3: 7 But whatever things were gain to me, these I have considered as loss for the sake of the Messiah. 8 More than that, I consider all things to be loss in comparison to the surpassing value of the knowledge of Messiah Yeshua my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things; and I consider them garbage in order that I might gain Messiah
236 11/19 Monday: Philippians 1-2
237 11/20 Tuesday: Philippians 3-4
238 11/21 Wednesday: Hebrews 1-2
* 239 11/22 Thursday: Hebrews 3-4
240 11/23 Friday: Hebrews 5-6
Question of the day: The more I study the Book of Hebrews, the more I am convinced the writer was one of the truly great Messianic Jewish rabbis. How did he capture my attention today?
Answer: He (the unnamed writer of Hebrews) is writing a masterpiece on the Jewish way to follow Yeshua. In chapters 3 and 4 he issues a warning. Hebrews 4:9 So there remains a Shabbat rest for the people of God. He points out that the ancient Israelites who left Egypt did not enter in by faith and missed their blessing. Then he tells us not to fall into that same trap.
Hebrews 4:11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through the same pattern of disobedience. Apparently, he senses a dangerous situation and offers a warning against the “same pattern of disobedience.”
As in all things, Yeshua is our perfect example of entering into the Father’s rest, and He did that through total obedience. Luke 22:41 And He pulled back about a stone’s throw from them, got on His knees, and began to pray, 42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Let’s take this to heart. If we don’t, we might miss our blessing. God forbid.