Rabbi’s Reflections – Wednesday, September 9, 2020
Shalom,
… And we’re back. How can a couple of days away be both exhausting and invigorating at the same time? Makes me think we have lost (which presupposes we ever had) the ability to rest. The Shabbat is foundational in our relationship with God. It is as if God knew we would need rest to keep up with Him. I want to explore that further in a future RR. But for today we are back in our study of Song of Songs and the pattern of discipleship we can learn from such a study.
I’ve already written several times on one phrase contained in Song of Songs 1:5a I am black, but beautiful. The Shulamite is seeking balance. We all identify deeply with the Shulamite. Her “Beloved” is none other than Yeshua. This “Song” is about how she grows into His Bride. When she says “I am black (Some translations say “dark,” but the Hebrew says “black.”) she is acknowledging her propensity to sin.
And then she immediately adds “and I am lovely.” (“But” is not in the Hebrew. In Hebrew it says “I am black and lovely.”) This is the Shulamite acknowledging her attractiveness, her desirability. She is seeing herself through the eyes of her Beloved.
Most of this we have already studied. The reason I’m bringing it up again today is that some of us have never crossed over. We still see ourselves in terms of our sinful past. God forgives! Not much to argue about there. Yet many are those who struggle with the idea that God forgives them personally.
What part of this is confusing? Psalm 103:3 He forgives all your iniquity. He heals all your diseases. 4 He redeems your life from the Pit. He crowns you with lovingkindness and compassions.
We have to come into agreement with God Who says, “You are black with sin, and I came to redeem you. I love you with a self-sacrificing love that will last for eternity. You are so lovely to Me, that I created the world so we would have a place to love each other. And I sent the Word, My Son Yeshua, that We may be one.”
God’s desire is simply that we would love Him back. So let’s allow the Holy Spirit to deliver us from sin. 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Only then can we walk in the fullness of our relationship with our Savior.
Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you were called— 2 with complete humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Ruach in the bond of shalom.
Week 37
Memory Verse: Matthew 28:18 And Yeshua came up to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Ruach ha-Kodesh, 20 teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. And remember! I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
181 9/07 Monday: Mark 16
182 9/08 Tuesday: Luke 24
* 183 9/09 Wednesday: John 20-21
184 9/10 Thursday: Matthew 28
185. 9/11 Friday: Acts 1
Question of the Day: Lord, what about him?
Answer: This question was asked by Peter to Yeshua about the Apostle John. Peter has just been asked three times by Yeshua (in His resurrection), “Peter, do you love me?” And three times Peter answered, “Lord, You know I do.” And three times Yeshua told him, “Then feed My sheep.”
It’s strange to me that the next thing out of Peter’s mouth is, “What about him?” Yeshua’s response is enlightening. Basically, Yeshua tells Peter, “My relationship with someone else is My business.” Then Yeshua simply says, John 21:22b “You follow Me!”
What else do we need to hear? Yeshua is calling us up to Himself (the real “Aliyah”) and saying to each of us, “You follow Me.” We want to make it complicated when it isn’t. These are the days to destroy every stronghold that separates us from our Savior.
2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but powerful through God for the tearing down of strongholds. We are tearing down false arguments 5 and every high-minded thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Messiah.