July 2017
Balak
Haftarah Reflections 40
Torah portion Numbers 22 : 2 to 25 : 9
Haftarah portion Micah 5 : 7 to 6 : 8
Listen to the Prophets
Micah, a so called “minor” prophet, had some amazing insights from God. He was given the task of warning the tribes of the South and the North to mend their ways or face the wrath of God. He tells us that he prophesied “in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah”. That indicates that he probably witnessed the fulfilment of his prophetic utterances in regard to Israel in the North, but not Judea in the South.
The really amazing thing about this prophecy is that even though there was an immediacy about it concerning the people amongst whom he lived and worked, there was also a future element, which we are yet to experience, but the signs of which are all around us.
And in the detail there are lessons for us today.
Our parashah today begins with such an announcement. “The remnant of Jacob” is certainly “among the Gentiles and in the midst of many peoples, like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass,” even to this very day. But there is also the immediacy in the fact that they were at that time moving around the various kingdoms of gentiles around them in conquering mode. They took with them both the blessing of their enlightenment to Almighty God and His ways, but also the harshness of a conquering invader.
However, Micah warns that all is not well with them. God’s intent was that they would be a light to the Nations. As we read the end of Micah 5 we see that they had absorbed many of the acts of pagan worship, which they were supposed to tear down. It seems (verses 10,11) that they were flushed with their own importance. They were reliant on military superiority (horses and chariots) for their successes, whereas God’s intent was that He would be their source of strength, and that fact would be obvious to the nations around them.
Do you see the parallels in society today? Even in our own lives? Isaiah put it well :-
“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD!” Isaiah 31:1
Many of us think we are pretty good at working things out for ourselves, neglecting the fact that God tells us He is a very present help in trouble. Read Psalm 46 and be encouraged.
Because we have the historical account of the events at that time and beyond, we are able to see how things actually turned out for these Israelites. These scriptures are here for a purpose, that we might know God in all His fullness. We see how He was so patient in sending prophet after prophet to warn and plead with them. These are not just ‘hints’ at the problems, they are bare facts of their failings. But before we get too carried away with their failings, we might take a moment to privately review our own position.
These prophets are still speaking today. We just have to read what they say and ask God to speak to us through their words. And He will.
Our parashah today ends with God calling the people to a very special court of justice. The people of Israel are on trial. God is the complainant. He calls the mountains and the hills together to form the jury. In verses 3 to 5 God lays out the charge as He tries to get Israel to let Him know how He has failed them. Of course, there is no failing in God’s part, and the people are guilty as charged.
The sentence is pronounced, probably the most quoted scripture in Micah’s prophecy.
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you. But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
To understand the context properly, we need to read the full ‘charge sheet’ God had against Israel. Look back to Chapter 3 : 9 to 11. Micah tells them that ‘they abhor justice’ (they are to do justly) and ‘they judge for a bribe’ (they are to love mercy) and they proudly say “the Lord is among us so no harm can come to us” (they are to walk humbly with their God).
What a wonderful lesson this parashah can be for us today. We all have asked at one time or another what does the Lord require of us. Thank you Micah, for providing us with the answer.
O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your Name in all the earth.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Chukat
Haftarah Reflections 39
Torah portion Numbers 19 : 1 to 22 : 1
Haftarah portion Judges 11 : 1 - 33
Listen to the Prophets
Imagine, if you can, the period of time from the days of Martin Luther to today. Think of some of the amazing things that have happened in those years. Then try to imagine what might be included in an abbreviated history of that period. You may be sure that everything which would be included was both momentous and important.
After the Israelites began to occupy the Land of Promise, they were led by a succession of people who were known as “judges”, righteous living, honourable people, who feared God and kept His statutes. In all, the books of Joshua, Judges and the first part of 1 Samuel, occupy a time frame of about 450 years (approximately the same time as from Martin Luther to today). They recount illuminating events of history, and they are there for our example and edification. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. (1 Timothy 3:16).
So as we look at the haftarah parashah today, be assured that this unusual story has important lessons for us to learn.
Jephthah was an outcast. His family resided in Gilead. This was what we today know as Jordan, just to the south of Syria. The circumstances of Jephthah’s birth, caused angst with his half-brothers, and even though Jephthah is described as a ‘mighty man of valour’, (read pretty tough) he chose to leave the family home rather than continue a squabble with his siblings.
He moved to the “land of Tob” (no-one knows the precise location of Tob, but it must have been close to a trade route and not very far from Gilead). There he befriended some “worthless men” and headed up a gang of thieves (bandits). We also know from later revelation in our parashah, that he had a degree of familiarity with the Ammonites (next door neighbours to the Gileadites).
For what seems the umpteenth time, the Israelites again lost sight of the covenant they had made with Almighty God and were serving the gods of the Baals and Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and Philistines. And for that, they paid a terrible price.
God has allowed each of us the opportunity to serve Him, but always under His conditions. He also allows us to exercise ‘freewill’ to go our own way, and we often do, just like the Israelites in our parashah. The lesson from this story of Jephthah is that there is a price to pay. In their case, they were harassed by the Ammonites for another eighteen years. Left to their own devices they floundered, had trouble they couldn’t even imagine, until they again turned back to the Lord for help.
We may all have a personal story to recount of times when, having started out with good resolve to live righteously, we turned our back on God, at first slowly, a bit at a time, a compromise here, a compromise there, and before we knew it we were living in a ‘different kingdom’.
There is no doubting that God was angry with the Israelites. And yet, His mercy towards them knows no bounds. That, my dear friends is the nature and character of the God we serve. Do you remember the old hymn we used to sing:-
“His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men,
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth and giveth and giveth again.”
That hymn speaks of the love of God towards us who believe. But it doesn’t stop God’s disappointment and even anger at our behaviour when we forget the promises we made when we came to faith in Him.
Jephthah was invited back from his life of crime to lead the people against the Ammonites. He tried to reason with them. He tried to appeal to their sense of fairness. Nothing influenced a change in their behaviour towards the Israelites. We are not told what sort of an army Jephthah assembled, but we do know that the Spirit of God was with him, and the army of the Ammonites was defeated.
But even that is not the end of the story.
Jephthah made a promise to God. Read the account for yourself in (Judges 11: 30-35). It is very difficult for us to understand that part of the story, but the vow was made by Jephthah, not by God. Because he was a man of honour he kept his word.
One more ‘reflection’ regarding Jephthah. Read again the beginning of our parashah. What an unlikely person God used to rescue His chosen ones from unfaithfulness and chaos. Does it occur to you, as it does to me, that if God is able to use an outcast who gave his life to crime, He can use anyone He chooses. You see “man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart”.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Korach
Haftarah Reflections 38
Torah portion Numbers 16 : 1 to 18 : 32
Haftarah portion 1 Samuel 11 : 14 to 12 : 22
Listen to the Prophets
The faithful and righteous Samuel, prophet and judge of Israel, had succeeded Samson, the last of 12 judges, beginning with Othniel, who had ruled over Israel for more than 300 years.
In that time the people were first faithful to their promises to God, but then inevitably slipped into worship of other gods, got into serious trouble with their neighbours, became remorseful, called out to God for help, and invariably God responded by raising up another faithful “Judge” to lead them. After the death of Samson, the scriptures tell us that “there was no ‘king’ (leader) in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17: 6)
That was before God raised up leadership under Eli, followed by the very young Samuel as their leader.
But as we look at our Haftarah parashah this week we discover that time has moved on and Samuel is now in advanced years. His sons, who might have been his natural successors, did not follow the Lord and were not considered suitable for leadership. The people wanted leadership security for the future. They observed that all the Nations around them had kings to lead them, and thus they decided that it would be best for them to have a king also.
It is a measure of Samuel’s standing before Almighty God that he was able to have dialogue with the Lord about the matter. God assured Samuel that he was not the problem, but the people were rejecting His authority. Most disappointing. (Read 1 Samuel 8:4-22 for the account of that conversation).
Eventually, Saul, a strong man, and something of a bully (1 Samuel 11:7) was made king. But the authority was still with Samuel, so he called an assembly of the people in Gilgal. This was the place, just north of Jericho, where the people first camped when they entered the land under Joshua’s leadership. It seems as though Samuel was saying “You have rejected the leading of the Lord in His appointment of leaders, so now we will go back to where it all started and you can try it your way”.
But Samuel had a few words of introduction to make! His speech called for a response from the people regarding his own leadership over many years. He challenged them to point out his failings as a leader, which they could not of course. His challenge, and their truthful observation about his leadership then enabled Samuel to give them a lesson about God’s faithful dealings with them over many hundreds of years. He reminded them that in spite of centuries of unfaithfulness, God had always protected them and delivered them from the hands of their enemies. The culmination of his speech about God’s faithfulness came when he told them (1 Samuel 12:12) that even though they seemed unable to recognize it, they had a King reigning over them all the time, and that was YHWH Elohim.
Samuel had one final point to make. It is here that we might draw our lesson for today from this passage.
It may seem repetitious, and that is because it is, that Samuel assured them that in spite of their stubborn choice in asking for an earthly king for themselves, they could still find favour with God. But there was a condition attached. (see 1 Samuel 12: 14 and 24)
“If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice and do not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the LORD your God”
“Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you”.
It is unlikely that we would ask for an earthly king to reign over us, but there are plenty of other ways we have of rebelling against the commandment of the LORD. We are also pretty good at looking at the blessings offered to us in the Word of God, and thanking Him for them. BUT do we ever consider that there may be conditions attached to God’s promise of blessing?
How many times do we hear it today that “Jesus kept all the commandments, so we don’t have to, because we are ‘in Him’?
What a cop out that is. Didn’t Jesus tell us in John 14:15 “IF you love Me, you will keep My commandments”? Isn’t it Jesus who is the WORD, who was in the beginning with God? Can we not see that the very commandments which were spoken to Moses on the mountain were spoken by HIM who is the WORD? They have never been annulled.
We worship a God who does not change. His dealings with the Israelites are written for our edification and example. There were plenty of gods to worship in the days of the prophets, and there are plenty of gods today, (and plenty of kings to follow too) BUT there is NO other God besides Him. He is worthy of our praise, and He is worthy of our obedience. Blessed be His Name.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Shelach
Haftarah Reflections 37
Torah portion Numbers 13 : 1 to 15 : 41
Haftarah portion Joshua 2 : 1 - 24
Listen to the Prophets
High tension! Excitement, apprehension, curiosity, emotion, fear. Forty years of wilderness wanderings and now the Israelites were camped on the East of the Jordan River. They could see the land on the other side. The time had come for them to enter the Land promised to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. But Joshua, a competent and careful leader, decided to carry out one final reconnoitre of the territory before they crossed the river. Two of his trusted aides were sent to secretly spy out the land, especially the nearby city of Jericho. They chose the house of Rahab as their base. Surely they would not arouse any suspicion since Rahab, because of her lifestyle, probably had a motley variety of visitors to her house. But they were wrong.
Someone had not only seen their arrival and deduced their origins, but carefully noted where they were lodging and reported the whole plan to the king of Jericho. End of mission! Or was it?
Rahab is probably the least likely person we might have chosen to be a part of God’s master plan. But God’s ways are not our ways. Much later, God would choose the great, great grandson of Rahab to be King of Israel. And of him it was written “man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart”.
Look at some of the quotes in our Bible about Rahab.
“And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father's household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.” Joshua 6:23
“Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David, the king”. Matthew 1:5,6
“By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.” Hebrews 11:31
“Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?” James 2:25
Rahab, looked down upon by ‘normal’ society, certainly not one to be invited to one’s home for dinner. And yet used by God in the lineage of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. Mentioned amongst the ‘giants’ of faith in Hebrews 11. And in James Epistle, justified by an act of “works”!! She did something which demonstrated her faith.
Obviously, Rahab was a woman of some perception. She had heard, as had everyone else, about the mighty act of God when He parted the Red Sea to facilitate the salvation of the Israelites from the hand of Pharoah. She had heard, as had everyone else, about the fate of Amorite king, Sihon, and of Og, king of Bashan, who had vainly attempted to hinder the passage of the Israelites on their journey (through the land we know today as Jordan). So Rahab made a bold decision. A decision which saved her own life and that of her entire family. In effect she said “As for me and my house, we will be on the side of the Lord God of Israel” (my paraphrase).
Rahab took advantage of the revelation she had regarding those who opposed Israel, and those who joined them. It sounds rather ‘matter of fact’, but in effect that is what she did, as the Apostle James tells it.
So here is the lesson for us today. We have a Bible which tells us of God’s dealings with His people. There are stories galore of the miraculous events which brought those Israelites out of bondage in Egypt into a Land of their own. We might say that in a country such as ours, “everyone has heard it”. But not everyone is a “Rahab”. There are those who believe, and there are those who oppose. Even within the body of today’s church.
Many of the prophets we are ‘reflecting’ upon foretold the regathering of the Jews to their Land. An event we see taking place before our eyes today. That is practical. It is happening, and in increasing numbers. This is just one of the signs we are given which heralds the coming return of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach.
At the end of the Book, Joshua issues a challenge to the people under his command. It is worthy of our attention. “ … choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve …. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”
Shabbat Shalom
RS