Zion's Voice

Haftarah Reflections   9

Torah portion           Genesis 37 : 1  – 40 : 23

Haftarah portion     Amos 2 : 2 – 3 : 8

Listen to the Prophets

The Lord called Amos, a sheep herder and a tender of sycamores, from Tekoa, a small village just south west of Bethlehem, to take a strong message of warning to the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Specifically to a ‘high place’ of worship at Bethel, where King Jereboam 1 had set up one of the golden calves (the other in Dan), so that the people no longer went up to Jerusalem for the mo’edim of the Lord.

This prophet of the Lord had “a way with words”. He was a skilful and persuasive orator. At this time, King Jereboam 2 was leading the nation. Assyria had subdued their closest enemy Syria, which resulted in a time of unusual peacefulness for them, with resultant prosperity. Life seemed good, and it was, BUT the people were far from God and immersed in syncretism and idolatry. Hence the call of God upon Amos.

It was a time of one of the festivals which they kept, because there was a large crowd gathered at the worship centre in Bethel. As Amos stood to speak, he did so with authority. Six times, the persuasive Amos reminded the people of the hostile neighbours who surrounded them, and the judgement which God had in store because of their various transgressions. One can imagine the enthusiastic agreement of the crowd as Amos spoke of God’s displeasure with these hostile neighbours. Aram, Philistia, Edom, Phoenicia, Ammon and Moab. Each one in turn. His rhetoric was the same for all.  “Thus says the Lord, for three transgressions of ‘xxxx’ and for four, I will not revoke its punishment”. Can you hear their cheers?  Then the stunned silence.

His seventh proclamation was against Judah, the Southern Kingdom. The eighth against themselves. For each of the proclamations against their hostile neighbours, Amos managed one or two ‘transgressions’. Against Judah the transgression was just one (but a very big one!)  Then when he turned his words against Israel, there were SEVEN transgressions listed in detail. (See verses 6 to 8).  Each of these transgressions were indicative of an uncaring and avaricious society. They are details of specific violation of God’s instruction for righteous living (Torah).

A casual read of this parashah may be a bit ‘ho hum’. We might ask the question here “So what is the big deal here?”(so to speak). The lesson for us, dear friends, is in the detail.

We have the benefit of hindsight here. The prophecy against Judah was that “they have despised the Torah of the Lord, and have not kept His commandments”. The judgement was “I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem”. And that is precisely what occurred about 136 years later. Precisely, exactly, to the letter.

The prophecy against Israel was spelled out in more detail. The prophet spoke (see Amos 3:1–8) in clear language, using every day metaphors, about God’s intent for this nation. He ended by saying “Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?” The judgement of the Lord on this Nation of Israel came less than 30 years later. They were taken Captive by the Assyrians, and are now, even today, often referred to as “The Ten Lost Tribes”.

And that is the lesson for us today.

God has spoken through His prophets. The language is clear, the message is unambiguous. Let us hear from the greatest prophet we know, Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. Prophet during His time on earth, now the Great High Priest before His father in Heaven, soon to be King of Kings. See John 14:6. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love,”  John 15:10

The proclamation of Amos against both Judah and Israel was that they did not “keep My commandments”, none of which have ever been cancelled or nullified !!!!

I respectfully suggest that as we review and ‘reflect’ upon this prophecy of Amos, we might consider what the Lord our God is saying to us in these words. Do we really “love Him?” are we “abiding in His love?”  The Lord will bless you as you give heed to His word. It is often quite personal.                              

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   8

Torah portion           Genesis 32 : 4  – 36 : 43

Haftarah portion     Obadiah 1 : 1 - 21

Listen to the Prophets

Somewhere in our past, Biblical Prophets were designated the description of Major and Minor. That seems a quite arrogant way of classification to me, because a prophet of God is, well, a prophet of God. His message is God given, important, and without classification except in respect of the people to whom the prophecy is directed. In every case however, we can find a message for today in each prophetic book in our Bibles. It is particularly true of our haftarah parashah today.

Obadiah (Servant of God) is something of a ‘mystery man’. The Bible tells us nothing about his person, or even when his prophecy was written, but there are some clues available in the text. It is most commonly thought that Obadiah wrote, in condemnation of Edom, at the time of the Babylonian exile, about the year 586 B.C.E.. It is very likely, however that the Edomites never got to read the prophecy, in which case it was written more as an encouragement to the Israelites.

The Edomites were first cousins of the Israelites. A relationship stemming from the twin brothers born to Isaac and Rebecca. The animosity between the brothers, Jacob and Esau is well known. (We are told in Genesis 36 : 8 that “Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom”.)  That animosity persisted for many centuries. It persists today.

The history is not difficult to trace, but it came to something of a head when the Edomites denied Moses passage though their territory during the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites. And evidently, it was rampant again, almost 1000 years later, during the exilic dispersion under the cruel hand of King Nebuchadnezzar.

Extra-biblical writings of people like Josephus Flavius confirm the hateful relationship of the Edomites towards the Israelites.

Obadiah commences by describing the lofty abode of the people of Edom. They evidently lived well and were well fortified against aggressors, partly because they lived above the plains, and probably considered themselves safe and impregnable. He continues by describing the ways in which the Israelites, in their great persecution and distress, were further harassed and abused by the Edomites, who, because of their close kinship with them, should have provided comfort and support.

It is at this point that we should consider the lessons of this prophecy which apply to us today.

We are all aware of the increasing levels of abuse, violation and hatred being aimed at ISRAEL today. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, God is using the circumstances to return the Jewish people back to their Land of Promise.

Is it too hard that I suggest that today’s “Edomites” are alive and well in the world, and are seeking to heap more pain on Israel than they already bear. Sadly, many of those “Edomites” (cousins in the faith so to speak) are in positions of influence in our churches. Because they are ‘believers’, they consider themselves ‘safe and impregnable’ from the wrath of God.

Take VERY careful note of the word of the Lord spoken by the Prophet to the Edomites :-

“You should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off those among them who escaped; nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained in the day of distress. For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; as you have done, it shall be done to you; your reprisal shall return upon your own head. For as you drank on My holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually; yes, they shall drink, and swallow, and they shall be as though they had never been.”

Our Bibles are stacked with descriptions of God’s covenantal and unconditional, enduring love for Israel. There are several warnings about the judgment which awaits those who “qalal” (treat with contempt) Genesis 12 : 3 Israel. It could NOT be any clearer in the Scriptures. AND STILL, we have churches today that completely disregard the place Israel holds in the heart of our God.

The message of Obadiah is so relevant for us today. We dare not ignore it. Read it. Discuss it with your friends. Teach it to your children. Edom (and Edomites by definition) is destined for utter, complete destruction in the Messianic Age to come. Don’t be a part of it.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   7

Torah portion           Genesis 28 : 10  – 32 : 3

Haftarah portion     Hosea 12 : 13 – 14 : 10

Listen to the Prophets

Firstly Amos, then Hosea, were God’s appointed messengers to the territory occupied by the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the strongest of which was the tribe of Ephraim. For that reason, the whole territory is sometimes, as in our parashah today, referred to as Ephraim. (There is no tribe of Joseph. His sons Ephraim and Manasseh became the tribal leaders of their territory which, presumably, would have otherwise been allotted to Joseph).

After King Solomon died, he was followed by Reheboam, as King of Judea in the South, and Jereboam, as King of Israel in the North. Jereboam made two golden calves, installed one at Bethel in the south of the territory, and the other in Dan in the north. He instructed the people that they no longer needed to worship YHWH in the appointed place, Jerusalem, because it was too far to travel. They could worship either at Bethel or Dan for their convenience. That was the beginning of their courtship with idolatry, but there was worse to follow as we shall see.

Hosea’s prophecy covers the late years of the existence of the Northern Kingdom before they were invaded and taken captive by the Assyrians under King Shalamanezer V in the year 722 B.C.E. 

So that, briefly is the history. Now let us look closely at the lessons which are to be learned from this parashah.

It begins by reminding us of the way they had been led, many years earlier, out of the bondage of Egypt. Then, Ephraim spoke as a leader to them, trembling. But soon, he exalted himself before the people, led them in worship of Ba’al, died spiritually, and things progressed down the slippery slope of idol worship. The sins of the people were multiplied, and they apparently revelled in their idolatry. Now hear the Word of the Lord to them, "Yet I am the LORD your God ever since the land of Egypt, and you shall know no God but Me; for there is no saviour besides Me.  I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. When they had pasture, they were filled; they were filled and their heart was exalted;  therefore they forgot Me.”

What a sad commentary that is on a people, saved by grace, prospered in God’s love for them, got wealthy (by this world’s standards) and   …. “Therefor they forgot Me”.

It is not too difficult a stretch to see life today in this description is it? Leaders who exalt themselves in the eyes of their ‘flock’. Men and women who, by persuasive language and skilful manipulation take positions of influence. Idolatry begins there. There follows a less than honest teaching of the Word of God. An unbalanced, incomplete, downright heretical, or perhaps just a ‘popular gospel message’ in an attempt to attract a larger audience. (“metaphorically teaching that one does not need to worship in Jerusalem, as God commanded, do it this way .. it is much more convenient !!). Individuals who are saved by grace, progress in life, become successful in business. Maybe inheriting wealth, and finding that they do not need to meet with God as often. Self-sufficiency becomes a by-word. Idolatry takes a hold. 

The result is exactly the same today as it was for those people being addressed by Hosea all those years ago. “Therefor they forgot Me”.

The analogy of childbirth (v 13) is graphic. A child, remaining in the very place of birth would surely suffocate and die. Ephraim is likened so. With the means and power to move on, Ephraim remained in idolatry. It was a comfortable and seemingly safe place (v 15) but soon judgement was to come with devastating result.

Then in chapter 14 of our reading, the prophet again turns to pleading and the message of comfort. Take a moment to read it. What a beautiful picture of the joy available to those who repent and turn back to the Lord. As I ‘reflect’ on these words, I see a picture of the Messianic Kingdom to come. But they represent much more than that. Almost at the ‘eleventh hour’ it seems, the prophet was showing the people what was available to them NOW.

“Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.”

It was good counsel then, and it is good counsel NOW.

 Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   6

Torah portion           Genesis 25 : 19  – 28 : 9

Haftarah portion     Malachi 1 : 1 – 2 : 7

Listen to the Prophets

If you have ever heard a sermon from the writings of this prophet, the chances are that the text was Malachi 3:10!! In ‘charismatic’ churches especially, this is the favourite. It is used to pressure people into giving to “my church”. Tithing is a most caring, inclusive, command of God given for a specific purpose. However, the original purpose of the ‘tithe’ commandment is usually completely ignored. But that is another story!

Malachi was a prophet in the days of Nehemiah. Probably the last of the ‘writing’ prophets before the 400 years of Biblical silence prior to the arrival on this earth of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. A lot happened in those 400 years, and much is written about them ... but not in our Bible.

The burden of the prophet was to counter the incidences within the community regarding corrupt priests, wicked practices, and the false sense of security under which the people lived. Hypocrisy, infidelity, mixed marriages, divorce, false worship and arrogance abounded. The covenant made in the days of Moses was disregarded and made of no reputation.

“Malachi” means “My messenger” which is likely short for “Messenger of YHWH”. He uses a series of rhetorical questions and responses to get the message across. Right upfront we have the unusual statement regarding God’s view of Jacob and Esau. Commentators try to explain this seemingly harsh statement about Esau. But the similarly harsh reality is that Esau is “Edom”. Edom is one of two places in Scripture which are destined to suffer total desolation by destruction, in the Messianic age to come. The other place is Babylon.

The list of offences spoken by the Lord through Malachi in this parashah is worthy of careful attention. There is a salutary lesson for us today as we read the nature of the offences of these Israelites.

“Where is My honour?  … Where is My reverence?” asks the Lord. The feelings of deep disappointment in those questions is palpable. We should perhaps consider those questions as being put directly to ourselves. They are questions which require a response.

Then the priests ask “In what way have we despised Your Name?” You bring your ‘second best’ or even that which has no value to you, is God’s response. If we are to learn something from this passage of Scripture we need to see this exchange in ‘today’ terms. That which we present to our God should be the very best we have to offer. You may have heard it said “How would one behave if the Queen were to visit? How would one dress? What food would one prepare? How would one speak? God asks a similar question through the prophet. “Offer to your Governor what you offer to me. Would he be pleased with you?”  

In prophetic response to that question, God declares “From the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My Name shall be great among the Gentiles”. We, dear gentile friends, are the beneficiaries of that. The question now is how we respond to that today. The amazing wonder of Scripture is its timelessness. What the Lord declared then is no different to what He declares today. PLEASE read this parashah. Ask the Lord to show you that which he wants you to know. You will receive both a blessing, and a challenge.

At that time it was as though God had had enough, and then He remained silent. He was silent for 400 years. His silence is devastating. You really do not want to experience it.

In the Israelites experience, in the period of that silence, their land was invaded by Greece, and later by Romans. They suffered great indignity and shame. Their Temple was taken from them and defiled. They were forbidden, by the invaders to have and to even read the Scriptures. They were effective outcasts in their own land.

But God is faithful. He remembered the covenant He had made with the sons of Aaron (Numbers 25:10-13). So our parashah ends with the recollection of that covenant (Malachi 2:4-7). It comprises yet another plea from God that the people would seek the counsel of a faithful priest. One who could, and would, speak truth from God’s word, and encourage the people to again ‘walk in God’s ways’.

It was good advice then, and it is good advice today. We have Yeshua, The Great High Priest, as our advocate before our heavenly Father.

That seems like a good note on which to end our reflection doesn’t it?

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   5

Torah portion           Genesis 23 : 1  – 25 : 18

Haftarah portion     1 Kings 1 : 1 – 31

Listen to the Prophets

The connection between this week’s Torah portion and the Haftarah, seems to be about “age”, because the Torah portion makes reference to the elderly Abraham (Genesis 24), and the Haftarah begins with reference to the elderly King David. Superficially, there does not seem to be much other connection in the comparison of their respective lives, except that they were both pivotal to God’s grand plan for mankind.

I was also quite surprised to note, during this study, that whilst Abraham lived 175 years, King David was ‘only’ about 70 years old at the time of this story, which describes him as ‘in advanced years’.

We have a relatively short Haftarah reading this week. It starts with the “very old” King David, seemingly losing his grip on his kingly role. The much respected King David had formerly been a pillar of strength in the Nation, having brought the various tribes to unite under his leadership. They enjoyed peace and prosperity in the land, and had much for which to thank David. BUT, he was not without fault.

There appears to be a sub-plot running in the parashah. King David lived in Hebron for the first 7 years or so of his reign. During that time, he took a number of wives, the fourth being a lady called Haggith. The fourth child she bore David was called Adonijah, and according to our text, a very good looking young man. However, it is quite significant to me that we are told that David “had never rebuked him at any time”.

Was he such a good boy that he did not need correction? Was he so clever that he managed to ‘stay under the radar’ when David was around?                                                        

Was David such a poor father that he did not spend time with the boy?  Of course we do not know. But what we can deduce is that he was perhaps a bit of a “spoilt brat”. (with apologies if I have got that bit wrong!!)  What we do know, on the authority of Scripture, that just like the Fatherly example given by God Himself  “whom He loves, He chastens”, and this boy had never been chastened by his father.

In any event, the ‘proverbial chickens’ come home to roost when Adonijah sees his sick, elderly, disinterested father, David, confined to his bed. To top that off, he noticed that David was attended by a very attractive nurse. So he plotted to become King in David’s place, thinking that he would not be opposed, certainly not by his father. Then he would get all the benefits of kingship, including the attention of the pretty nurse!! (We know this from events later in the story, because he asked his mother, Haggith, to approach the Queen Mother, Bathsheba, to get King Solomon’s permission for him to marry the girl. A request which resulted in his eventual assassination.) We can only wonder what sort of a person Adonijah might have been with a loving father’s correction from time to time. Perhaps this is an up to date lesson for fathers to learn about bringing up children, from the example in this ancient story. (see Proverbs 22;15)

In any event, the presumptuous Adonijah proclaimed himself King with much feasting and merriment. But of course, it did not last.

King David’s faithful friends found the way to ensure that the frail King David got to know about the matter. (I am reminded here of words often spoken to me by my gracious mother. ‘“be sure your sins will find you out”’, and more often than not, they did!!). Nathan, the prophet, devised the tactics, which took account of the fact that King David MIGHT have authorized the succession plan. (Which, of course, he had not).

The end of the story, which does not form part of our Haftarah reading, is that Solomon is installed as King of Israel, the last King of the united Kingdom.

Some years ago, on a visit to Israel, I was taken by some friends to, what was then, a large cave in the valley below the old City of David, which encompassed the Gihon Spring. We had a very youthful guide, speaking only Hebrew, and he jumped around that cave, exclaiming excitedly, “I don’t know if it was here (then big jump to another part of the cave) or if it was here (another jump) or here (another jump), BUT IT WAS HERE (enthusiastically motioning with his arms the whole area of the cave) THAT SOLOMON WAS MADE KING OF ISRAEL. For me an unforgettable experience of joy of being in a place where an event in Biblical history ACTUALLY occurred.

And that is just part of what our Mighty God ordained and planned to accomplish His purposes.                 

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   4

Torah portion           Genesis 18 : 1  – 22 : 24

Haftarah portion     2 Kings 4 : 1 – 37

Listen to the Prophets

This week we meet Elisha for the first time in our Haftarah studies. It is important to recognize that the “Prophets of God” who lived then, had a vastly different lifestyle to the modern day self-proclaimed prophets who are generally seen as ‘superstars’ of the church movement.

King Ahab and his ruthless wife Jezebel, were most antagonistic to the prophets of God. Both Elijah and Elisha experienced their wrath at first hand. They often survived in caves and other hiding places. They relied on God appointed supporters (once even the ravens) for their very next meal, and were ever watchful for the spies of Ahab and Jezebel. BUT, Jewish tradition has it, (and this is documented by Josephus Flavius, the Jewish historian), that within the courts of King Ahab was a man called Obadiah. He held high rank in Ahab’s court and reportedly spent vast sums of borrowed money to feed and sustain up to 100 prophets of God.

This brings us to the opening words of our Haftarah parashah today. Seemingly, it was this same Obadiah who had died, leaving behind a wife and two sons. Very soon, the creditor called, and as was his right under the Law, harshly demanded that the debt be paid by the servitude of the two sons. We are not told the woman’s name, but she evidently knew something of her husband’s support for prophets of God, because she turned to Elisha for help.

There is an important lesson of principle here for us. Elisha exercised a messianic ministry in this parashah. BUT, his first response to the woman was “What have you got with which you can help yourself?” (my paraphrase). We know the story well enough don’t we? And out of what she was able to provide for herself, God multiplied miraculously, so that she was able to pay off her creditors and have some left over to support her family. We offer what we have to the Lord, and He provides the rest.

This event is followed by another “messianic” miracle (raising the dead) wrought by Elisha. It appears that in his many journeying’s through the Northern Kingdom of Israel, he found refuge and lodging at the home of a woman of Shunem. My Bible describes the woman as “noteable”. Commentators agree that she was a woman of substance. In any event, she was most hospitable, with her elderly husband’s consent, in providing a safe place for Elisha to lodge during his travels.

Elisha’s gratitude caused him to wonder how he might repay the woman for her kindness. Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, noticed that she did not have a son to care for her in her advancing years. So Elisha prophesied that she would bear a son the following year. Which she did.

Some years later, the lad died tragically. (read the story).  In deep distress, the woman hastily travelled about 30 Km. to visit Elisha. She chastised him because the hope she had in this God given son (which she had neither requested nor expected) had now disappeared.

The story has a happy ending, because by faith and action, Elisha was able to restore life to the boy. It is a fascinating story.

Note the expressions of faith exercised by all those involved. Firstly, Elisha had the faith in God which allowed him to prophesy the timely miraculous birth of this boy. The woman, although sceptical when told that she would have a son, was never-the-less delighted at this provision. So much so, that when the boy tragically died, she hastily turned to Elisha for help. She saw Elisha as God’s personal representative and her only hope, which he was. Next Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, exercised immense faith in following the instructions of Elisha in regard to laying the staff on the dead boy, expecting to see a miraculous restoration of life.  And Elisha again when he persisted, in face of seemingly insurmountable odds, to work tirelessly with the dead boy, not giving up, until God restored life to the child.

The lessons in this parashah may be different for each one of us. My ‘reflection’ is with both of these examples of faith, is firstly to offer God what you have. Allow Him to bring the ‘increase’, and give Him praise for His faithful presence with us. And secondly, when events seem almost insurmountable, to persist. Seek assistance from a trusted faithful servant of the Lord.

Dare I finish with this quotation of Scripture, so often quoted but not always followed? “Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55 :22  

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   3

Torah portion           Genesis 12 : 1  – 17 : 27

Haftarah portion     Isaiah 40 : 27 – 41 : 16

Listen to the Prophets

The Torah portion for this week introduces us to the faithful Abram. A man in whom God had great trust, and one with whom He felt comfortable. A man destined to be the “father” of God’s ‘special treasure’, the Nation of Israel. In today’s Haftarah, to those who were descended from Abraham, God instructed Isaiah to pen these beautiful words :-

“You are My servant, I have chosen you and not cast you away: Fear not for I am with you; Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

This Haftarah parashah marks the beginning of Isaiah’s “comfort” promises. In the first 39 chapters of Isaiah, his message was one of impending calamity because of the waywardness of the Judeans. Now God gives the people a message of love and hope. Confirmation that they were still “the apple of His eye”, BUT they had a plain choice to make if they were to continue in the Land of Promise. Remain faithful to the (conditional) covenant God made with them in Moses day, or be banished from the Land.

Here is a difficult, unpopular lesson, which has implications, by example, for us. This is more than a mere historical story. God’s dealings with the Israelites illustrates the pattern of His behaviour and attitudes towards all who are His. God had declared that they were to be “holy”, set apart, different, obedient, as a condition of living in the Land.  When we become “grafted in” to the richness of the root (Romans 11:17-21), we too are expected to become ‘holy’ unto the Lord. Set apart, different, obedient, faithful to the leading of His Holy Spirit, IF we are to “remain in the land” (metaphorically speaking).

If you seek comfort in these words of the Lord, just look at Isaiah 40:28.

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.”

Wasn’t it just last week that we discovered that “your ways are not My ways, says the Lord”.  In fact, God is now saying in this parashah “do not even bother trying to fathom out My ways because your humanity will not grasp the infinite measure of my love for you”(my paraphrase). Are you not able to just TRUST Me?”  Obedience to His commands is what God was looking for then, and that is what He is looking for today.

And what are we promised in return for that trust?

“But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

So perhaps we could spend time this week asking the Lord to show us what He would have us do in response to this word of revelation. There is certainly NOTHING that anyone can do to earn ones salvation, it is priceless, free, without merit, by the grace of God. But there is plenty of scope, for those who are saved by grace, to live righteously before the Lord our God and with each other. That is precisely what the Lord was instructing Isaiah to tell the Israelites of his day. It was not, and is not, a suggestion, it is a command of God.

There is an interesting question posed in Chapter 41:2.  “Who raised up one from the East?”  Some have speculated that this is a reference to Abraham, who was called from the ‘East’, Chaldea, to become the father of Israel. This would be a reasonable explanation since all the people were aware of the historical origins of Abraham. But it is also speculated by others that this is a prophetic reference to a future event. The exile to Babylon had not taken place at the time of Isaiah’s prophetic writing. So some see this as a reference to King Cyrus of Persia, who almost 200 years later would be ‘raised up’ by God to facilitate the return to Israel of Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah and almost 50,000 others to build again the walls of Jerusalem.

This being the case, it illustrates that even though God allowed their banishment from the Land, at the same time, His plan included their restoration then, just as He is calling Jews back to the Land today.

Be blessed as you contemplate the completeness of God’s great love.       

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   2

Torah portion           Genesis 6 : 9  – 11 : 32

Haftarah portion     Isaiah 54 : 1 – 56 : 5

Listen to the Prophets

We learned last week that the book of Isaiah is something of a miniature version of the whole Scriptures. The last 27 chapters of which (comparable to the Apostolic Scriptures, which is frequently referred to as the “New Testament”) contain the encouraging message of salvation.

The Haftarah relationship to the weekly Torah parashah is found in Isaiah 54: 6 – 10. A direct reference to the time when God flooded the earth. BUT, our Haftarah portion goes way beyond that to express the time, both present and future, when God remembers, with love and great mercy, those He called His “special treasure”. See verse 7. “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you.”

If we needed any reminder, here again, God emphasises His great love for Israel. Yes, He has moments and times of great frustration with these ‘stiff-necked’ people. Yes, they try God’s patience to the very limit. Yes, they are described in other places in Scripture as an “unfaithful wife”. BUT God is God. He has made an everlasting covenant of love with Israel, and we may be absolutely sure that God will NEVER break that covenant.

If you want to know the exact time when Israel will “no longer be a Nation before the Lord”, read Jeremiah 31: 35, 36, It is spelled out precisely there.

 Our parashah this week opens with an encouraging monologue from the Lord, “Sing O barren … enlarge the place of your tent … lengthen your chords … for you shall expand to the right and to the left …”    I am going to honour My covenant with Abraham.  I am going to make it happen. “For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of Hosts is His Name: And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel”

The Lord our God had been here before. He saw the abject wickedness of the people of His creation in the days of Noah. He decided to start again, so to speak, and chose the faithful Noah as His starting point. Even then, after some hundreds of years, it was not until “our father Abram” lived on this earth, that God was able to trust a man in whom He could have confidence to live righteously before Him and produce a family that God could use to be a light to the Nations. BUT, in Isaiah’s generation of Israelites, the Lord could see that they again needed a chastisement in order to bring about correction. Starting from scratch, as in the days of Noah was not an option. God had made an everlasting covenant to not go down that path. Isaiah’s task was to speak warning and to sound an alarm. At the same time to try to encourage the people with the promises of God regarding His great love for them.

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgement You (the LORD) shall condemn.” “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat”  “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near” “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord”

Don’t we just love these beautiful promises of God. He is talking to a people who are neglecting to live according to His commands. He is reaching out in love, and hope, that they will turn around and follow His ways.

Dear friends, what a challenge these Scriptures provide. We ALL want the blessing of God on our lives, do we not? We all bask in the joy of His great promises to us who believe. But is it good enough to “just believe”? The whole of Isaiah is a lesson for every age of believers. We have the advantage of knowing the end of the story. They did not heed the warnings of Isaiah and ended up in Babylon, in captivity. The Apostle James tells us that “faith without works is dead”. It is NOT about earning salvation. It is about keeping covenant with God as believers. Living as He has commanded, not carrying on as though we never met Yeshua.

A few verses from the end of our parashah we read “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all Nations” A verse of Scripture quoted by most without any knowledge that it is a ‘conditional’ promise. The condition is actually contained in conclusion of our parashah this week.

The promise is to those who “keep from defiling My Sabbaths” It may come as a shock to some, but what God wanted from those Israelites in Isaiah’s day, He also wants from us today.          

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   1

Torah portion           Genesis 1 : 1  – 6 : 8 

Haftarah portion     Isaiah 42 : 5 – 43 : 10

Listen to the Prophets

“Thus says God the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it”

So begins our Haftarah parashah today. The beginning of a new reading cycle. What a stirring message God entrusted to the faithful Isaiah. (It has been noted that Isaiah has 66 chapters, and our Bible has 66 Books. The Hebrew Scriptures contain 39 Books, and the first 39 chapters of Isaiah contain warnings and pleading for the Israelites of the Kingdom of Judea to return to the path God had set before them. The Apostolic Scriptures contain 27 Books, and the last 27 chapters of Isaiah’ prophecy provide words of encouragement and comfort, the salvation message. So Isaiah’s prophecy is seen as a representation of both the Hebrew and the Apostolic Scriptures).

The weekly Haftarah portion always bears some relationship to the corresponding Torah portion, which this week is the creation story. When God created “man”, His purpose was to have loving fellowship with, and worshipful praise from, His created beings. He declared that what He had created was “very good”’. The comparisons we see between the creation story, and our Isaiah passage, indicate that what turned out to be a failure on the part of ‘man’, recorded in Genesis, will eventually be restored and put right as outlined in our prophetic passage from Isaiah today.

So this Haftarah message gets right down to business. Speaking to and of Israel, Isaiah declares:-

“I the LORD have called you in righteousness and will hold your hand. I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles ..”

There is so much to ‘reflect upon’. PLEASE read this passage for yourself. You WILL be blessed, and if you are anything like me, you will be challenged too.

“Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth”   … says verse 10 

How about this as a suggestion for a new song!!        

Isaiah 25:1  “ O LORD, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.”

Most of us are not very good at singing ‘new’ songs to the LORD are we? And yet that seems to be the very sound that God loves to hear from those who are His. Next time you meet with the Lord in prayer, surprise Him ! sing Him this new song.

Our parashah looks forward to the time when Israel is restored to sweet fellowship with the LORD. It is very much a love letter from God to the people whom Isaiah has been warning because of their neglect of Torah. They had been living without proper acknowledgement of the covenant which was made by and with their forefathers in Moses time. Further comment from me seems superfluous. Just ponder some of the awesome things God revealed to Isaiah, for those ancient people, and marvel at the relevance of those words to us today.

42:16  “I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them. And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.”

42:20 “Seeing many things, but you do not observe: opening the ears, but he does not listen.”

 43:1-3 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name, you are Mine. When you walk through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you, when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.”

We know that in the end, Isaiah’s words were not heeded. So the Lord allowed them to go into Babylonian captivity for seventy years. Some, never to return.

How relevant are the words of Isaiah to us today? We have a choice to make.          

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections       “Tabernacles”

Torah portions             Leviticus 22:26 to 23:44  and Numbers 29 :12 - 16

Haftarah portion          Zechariah 14 : 1-21

Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16 have the commandments about annual observances of the “mo’edim”. (The Hebrew word for “appointed times”, which in turn is usually translated into English as “feasts”). These are times when God specified He would meet with His chosen ones.

Today, they are most often referred to as “Jewish Feasts”. That correctly describes the fact that they are observances remembered by Jews. But it is an incorrect understanding of the Scriptures.

When God gave these instructions to Moses, He carefully worded these ‘appointed times’ (mo’edim) as MY ‘mo’edim’. They may be characterized as times when God says, in effect, “I will be there to meet with you on these specific occasions”. Those who choose not to attend miss an opportunity of blessing through meeting with Him at His invitation.

This festival is a happy occasion. It lasts for seven days and begins and ends with a Sabbath rest. Following just 4 days after the most solemn remembrance of Yom Kippur it is celebrated in a very special way in Israel particularly.  The festival is actually known by THREE different English names. Tabernacles, Booths and Ingathering. In Hebrew ”Sukkot”.

Each family builds a kind of makeshift shelter, which they call “booths”, outside their home. It is deliberately constructed so that the roof is lightly covered with palm fronds which easily allows those inside the shelter to see the sky above. Observant Jewish families then carry on all normal family activities in and around this shelter. That includes having meals and sleeping.  The purpose of these constructions is to cause the family to remember the time when their ancestors lived in this manner in their wilderness journeying’s from Egypt to the Promised Land. Naturally, there is also much storytelling and appropriate scripture reading to encourage and enlighten the experience for the children of the family.

As mentioned above, it is an especially joyful festival.

In terms of our understanding of the prophetic significance of this festival, we need to recall the teaching which accompanied the first two festivals of this season. TRUMPETS heralds the return to this Earth of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach in power and great glory. Then follow 10 days of putting things right, before we remember the very solemn festival of YOM KIPPUR which is prophetic of the Great White Throne Judgement.

As the old hymn puts it “When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there”. Well this festival is effectively the time for ‘roll calling’. Those who have been judged worthy at the Great White Throne Judgement are invited to attend the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. That is consistent with the joyfulness of the occasion isn’t it?  In fact, “the Bride” of the Lamb is the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21 : 9 – 27) and there is no place for impurity within its walls. Only those cleansed by the blood of the Lamb participate in the Marriage Supper.

There is ONE more activity associated with this festival in Judaism. On the last day of the celebration is the most joyous parading of the Torah Scrolls through the Streets in Jerusalem, and I suspect, but have not personally witnessed, in other Jewish communities. This is called “Simchat Torah” (Rejoicing in the Torah). It marks the fact that the whole cycle of reading the Torah starts again for another year.

Take time to study and learn the significance of all the “mo’edim” of the Lord. They are full of rich meaning and this festival has been singled out for special mention in the millennial Kingdom. Read it for yourself in Zechariah 14 : 16 -19. It forms part of the Haftarah portion for this week.

Why is this ‘mo’ed’ singled out?  For your thoughtful consideration, the first clue comes in Jeremiah 16:14,15. Probably the most memorable day in the Hebrew calendar superseded by a bigger event! Jews restored to the Land in preparation for the return of Messiah. Pesach (which includes Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits) no longer celebrated. Shavuot, traditionally the time of giving of Torah superseded by a New Covenant. Yom Teruah completed by the appearance of Yeshua as King of kings.(No third appearance expected)  Yom Kippur, already completed at the White Throne Judgement. And what remains is the joyful time when Yeshua Tabernacles with us for the rest of time. It is the ONLY festival which remains when Yeshua returns to reign.  Hallelujah, what a Saviour. Be part of “The great ingathering”.

Shabbat Shalom

RS