Zion's Voice

Haftarah Reflections   19

Torah portion           Exodus 25 : 1  to 27 : 19

Haftarah portion     1 Kings  5 : 12  to 6 : 13

Listen to the Prophets

King Solomon builds the temple of the Lord. That bald statement does not do justice to the effort made by the tens of thousands of people who were involved.

As our parashah opens, it looks as though King Solomon was the inventor of the ‘fly in fly out’ workforce we see in our large remote mining towns in Australia today. Ten thousand workers at a time, one month away in a foreign country, then two months back home. A staggering organizational task. Thirty thousand workers involved in that part of the programme.  Plus another eighty thousand quarrymen, and seventy thousand labourers. Amazing.

Those who have visited Jerusalem and walked through the excavated tunnel adjacent to the Kotel, and have seen the size of those foundation blocks of stone, (1 Kings 5:17) would agree that they are in themselves quite remarkable. Taking into account that they were quarried about three thousand years ago makes it even more so.

The parashah then describes some measurement detail of the building, another most important element of its design and construction. And it is not until we get to the very end of our reading that we find out the reason for this meticulous description.

It is repetitive of many other instances we have seen in our weekly ‘reflections’. “Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgements, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you, which I spoke to your father David. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.” It was to be the place where God would dwell amongst the people. A ready place of earthly identity for them. But we should also note that God is careful to declare the conditions attached to His statement.

Firstly, He undertakes to perform with Solomon, the covenant promises He made with his father David. It is a promise to continue that covenant. And secondly, it affirmed His covenants made with Abraham and Moses, to dwell among them and not forsake them.

 The condition:-“if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgements, keep all My commandments, and walk in them”.

Now to the extent that the Scriptures are given to us as an example and as an illumination of God’s ways, it is vital that we discern to what extent these conditions, which are repeated over and over again in the Hebrew Scriptures, from our God who declares Himself to be unchanging (Malachi 3:6), apply to us today.

Some may quickly remind us that our parashah was set in the days of the “old covenant’ and today we live under the “new covenant”. But as I read the terms of the “new covenant” (Jeremiah 31 and Hebrew 8) I cannot see any distinction between the two in terms of God’s Torah, other than the fact that the “new covenant” says that whereas the “old covenant’ was breakable, the “new covenant” is not. Read it carefully and honestly.

So the lesson for me in this parashah is this. God is clearly intent on bringing lasting blessing to His people. We are as much His people as the Israelites of old when we express our faith in the atoning death and resurrection of Yeshua.  We are part of His kingdom. He is our King. The King has clearly laid out His instructions for holy and righteous living. His requirement is that we “walk in His ways”. So where is the problem?

Part of our problem lies in the very words used to describe the Scriptures as a ‘divided’ Old Testament, with connotations of antiquity and obsolescence, and New Testament, with connotations of modernity and freshness, even replacement.

If we see the whole Bible as the revealed Word of Almighty God, if we take literally the words of the Apostle John, that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. If we see Yeshua, not only as carrying a wooden cross up the hill at Calvary, but also on the mountain communicating His word, His instructions, to Moses. Only then, will we see the ‘reasonable service’ (Romans 12:1) which God requires of us, as His followers, today.

Shabbat Shalom

RS                                                                                                                     

Haftarah Reflections   18

Torah portion           Exodus 21 : 1  to 24 : 18

Haftarah portion     Jeremiah 34 : 8 – 22  and 33 : 25,26

Listen to the Prophets

The parashah this week concerns obedience to the commands of God. We should not be surprised. God had issues with the people regarding ‘obedience’ from the very moment they all, many years earlier, as a community, agreed to abide by His word. The details are recorded quite clearly in Exodus 24. It seems to be the never ending story of the Hebrew Scriptures. (In Nehemiah’s account, (Nehemiah 10:29) after some of the exiles returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, the whole community again ratified their commitment to ‘obedience’ to walk in the ways of the Lord. But that is getting ahead of ourselves)  Worse than that however, with all the knowledge we have of our God and His ways, through His revelation to us in those Scriptures, nothing seems to have changed! We still appear to have difficulty with obedience. The problem in Jeremiah’s day related to the “shemittah”. The year of release. (Exodus 21, Leviticus 25 and Deuteronomy 15 for the serious student of the Scriptures!).

It was a kind of “blow hot blow cold” situation. It seems that the people had decided to observe “shemittah” (releasing their ‘slaves’ from bondage in the seventh year) but when they no longer had their bond servants to do their work, they reneged on the deal and took them back into bondage again. It would also appear that this was the final straw for the Lord, because very shortly after this the whole nation of Judah was taken captive by the Babylonians.

In his pronouncement, the Lord majored on the principle of ‘liberty’. This is a most important element in God’s economy. He had brought this people out of their bondage in Egypt, in order to make them into a nation that would walk in His ways. To set the captive free. Isaiah put it well.  “To heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives.” That is God’s heart for His people, and that includes us. He wants us to walk safely in His ways, to enjoy all the blessing He has for us, and to be free from the bondage of sin.

This is the thrust of what Jeremiah is told in verse 17 of our text. To paraphrase here, God is saying “I want you to enjoy liberty, My liberty, liberty for every one of you, including those who are in your service as slaves.”  But then He goes on to say “the liberty you have chosen is the liberty to NOT walk in My ways”, that is the choice they had made. “But this is where that kind of liberty will lead you. To the sword, to pestilence, to famine, because that is what you will find when you walk in your own ways amongst the nations to where you are going”.

All too often we are ready to blame God for everything that we feel might be going wrong in our lives. A common exclamation is “Why me?” There is no answer to that rhetorical question. But it may be worth exploring the extent to which we consciously ‘walk in His ways’. Then to ask ourselves this question; “Which liberty have we chosen?”  That is exactly what Jeremiah put to these Israelites in our parashah.

There are two more interesting observations to be made in this reading. The first is in relation to the Abrahamic Covenant in verses 18,19. The detail is found in Genesis 15, which says that a deep sleep fell upon Abraham. So technically, Abraham did not participate in that covenant. It was one sided so to speak, unconditional, God bound himself to keep that covenant. However, the text here indicates that by their willing agreement to the Mosaic Covenant, it was as though in so doing they also participated as equals with God in the cutting of the Abrahamic Covenant too.

The second observation is found in the verses in chapter 33 of our reading. This reference has a close affinity with the New Covenant. In Jeremiah 31, immediately following his announcement of the terms of the New Covenant, God specifies the time when Israel will no longer be a nation before Him

“Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar (The LORD of hosts is His name): "If those ordinances depart from before Me, says the LORD, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever."   Jeremiah 31 : 35,36

Now God is saying, had He not made that covenant with day and night, and not appointed the ordinances with heaven and earth, then He would already have cast Israel away.

But He did make that covenant, so His mercy and love towards these chosen ones is irrevocable. Our God is a covenant keeping God.

What a mighty, gracious, loving God we serve. Blessed be His Name for ever,

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   17

Torah portion           Exodus 18 : 1  to 20 : 23

Haftarah portion     Isaiah 6 : 1 to 7 : 6 and 9 : 6,7  

Listen to the Prophets

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”

What a triumphant exclamation to begin our parashah this week. Why? Because Isaiah “saw the Lord, high and lifted up”.  An experience rare in our day I suggest.

Isaiah makes note of the timing of this word “In the year that King Uzziah died”, so it would be possible to spend a lot of time ‘reflecting’ on that king. In Judah, 19 kings ruled after Solomon’s death. Only 8 of them are described as ‘good kings’. Uzziah was one of them. He reigned for 52 years, starting when he was just 16 years old. He was successful. He brought prosperity to the land. He built cities, and fortified others to increase the security of the people.  BUT ... there’s always a ‘BUT’ isn’t there?

Uzziah overstepped the mark. He grew proud of his considerable achievements, and, it seems, he thought himself ‘above the law’. He went into the Temple to offer incense on the altar. A role specifically forbidden for anyone other than the priests, who, to their credit, stood against the king. albeit unsuccessfully. The dreadful outcome for Uzziah was that as he argued with Azariah, the Chief Priest, God instantly struck him with leprosy in the very presence of the priests in the Temple, a condition which remained with him until his death.(see 2 Chronicles 26)

Jewish tradition has it that Isaiah was a cousin to Uzziah. In which case they would have known each other well. Maybe it was Uzziah’s death that caused Isaiah to see the Lord “high and lifted up” confirming that God will not be mocked, mistrusted or treated with contempt, by anyone, even a king. It was certainly a defining moment in Isaiah’s life. It heralded the beginning of his highly regarded prophetic ministry.

We are provided detail of the amazing encounter Isaiah experienced. Paraphrasing this experience, Isaiah thought he was finished. He had seen the King, the Lord of hosts. He might have recalled the time when Moses, that great servant of the Lord had asked the Lord to ‘Please, show me Your glory’ , and then he would have remembered the Lord’s reply “you cannot see My face, for no man shall see Me, and live” (Exodus 33:20). But in this unique experience, God commissioned Isaiah to speak for Him to the people of Judah, who, as the first 5 chapters of Isaiah makes clear, were again in a dark place regarding their commitment to the covenant promises made by their forefathers. Promises of which they were all aware (Deuteronomy 31:9-13).  The Torah was publicly declared to all the people, by the priests, once every seven years (the ‘shemittah’ year) at the ‘mo’ed’ of the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles).

Furthermore, God instructed Isaiah to speak, not only to the people but also to kings. The fearful Rezin, king of Syria, was camped in Samaria, and moved to make war against the Judeans at Jerusalem. King Ahaz, Uzziah’s grandson, was terrified at the prospect. The Bible tells us that his heart, and the hearts of the people, fluttered like trees in the wind. But Isaiah met the king (just near what is the Mamilla Centre today), to encourage and strengthen him.

This whole story is interesting, but we need to find the lesson which is contained therein, by which we can benefit and learn.

As we stated at the commencement of this ‘reflection’, the experience Isaiah had of seeing the Lord was, and is, very rare. For that reason it is difficult to translate that encounter into modern day terms. But what we can take from it is the way that Isaiah dealt with his experience. So real was that experience, and his reaction, that God later entrusted Isaiah with the announcement of the coming of Messiah. A most accurate depiction of His coming.

Most, if not all the people who read this ‘reflection’, are doing so because there was a time when we had an encounter with God. The circumstance of each of us will be many and various. But every one of us came “through the same door”.

The first lesson then is to note that Isaiah took careful note of that which God spoke to him. And he acted upon it. It was not just an emotional, head knowledge experience. It was life changing. It was real. It struck at the very heart of his being, and became much more than mere verbal assent to what had happened.

I wonder how many of us, having had that encounter with the Lord which brought us to the place of acknowledging Yeshua as Messiah, and trusting Him as our Saviour, have experienced the inner drive to behave, act, think, speak, listen and generally conduct ourselves differently to the way we lived those things prior to our encounter. In simple terms, what differences are obvious in our life and lifestyle? What differences do our friends and family see?

Please understand, that as I ‘reflect’ on the Scriptures, I receive a challenge, every time, without fail. In love I pass on my challenges for your ‘reflection’.

You will be blessed as you ponder these things.         

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   16

Torah portion           Exodus 13 : 17  to 17 : 16

Haftarah portion     Judges 4 : 4 to 5 : 31

Listen to the Prophets

Scholars have determined that Israel was ‘governed’ by 15 Judges over a period of approximately 400 years after the death of Joshua. God gave them this succession of righteous Judges, with whom they could consult whenever they required help and guidance, mainly in the settling of disputes. Deborah was the fourth such Judge, and she lived (and held court, as it were) in the territory of Ephraim.

Our parashah this week is set in a time almost 200 years after Joshua had led the children of Israel into the land of promise. The eleven tribes of Israel with a land allotment were still in the ‘settling’ phase. Each of them trying to get on with their lives as separate ‘provinces’, but they varied in the degree to which they were Torah observant (i.e. keeping their covenant), and as a result were still being harassed by the people local to them, amongst whom they lived.

In our text, the cruel Canaanite king Jabin, and his equally cruel army commander, Sisera, were causing significant angst for the tribes in the northern part of the territory. Such was the might of his army that the Israelites of the north were in dread of him. But Deborah had received word from the Lord that He would deliver Sisera and his vast well equipped army into their hands. So she called Barak, from the tribe of Naphtali, to prepare him to lead the fight against Sisera. Note that God’s instruction was that Barak’s army should consist of just 10,000 men. (Josephus Flavius informs us that Sisera’s army contained 300,000 foot soldiers as well as 10,000 horsemen and 3,000 chariots).  Barak declared that he would only raise an army to fight Sisera if Deborah would agree to go with him. Deborah, quite sure of the Lord’s deliverance, agreed to go with Barak, but told him that there would be no glory for him in the battle, that honour would go to a woman. Barak thought she meant herself, but of course that was not the case.

We remind ourselves of God’s injunction in Zechariah 4:6 “Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, says the Lord”. We see it in action here, and somewhat later we see it in relation to the small army Gideon was told to assemble.

The battle itself is quickly disposed of in our Hebrew Bible text. Josephus is much more descriptive. In a ‘nutshell’, Barak and Deborah, with their army of 10,000, occupied the high ground on Mt. Tabor, Sisera and his chariots were on the lowland of Plain of Esdrealon (Meggido). The Lord caused a great storm to arise, blowing from the east, directly into the faces of Sisera’s army (and at the backs of the Israelites of course). There was drenching rain. The chariots were bogged in the softened ground, useless. The archers couldn’t use their bows in the headwind, the foot soldiers could not wield their swords, and all the disadvantages which Sisera experienced were huge advantages for Barak. It is a wonderful story of deliverance. The aftermath of which was that the northern tribes enjoyed 40 years of peace after Sisera’s army was routed.

Now we need to see the message for ourselves in this parashah.

Perhaps lessons may be found in the song, composed by Deborah, and sang by both Deborah and Barak at the end of the battle. The people had assembled in obedience. A relatively small army, outnumbered 30 to 1, but with the promise of God on their side.

“When leaders lead in Israel” the song starts, “when the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the Lord”. We are exhorted to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (read Israel). Many of us ask the Lord to preserve the lives of those young men and women of the IDF today, who defend the nation against the vast armies of Islam (and others) who are arraigned against them.

The victory is assured. The Scriptures have prophesied the end of the story. It will see the return of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. To use the analogy of our parashah this week, the Jabin’s and the Sisera’s of today will be completely routed, then there will be peace. Not for 40 years as in our parashah, but for a thousand years in the millennial kingdom to come.

Deborah’s song tells of the difficulties that were encountered in the time leading up to the battle. It is quite graphic in its description of the parts played by the characters involved. And it does not take too much imagination to relate those times of difficulty with the opposition facing little Israel in today’s world.

The song ends:-

“Thus let all Your enemies perish, O Lord! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength”

This parashah is descriptive of the Lord speaking to His servant Deborah. It speaks of the clarity with which Deborah received that word of the Lord. And it speaks of the obedience of Deborah in “doing” the word.

Too often, I suggest, when the Lord speaks, He does not find the willing listener. But when He does, there follows abundant blessing and peace.

Join me in asking the Lord to speak clearly in our time.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   15

Torah portion           Exodus 10 : 1  to 13 : 16

Haftarah portion     Jeremiah 46 : 13 to 28

Listen to the Prophets

In last week’s Haftarah parashah, we heard from the prophet Ezekiel about the Lord rewarding the king of Babylon because he had used his army to fight against the king of Tyre, who had offended the Lord in relation to Jerusalem.

Jeremiah takes up the same theme this week. But the thrust of Jeremiah’s prophecy was directly to the Pharaoh of Egypt. He notes that Egypt was haughty, proud, and prosperous. Egypt was, at that time, a fertile land producing abundant crops of grain. In Joseph’s time, the ‘years of plenty’ had produced enough grain to satisfy not only the Egyptians, but also the surrounding nations with grain for the next seven years of drought. Joseph wisely built large grain vaults to store the grain in preparation for the debilitating drought God had shown Pharaoh in a dream.

But there was also another issue God had to deal with. There had been a remnant of the people who were not in captivity in Babylon (read the story in Jeremiah 42), who had asked Jeremiah to petition the Lord on their behalf, vowing that whatever the Lord said through Jeremiah, they would faithfully follow. When that word came they did the exact opposite of what God had declared, and chose instead to go to live in Egypt. This was an absolute violation of God’s promise to them of safety in their own land.

So, both Ezekiel and Jeremiah, prophesied the downfall of Egypt at the hands of the Babylonians, And because this remnant of Israelites had chosen to disobey the voice of God in going down to Egypt, the prophecy of Jeremiah regarding their own plight was assured by their presence there.

There is a lesson for us right here.

God had given these Israelites (His own people, called by His Name) a clear instruction through the medium of His respected prophet Jeremiah, declaring both the benefit of their obedience to His word, and the disastrous consequence of disobedience. There are those who might say “What a dreadful thing God has done to these people”. The truth is exactly the opposite. What a dreadful thing these Israelites did in not heeding God’s solemn warning. It is worthy of our attention lest we find ourselves doing exactly the same thing, albeit in very different situations.

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is always true to His word. He is a God of justice and a God of righteousness. He has spelled out clearly for us, in His word, the path we should tread before Him. The benefits of obedience are clearly spelled out, and the consequences of disobedience are there for us to see also.

In our day, we are seeing, not only individuals and groups, but whole nations, metaphorically ‘thumbing their nose’ at God. Even worse, there are some church denominations doing the same, especially in regard to Israel. When God spoke the promise of blessings and curses to Abraham in Genesis 12;3, He was deadly serious. It is worthy of note, yet again, that the words which are both translated ‘curse’ in English, are two different words in Hebrew, the language in which the Hebrew Scriptures were written. The first is “a’rar” meaning bitterly curse. The second “qalal” means to treat lightly, or to treat with contempt. How is it possible for whole Christian denominations to be so misled?

But in our parashah we end with on a note of comfort for Israel. The last two verses have two promises and a warning within them. The first promise is that Israel will not suffer the same devastating defeat as the Egyptians. The second is that their lives will be spared. However, because of their disobedient breaking of the first covenant made with Moses, and their utter contempt for the word delivered to them by Jeremiah, they would be punished by their actions. Because we have the record of history we are able to see exactly what happened to Israel some hundreds of years later, and for the same reasons. They would again be sent from the land, and on that occasion for almost two thousand years. We are only seeing, in our lifetime, that God is again calling them back to the Land again. This time it will be a lasting return, because this return is just one of the signs that God is preparing to send Yeshua back again to rule and reign from Jerusalem.

These prophets of old still speak today don’t they?

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   14

Torah portion           Exodus 6 : 2  to 9 : 35

Haftarah portion     Ezekiel 28 : 25  to  29 : 21  

Listen to the Prophets

The prophet Ezekiel was with the first group of people to be taken captive by the Babylonians, about eleven years before the fall of Jerusalem. He was called by God to the role and ministry as a prophet whilst in captivity.

The parashah today begins with the prophetic promise of return of the scattered Israelites to the Land. A prophecy which was partly fulfilled about 50 years later when Zerubbabel led the captives back to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. A closer look also suggests that the prophecy, not completely fulfilled at that time, would necessitate a further regathering to fulfil the prophecy completely. I believe that regathering is taking place today, before our eyes. Ezekiel has much more to say on this matter later in his prophetic writings. (Ezekiel 34-36).

In our reading today we have yet another occasion where God confirms the covenant promise made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, regarding the provision of a Land wherein they could dwell in prosperous safety. That covenant promise is unconditional. However, the covenant regarding the occupation of the Land, made with Moses hundreds of years later, specified the condition necessary for that occupation, namely, to live in a (Torah obedient) manner, very differently from the behaviour of  Nations around them, in order that they should be a light to those Nations. A covenant which they broke, and suffered the consequential dispersion, which Ezekiel saw at first hand, (which later occasioned the first partial fulfilment of the prophecy) and later yet, following their rejection of the Messiah of God, a much longer exile, which lasted from 135 C.E., following the Bar Kochba uprising against the Romans,, to the late 19th century, with the Theodore Hertzl convened Zionist Council in Basle, Switzerland. (occasioning the present regathering in completion of the prophecy)

Then Ezekiel prophesied coming calamity for Egypt, the well-known enemy of Israel, and a gift for the king of Babylon. At this time however, (believed to have been written about the same time as the fall of Jerusalem,) Egypt was in ascendancy, and Babylon was sparring with Judea.

The prophet Jeremiah (44:30) also has a word for these Nations. He tells us that the Pharaoh of Egypt was Hophra, and that Nebuchadnezzar would be Egypt’s conqueror.  Extra-Biblical records suggest that about 18 years after this prophetic announcement, Egypt was indeed conquered by the Babylonians, and when the Babylonians fell to the Persians about 40 years after that, they then facilitated the return of the captured Egyptians.

It is of some note that Ezekiel is so precise in the timing of God’s revelation to him. He recalls the year, the month and the day that God visited him with the message. It is similar today for those who have experienced the call of God on their lives. The event seems to burn in the memory, so important a visitation from God is for many people.

Whilst God orders Ezekiel to “speak” against Hophra, the Pharaoh of Egypt, it is unlikely that he spoke face to face. To that extent then, there would appear to be significance in the spoken proclamation of the word of the Lord. It is more than just have a ‘feeling’ or even a ‘vision’ of what God expects of us. There was physical expression to be made, and that probably in the presence of others, even though this is not specifically noted in the text.

When we pray, it can be the silent words of our mind. A quiet time before the Lord. But, I believe that an audible expression of our petition before the Lord provides a more meaningful conversation with Him. An open Bible and an open mind also is helpful in ‘hearing’ from God during our times of prayer.

The prophet concludes this reading with a word to Babylon. Look closely at Ezekiel 29:19,20. Do those words seem strange to you? Our Bible tells us that God was displeased with Tyre’s antagonism towards Jerusalem and promised that many nations would come against her. (Ezekiel 26) It was king Nebuchadnezzar who fought long and hard against Tyre, but with little material reward. God arranged that the reward would come in the fall of Egypt. And so it was.

There are many lessons for us today in this most interesting account of these prophetic pronouncements of Ezekiel. God continues to work out His purposes in the acts of men. “The fool has said in his heart ‘there is no God’ (Psalms 14 and 51). And still God uses the haughty, the proud, the boastful, and the disbelieving host, to further His eternal plan for man. But never without warning.

Ezekiel sounded the warning for the people of his day. TWICE, in his writings, Ezekiel told us what our responsibility is as “watchmen” for the Kingdom of God. Read it for yourselves in Ezekiel 3 and 33.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   13

Torah portion           Exodus 1 : 1  to 6 : 1

Haftarah portion     Isaiah 27 : 6  to  28 : 13  and 29 : 22-23

Listen to the Prophets

Isaiah exercised an amazing prophetic ministry of warning, judgement, and promise of salvation to both the Northern and Southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah. He was a Jerusalemite by birth, which makes him a Judean, but our Haftarah parashah today finds him bringing a warning and judgement message to the Israelites of the Northern kingdom.

I am comforted in the knowledge that commentators generally have found difficulty in coming to grips with the language of this parashah. Clearly, Isaiah is burdened with the situation in which he could see the Israelites moving further away from their covenant promises, into idolatry and disregard for the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, even though they paid some kind of lip service to the principle.

To that extent, we might have a lesson for today, as we see a ‘church age’ which embraces popular secular themes in an effort to increase attendance and membership. It has been observed by some, perhaps unfairly, that many churches today are little more than religious social clubs. The concept of adherence to God’s instruction for righteous living is seen as obsolete. Outdated in the world of today. Well, that, in effect, is what Isaiah saw in his day too.

Isaiah lived at a time when he saw the dispersion of the Northern tribes of Israel at the hand of the Assyrians. First, the king Tiglath-Pileser in the 730’s b.c.e., then king Sargon in 722 b.c.e., and finally king Shalamanezer 5th, completed the rout of Israel. An event which is known today as ‘the lost tribes of Israel’, because they have not subsequently been identified as a group.

(An interesting aside here. Look at Isaiah 9:10. Arrogant words spoken by the people of the northern kingdom of Israel when being attacked by the Assyrians. They are exact words used by the President of the U.S. congress at the time of the infamous destruction of the World Trade Centre in New York in 2001. It was this expression that caused Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Kahn to write his epic book “The Harbinger”, which warns America about its clear move away from the intent and purpose of America’s founding fathers when the land was settled in 1620).

There is another most interesting element about this prophecy of Isaiah. It has more than one interpretation. Firstly, of course, it has relevance to the immediacy of the situation facing the Northern kingdom of Israel. But it also has application to other events which took place about 130 years later in regard to Judea, and of even more significance is that the prophecy has relevance to our times today, and onwards into the future. It is, in part, this multi-faceted interpretation of Isaiah’s words that have caused some to have difficulty with it.

From verse 12, we have a descriptive promise of the regathering of Israel, to boundaries which are as yet unaccomplished. But in verse 13, there is the description of both the immediacy of calamity which befell them, and the futuristic events of the time when all Israel will be saved.

The prophetic descriptions in chapter 28 continue in the same vein. The graphic picture painted in the words about the uncleanness of the dining table are symptomatic of the state of unfitness of the Israelites to have fellowship with the Lord because of their wanton disregard of God’s word and His ways.

It is quite unfashionable to see God as harsh, and some might interpret this description as such. But we need always to remember that what some might see as God’s harshness, is in fact the natural result of man’s wanton decision to disregard the many warnings included in the Bible about the very justice of God, who cannot embrace sin. Idolatry is sin against a Holy God and a total disregard of His word.

It seems that towards the end of our parashah in Chapter 28 God is saying that just as their fall was “little by little, precept upon precept and line upon line” so will be their restoration in due time. There are no real words of comfort spoken by the prophet here, which is why, probably, the Rabbi’s included the words from Chapter 29 to conclude the readings. They are the only words of comfort to be found in the long recitation of dire warnings here.

“Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob; ‘Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now grow pale; but when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, they will hallow My name, and hallow the Holy One of Jacob, and fear the God of Israel.’”

If there are lessons for us today in this passage it is because we worship a God who does not change. The very things which Isaiah condemned in his prophetic utterances to these people, he would condemn in us today. God expects all who are His to walk in His ways. He did then, and He does now.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   12

Torah portion           Genesis 47 : 28  – 50 : 26

Haftarah portion     1 Kings 2 : 1 - 12

Listen to the Prophets

There is always some link between the Torah parashah each week with the corresponding Haftarah parashah, The Torah reading has the account of Jacob’s death, and the promises he extracted from his sons regarding where he should be buried. The Haftarah has the account of the final days of King David’s life, and some instructions he gave to his son Solomon.

David had reigned over Israel (a kingdom united under his leadership) for a period of 40 years. He had dominated his earthly enemies, and the nation knew prosperity and peace as a result. His presumptuous son Adonijah, had been thwarted in his attempt to assume the throne, and Solomon was now the King. David has some very good advice to pass on to the newly crowned King Solomon.

“… be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgements, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Torah of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; that the Lord may fulfil His word which He spoke concerning me…”

I find it very interesting that in almost every ‘reflection’ of both the Torah and the Haftarah, there seems to be an exhortation to be faithful to the covenant God made with Moses. We might say it was easy for King David, who was, after all, described as “a man after God’s own heart” (see 1 Samuel 13:14). David expressed himself in ways many could not, as in Psalm 119, in which he extensively praises the ‘Torah’ of the Lord and his great love for it. In most of our English Bibles, the word used is “law”. We know that very few of us have much love for the “law”, do we? We tolerate the law, and most of the time obey the law, but we don’t generally express love for the law. So evidently, the “law” for which David expressed his love was very different.

Many times we have defined the “law” as God’s instructions for righteous living, but it would also be true to define it simply as “the Word of God”. David’s exhortation to Solomon was to ‘walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgements, and His testimonies’. David clearly saw that as the way of safety, of protection, of success, and of knowing God’s favour, in this fatherly advice.

And yet, we are taught in many of our churches that the Torah of Moses is obsolete, finished, dead, out of date, never to return. How wrong that teaching is! And all because it is referred to as ‘the Old Covenant’. But when we look closely at “the New Covenant”, what do we find? The same Torah, ( instructions, word of God), ‘put in their minds, and inscribed on their hearts’. Yes, the SAME Torah. (if you are not sure about this, read Jeremiah 31: 31 -34, and Hebrews 8: 7 -12).  But this time, a covenant which is unbreakable.

We should now try to see this in a modern context. Think of the people you know, or whom you are acquainted with. People you most admire or respect because of their perceived Godly living. Almost inevitably they will be people who are not only well versed in the Scriptures, but they will be people you consider to be wise, reliable, gracious and trustworthy. They are people you can turn to when difficulties arise, when disputes surface, when grief visits. But they are also pretty thin on the ground aren’t they?

God is constantly seeking a people who will “walk in His ways, keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgements, and His testimonies” even today. But that requires a people who will read His word, who will study the Scriptures, who will talk with Him and who will be obedient to His voice. God is able to use anyone who makes himself/herself available in His service, and who is obedient to the Word.

The advice David gave to Solomon came with a promise. It was a conditional promise, and we all need to take note of the conditions which are discussed above. The promise was “that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; that the Lord may fulfil His word to you”.

The Lord bless you as you read this Haftarah parashah and as you ask Him to reveal His will for you, as He did for Solomon.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   11

Torah portion           Genesis 44 : 18  – 47 : 27 

Haftarah portion     Ezekiel  37 : 15  - 28

Listen to the Prophets

Ezekiel was a member of a priestly family, and as such he was quite familiar with Levitical customs and laws, as well as having an intimate knowledge of Mosaic Law. He was exiled to Babylon in 597 B.C.E., about 11 years prior to Jerusalem falling into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. Of all the writing prophets, Ezekiel is the most precise regarding the timing of his writings. Thirteen times, he gives us date references. His writings cover a period of about 22 years, indicating a very close walk with God.

In our parashah today, we come to a message of encouragement to the exiles, prophesying that the Lord would take them back to the Land of Promise, and moreover, re-unite the Nation again under one king.

Ezekiel 37 is most known for its “valley of dry bones” pronouncement. What we have before us today follows that, and is most exciting because it also relates to events we see happening in our day, as well as events still in the future.

The prophet is instructed to take two sticks, write inscriptions on each, one for Judah (the people in exile in Babylon at that time) and one for Israel (the people of the Northern Kingdom who were taken captive 136 years earlier).  Then he was told to join those sticks and hold them in his hand so that people could see only one stick. The explanation of this is contained in verses 21 and 22. It is a promise of God to these people, that they would return to their own land, be re-united with their ‘cousins’ from the Northern Kingdom, would settle in that land under one king, and never be divided into two kingdoms ever again.

It was 40 years before these people saw the first evidence of fulfilment of this prophecy. And now, about 2,500 years on, we are yet to see its complete fulfilment, but we clearly see it coming as more and more Jewish people are making Aliyah to Israel from every corner of the globe. This is consistent with other prophetic pronouncements made by Ezekiel in chapters 34 and 36.

It is often the case in Biblical prophecy, that there are multiple layers of fulfilment. The first layer was the initial return under the leadership of Zerubbabel, when restoration building work commenced, and the main cause of their exile, the neglect of Torah, was rectified and the people again began to learn and to observe the principles of righteous living together.

But there is much more for us to learn and be excited about in this parashah. It is quite obvious that we are now entering another layer of fulfilment of this prophecy. The people are returning to the land in unprecedented numbers. Over 7 million Jews now live in the territories previously divided as Israel and Judea. Since 1948 there has been only Israel, BUT there is not yet ONE KING over them. Our parashah says that king will be David. However, from other prophetic promises we know that the everlasting kingdom (2 Samuel 7: 8-16) will be ruled by a successor of the House of David. That will be King Yeshua.

Please read carefully the words in verses 24 to 28. The promises contained here are as yet unfulfilled. There is a strong reference here to the New Covenant which God promised through the prophet Jeremiah. Let’s look closely at the text. (Remember the two sticks made one?)

“They shall walk in My judgements and observe My statutes, and do them. A covenant of peace. An everlasting covenant. My sanctuary set in their midst forevermore. I will be their God. They shall be My people. The nations will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.”   We see this today only in part, and a small part at that.

Let’s now look at the terms of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31: 31 – 34 “Made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. (two sticks made into one) I will put My Torah in their minds. I will write My Torah on their hearts. I will be their God. They shall be My people. They shall ALL know Me. I will forgive their iniquity. Their sin I will remember no more”.  This is a covenant that is people proof!! It cannot be broken.

Such is the foresight that God gave to Ezekiel. Not only the events which took place in the first return to the land, but those taking place today, and those still to come. What a mighty prophet of God Ezekiel is shown to be. On a very personal note, I have firsthand experience of hearing the direct word of God to me in the reading of Ezekiel. It changed my life. The reading of this prophetic book may be a blessing in your life too.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Haftarah Reflections   10

Torah portion           Genesis 41 : 1  – 44 : 17 

Haftarah portion     Zechariah 2: 10 to 4: 7

*This Haftarah parashah replaces the usual reading (1 Kings 3:15 to 4:1) because it is Shabbat of Hannukah this year (2024)

Listen to the Prophets

"Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst," says the LORD. “Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem.”

So begins our Haftarah parashah for today. A resounding statement of encouragement. And that is what the prophecy of Zechariah is about. Some 50,000 Israelites had returned from Babylon under the leadership of Zerubbabel. They had commenced rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and restoring what they could of Solomon’s Temple. But there was opposition and the work had been delayed. So the Lord raised up Haggai, Zechariah and Ezekiel at that time, all with prophecies of encouragement, with the message that the work of rebuilding the Temple was important because it had a future as the centre of worship of the Messiah.

But there is more than that, because Zechariah had a vision that took him beyond the work of Zerubbabel, and into a time still future to us today. In fact, Zechariah prophesies into the future global battle for Jerusalem and the return of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach to the Mount of Olives.

However, in our parashah this week, the prophetic words of Zechariah came to him by means of a vision. In that vision he saw a man, Joshua the High Priest, whom, it was thought was probably one of the 4,300 or so priests who had returned from Babylon. The prophet Malachi throws some light onto this scene (Malachi 2:1-9). Whether his garments were literally ‘filthy’, or metaphorically ‘filthy’ is not at issue. We know the difference. But what is important is that the Lord brought about a miraculous change in his appearance and in his condition. Isaiah tells us that “we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” 

But the Priests were in a special position. They were responsible for teaching the people regarding the Torah. The Apostle Ya’akov (James) had a word about the responsibility of “teachers” didn’t he? He said “Let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment”.   But in Zechariah’s vision he was able to see that the love and mercy of Almighty God was able to remove all the guilty stains and reclothe them, even the Priests, in garments white as snow. Then this amazing promise “If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My command, then you shall also judge My house”.

Remember, the people were already engaged in building “the House”. And “the House” could not function without the Priests, and the Priests could not function in “the House” unless they were ‘clean’. It is true that the ‘cleanness’ here was ritual cleanness, but inner cleanness comes from living righteously in accord with God’s commands. As God says many times “Be ye holy as I am holy”, set apart, different, living My way. That is inner cleanness.

Then, in Zechariah’s vision, he hears the Lord telling Joshua the High Priest about the coming Messiah, “My servant the BRANCH”. And the prophecy that “will remove the iniquity of that land in one day”. I believe the Apostle Paul makes reference to this day in Romans 11:26 in which he says “all Israel will be saved”. It is also a direct reference to the coming “New Covenant” to be made with ‘the house of Israel and the house of Judah” see Jeremiah 31:34. A covenant sealed with the precious blood of Yeshua.

What power is there that can bring this about?. Israel in Yeshua’s day, the same as today, was and is, looking for a man who will come and deliver them from their enemies. A human being saviour. A strong deliverer. But what the Lord showed Zechariah was quite different. He saw two olive trees standing by the lampstand of solid gold. Zechariah 4:14 tells us who these olive trees are. They provide the oil to keep the lamp alight. And they are two anointed ones, standing beside the Lord of the whole earth.  Who do you think they could be? 

And what or who is going to make this happen?  “Not by might (human endeavour) nor by power (strong men), but by My Spirit says the LORD of Hosts”

“O LORD, our LORD, how excellent is Your Name in all the earth.” Ps 8:1

 Shabbat Shalom

RS