Thursday, March 14, 2024

Does the Covenant's return result in blessings or consequences? (2 Samuel 6-7)

 When we invoke the divine, we must do do in the proper way. We must never take God for granted. We must carry the Lord in us. Paul Evans wrote in his book “1-2 Samuel,” “Modern Christians often so emphasize God's love and forgiveness that we forget God is not safe.”( Pg.354, Zondervan; 2018) To invoke the Holy One , we must approach with holiness sanctifying ourselves to the Lord.  

It is easy to note that houses of the the Lord do not hold the same magnificence of the greatest estates. This is meant to be as one up ward instead of earthly magistracy. We try to create an image of the Lord in our minds. That is sin, for the Lord raised us up to where we are.. John Goldingay wrote in his book “1&2 for Everyone,” “God's problem with us is that we like to tie God down, keep God under control. We don't want God on the loose. God likes to be on the loose.” (Pg. 134, Westminster John Knox Press:2011)

The Lord wants to live among us. The attributes of the Mystical YHVH are pitying the sinner, gracing the repentant, ruling, sympathizing to suffering, loving concern, long-suffering, abounding in mercy, verifying, remembering human merit, understanding, forgiving, atoning, and seeing guilt. He made King David glorious for out of him came the Messiah. When the Messiah rules , Israel will dwell in peace.

The Holy One chooses the lesser things to have greatness. Man is small there is nothing like the Lord. May the Lord bring peace in our time.

Thursday, March 7, 2024

How long Will the Weep? (I Samuel 16-18

 There is a point that after rejecting the Lord too many times that there is no more grace . Our choice to reject the Almighty is our condemnation. Alec Motyer wrote in his book “The Message of the Exodus: the Days of our Pilgrimage,” “The price we pay is that every choice, for good or ill, goes to fashioning our characters, and whether in the long or short term—or both—makes us answerable to the Judge of all the earth.” (Pg. 122; InterVarsity Press, 2005)

God will choose people who have a heart for Him. He com to all men in peace, but some seek a quarrel against the Holy One. When we are blinded by sorrow , we cannot see the Lord's choice. His heart seeks those who love Him regardless of appearance as 1 Sam 16:6-7 states this:

'But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”'NASU

In an enthralling cosmic drama, when humanity turns its back on the Divine, an extraordinary sequence of events unfolds. The Almighty, in a display of both wrath and love, sends trials and tribulations not as punishment, but as a clarion call to return to His embrace. Yet, in their quest for escape, humans embrace distractions, unwittingly nurturing the very force destined to usurp their place in the grand design.

This saga unfolds on an individual battlefield where every soul confronts its demons—challenges that seem insurmountable, yet are more brittle than they appear, a testament to the deceiver's guile. The serpent's armor, gleaming with false invincibility, serves not as protection but as a taunt to those it seeks to intimidate. Amidst this turmoil, a profound truth emerges: the battle is not ours to fight alone, for it belongs to the Lord. He, in His infinite wisdom, wields our talents as instruments of His divine will, weaving our actions into a tapestry that reveals His glory.

The unveiling of God's magnificence disrupts the equilibrium, confronting all with a choice—embrace the divine or stand in opposition. Success, when bestowed by the Lord, stirs envy in the hearts of those cast aside, a divine strategy that ignites a yearning for what they have lost. The Spirit of God, once gentle and comforting, now becomes an unstoppable force, demanding decision.

In this celestial journey, a true servant of God emerges, choosing the path of honor, even when faced with hatred. This narrative is not just a tale of conflict and redemption; it's a reflection on the power of faith, the resilience of the human spirit, and the unfathomable depths of divine love. It's a reminder that in the grand chessboard of existence, each move we make is guided by a hand far greater than our own, leading us towards a destiny filled with purpose and light.

Thursday, February 29, 2024

How does Leadership have its Relationship with God? ( 1 Samuel 1-3

 What only God can give should be our hearts desire. Honoring the Holy one is the first step in grace and comfort. Love cannot replace pain in the soul. Encouraging word only fex whom the Lord has not blessed. The answer is to seek the Lord alone as Paul Evens wrote in “1-2 Samuel,” “It is about those who realize they are in total reliance upon God and his grace.” (Pg. 45, 2018; Zondervan)

In our land of perversion, the righteous are called evil. The Lord will not despise a pure heart. When we pay our vows to the Lord, He gives us grace.  We find joy for the Lord is our reliance. The hand of the Most High is open to give what only He can give. Our salvation is in the Messiah alone.

We live in a world were even religious leaders are corrupt. That which is meant for the Lord is stolen. God has called each of us to stand for Him as a light in the darkness  of this present age as Rabbi Elie Mischel wrote in the article “Jews in the Pews” for the Israel Bible.

“God established the priesthood to ensure that there would always be people dedicated to helping the masses draw close to Him. But when the establishment itself becomes corrupt, “regular” people like Samuel must stand up and challenge it to ensure the establishment is purified and serves its true purpose. Merely being a priest, a descendant of Aaron, is not enough; priests must live and act with holiness.” (February 8, 2024  https://theisraelbible.com/jews-in-the-pews-rise-up/ Nov 16, 2023)

The Almighty speaks rarely so we must be ready to listen. If we are faithful in small things, He will give us greater things. God makes His will known though divine serenity, the Lord has seen the wickedness in our land and will judge.

What describes the Cyclical Pattern of Disobedience, oppression, repentance, and deliverance?(Judges 1-2)

 When we lose a mediator on earth, our purpose becomes disrupted, but we must always follow the Lord as our leader.  Without unity, we are scatter to act in the law of reprisal. The Lord has called us to a work so that accepting the ways of sin destroys our hope. Then, we become the ungodly.

We are quick to forget the power of the divine when we start succeeding in our own strength. Without the Hand of God, we will fail. Our children are no longer precious to us. Sinning, we work with evil.

In our sin, the Messiah comes down to us. He reminds us of our redemption. The Lord has made a covenant and will not forsake us so we should never ally with evil. Because we have united with evil the Lord will no dive it out completely until the End of Days. Repentance must fallow confrontation of sin.

When a generation comes, that does not know God, they serve reason and their own desire.  They abandon the God of their fathers. The Holy One will smite them. If they repent, the might be delivered.

Thursday, February 8, 2024

Chazak! (Joshua 1-3)

 Be honest! Despite the fact that Moses, our esteemed rabbi and the unparalleled leader who guided us out of Egypt, has departed from this earthly realm, the sacred Torah that the Lord bestowed upon him remains an eternal beacon of wisdom and guidance. It is incumbent upon each successive generation to embrace, study, and live according to these divine teachings, ensuring that the spiritual legacy of Moses continues to illuminate our paths and shape our destinies. As the Lord was with Moses, He is with us. John Calvin in his “Commentary on Joshua” wrote this:

“And in fact, the distrust which arises from anxiety kindles in us such tumultuous feelings that on the least appearance of danger, we turmoil and miserably torment ourselves until we feel assured that God both will be with us and more than suffice for our protection. And, indeed, while he prescribes no other cure for our timidity, he reminds us that we ought to be satisfied with his present aid.”(Pg. 15 Christian Classics Ethereal Library

We must embrace divine blessings.  Complacency looses the potential riches that the Lord has in store for us.  If we did not, we still need to help those who did. Only when we have rest can we then accept His blessings. We follow Torah as guild each other in fellowship.

 When the pagan sees the Lord he will either choose to fight Omnipotence or bow. Though our live, we spread Him to the the nations. Rabbi Dr. H Freedman wrote in Joshua for the book Joshua and judges this, “When Israel is fulfills the will of the Omnipotent, His Name is magnified to the world.” (Pg.9; 1950, Soncino Press) Though that, some choose to embrace our faith.

The sign of our covenant with the Lord must walk before us. Purify yourself for the Lord to walk among you. Those who honor God find honor.

Death lips demand the reverence of the Eternal’s commandments. The Terror of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fearing Him must come first before we can learn to love Him. Like “Beauty and the Beast,” love comes out of fear. We must instill such in our children so they may live in blessing.

Greater still are acts of love. There is a unity of all things but only one God. The attributes of the Mystical YHVH are pitying the sinner, gracing the repentant, ruling, sympathizing to suffering, loving concern, long-suffering, abounding in mercy, verifying, remembering human merit, understanding, forgiving, atoning, and seeing guilt. We Love Him out of His Love for us. That Love is best expressed in doing His Torah. Dennis Prager wrote in his book the Rational Bible: Deuteronomy, “But love must be reflected in behavior. We are therefore to live according to His commandments.” (pg. 2; 2022   Regnery)

The condition of our lives should bring the love of the Lord to others. As much as we keep Torah, It keeps us. We must keep reminders to walk in faith. Rabbi Pesach Wolicki’s new book, Verses for Zion  “If we make conscious choices to govern our behavior by faith in God, the result is that we will begin to see the world through eyes that reflect that faith.”

Only by the power of the Lord can we accomplish anything. When we are full, we often forget the blessing of the divine. Then, especially we must reverence the Lord. God has a jealous desire for you. His judgment is real and He will destroy unrighteousness. Do what is right and He may create a holy possession making our countries great again.

 When someone wonders about the Lord's legitimacy in making such requests, our response is that He granted us freedom. In each generation, we have seen the “sea split” and many other miracles. The laws He has given us are for our own benefit. We find happiness in serving the Lord.There is no room for giving the Glory of God to anything else. To fallow the Lord, we must only yoke ourselves to the Children of the Lord, so we may dive each other to good works. John Calvin preached in his sermon “On Thursday, the first of August 1555 The 51st Sermon which is the first upon the seventh Chapter,”

“You shall resemble your heavenly father (says our Lord Jesus Christ) who causes his day sun to rise both upon good and bad: and therefore do good to such as are not worthy of it. Seeing that GOD has not a better reason to persuade us to show mercy, than by showing us what he himself does: it seems not in any wise convenient, that he should provoke us to cruelty.”

The Lord did not choose the Jews for their greatness, but so His greatness could be seen in them. God keeps His covenent with this who love Him. Atheism steals God's glory, which is why their societies fail. Fertility is promised to those keep His Torah.


Thursday, January 25, 2024

What is the Journey from Slavery to Redemption? (Exodus 1-3)

 We have forgotten our godly heritage. The mercy of God is foreign to us. Denis Pragur wrote in his book The Rational Bible Exodus, “A nation that doesn't remember its past, like the man who fell on his head, ceases to be the nation it was.” (pg. 2; 2018   Regnery) The West no longer exists as Christendom.

Abortion is the greatest crime of our generation. It is a genocide of innocence to promote greed. Wise women have risen up in every generation to preserve and protect that life. God's laws trump man's laws for the Holy will bless those was fallow Him. Powerful men cannot abide with life so the seek to destroy childhood.

In every generation the Almighty raises up a person to fight the wickedness. This is aided by the faith of those who surround the holy hero as  Heb 11:23 declares, “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's edict.” NASU  “The Birth of Moses” in “Exodus” in the Zohar declares, “When the body of a righteous hero is born in this world the Blessed Holy One summons Gabriel who carries the soul-breath from the Garden and bring her down to born into this world.” (pg.99 Trans. Daniel Chanan Matt, Paulist Press 1983)

Redemption cannot come though man's strength alone. Denis Prager wrote later in “The Rational Bible: Genesis,” “While faith without works is dead, works without faith faith ultimately die.” (180 Pg.) The brashness of man does not do the work of God. Rather, redemption is found though at though the divine as Hudson Taylor said, “God's work done God's way will never lack God's supply.”

The Lord hears our suffering. When wickedness is full , the Holy One judges. He is our deliver.The attributes of the Mystical YHVH are pitying the sinner, gracing the repentant, ruling, sympathizing to suffering, loving concern, long-suffering, abounding in mercy, verifying, remembering human merit, understanding, forgiving, atoning, and seeing guilt. 

In Exodus, a tale unfolds,

A journey ancient, yet untold.

Five chapters deep, the story weaves,

A people's plight, their hopes it cleaves.

 

Chapter one begins the strife,

A land in bondage, a bitter life.

Israel in Egypt, enslaved they stand,

The Pharaoh's grip, an iron hand.

 

Chapter two, a child is born,

A Hebrew babe, amidst the scorn.

Moses, chosen, set to be,

A leader strong, to set them free.

 

Chapter three, a burning bush,

God's voice, a call, a sacred hush.

"I am who I am," the words declare,

Moses chosen, a burden to bear.

 

Chapter four, with staff in hand,

Moses fears, can he withstand?

Signs and wonders, God bestows,

A shepherd called, to lead and close.

 

Chapter five, the Pharaoh's wrath,

As Moses seeks to clear the path.

Bricks and mortar, burdens weigh,

Israel's cry, to God convey.

 

Exodus unfolds in chapters five,

A saga written, alive and rife.

The journey long, the struggle real,

Yet hope prevails, God's plan to seal.