Un-Answered Prayer?

7-24-10 Parasha: D’varim 3:23-7:11 V'et-chanan (and I pleaded)
Sermon by Rabbi Ken Alpren
both summarized by Val Waters, scribe

In D’varim 3:23 Moshe seems to be negotiating, even trying to manipulate the LORD, begging Him to change His mind and let Moshe go into the promised land across the Jordan. We know that he wasn’t allowed to go because he struck the rock rather than obeying the LORD and simply speaking to the rock. However, in verse 26, Moshe even seems to be blaming the children of Israel for the LORD’s anger at Moshe! He told Moshe, “Enough! Speak no more to me of this matter”!

Do we, when we are disappointed by circumstances, shift blame, or even recriminate others?
Or do we blame ourselves, and get depressed, even despair?

The LORD told Moshe to lift UP his eyes to the west, the north, the south and the east; and to behold with his eyes the promised land. He was told again that he would not be crossing over the Jordan. And immediately the LORD tells Moshe what he is supposed to focus on in v28: ‘But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you will see.’

Moshe was to put his focus and efforts on preparing Joshua to lead the children of Israel into the land of their inheritance!
He was to be saying to Joshua:

"here’s what you are to do" / command (tzvah)
"I’ll help (train) you" / strengthen (chazak)
"you CAN do it!" / embolden (amatz)

We need to get our eyes off of our own responses to circumstances and off of ourselves!
Remember, is something cannot be changed, it’s time to move past the disappointment and onward to fulfilling
God’s perfect plan!

Rabbi Ken shared a story of a man in prison who refused to work of the Lord’s day. He was beaten until he was paralyzed and could only move his neck. He couldn’t even feed himself. The prison conditions were desperate, and the prisoners would often sit near him because he was serene and joyful. He would tell them if the outlook is bad, try the “up look”! He reminded them of Stephen’s stoning in Acts 7. Everyone one had abandoned Stephen, but he looked up and was blessed to see Yeshua in heaven!

We need to focus on encouraging and helping others to inherit the promises!

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Val Waters, scribe