Rabbi Ken Alpren
Sermon Notes Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
12/10/11
Ya’akov had two encounters with the Divine; one at Beit-El and another at P’ni-El. When G-d visits us He transforms us! He wants to be with us. We may be wrestling, troubled or have perpetual struggles with the L-rd, like Ya’akov. But G-d doesn’t give up on us!
Genesis 28:15, “Look, I am with you. I will guard you wherever you go, and I will bring you back into this land, because I won't leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
Ya’akov had a dream at Beit-El.
Genesis 28:11-12, ‘He came to a certain place and stayed the night there, because the sun had set. He took a stone from the place, put it under his head and lay down there to sleep. 12 He dreamt that there before him was a ladder resting on the ground with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of ADONAI were going up and down on it.’
Dreams can be prophetic but they can also be derived from fleshly or even satanic influence. We have an ‘ear gate’ and an ‘eye gate’ both of which should be guarded. If we have allowed negative influences in to our hearts and minds, we can repent and be restored and be free of those influences.
It is interesting that the only time the Hebrew word interpreted as ‘ladder’ is used in the Bible is to describe the method or instrument upon which the angels were ascending and descending Heaven. The Hebrew word is ‘sullam’. This ladder originated in Heaven and demonstrates to us G-d reaching down to us! Our remedy is G-d initiated.
2 Corinthians 5: 18-19, ‘And it is all from God, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to himself and has given us the work of that reconciliation, 19 which is that God in the Messiah was reconciling mankind to himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.’
ADONAI appeared to Ya’akov at Beit-El and gave him a promise!
Genesis 28:13-15, ‘Then suddenly ADONAI was standing there next to him; and he said, "I am ADONAI, the God of Avraham your [grand]father and the God of Yitz'chak. The land on which you are lying I will give to you and to your descendants. 14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the grains of dust on the earth. You will expand to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. By you and your descendants all the families of the earth will be blessed. 15 Look, I am with you. I will guard you wherever you go, and I will bring you back into this land, because I won't leave you until I have done what I have promised you." 16 Ya'akov awoke from his sleep and said, "Truly, ADONAI is in this place - and I didn't know it!"
We need to seek G-d presence while in our congregation as well as personally.
1 Corinthians 5:4, ‘In the name of the Lord Yeshua, when you are assembled, with me present spiritually and the power of our Lord Yeshua among us.’
Five times in the vision at Beit-El, the Hebrew word “hinneh” is used impressing upon the reader the perceptive substance of the promise G-d was making to Ya’akov. When G-d was introducing His promise to Ya’akov he kept using this word as emphasis. It can be translated ‘behold’. Where else do we see this perceptive substance used?
John 1:29, ‘The next day, Yochanan saw Yeshua coming toward him and said, "Look! [Behold] God's lamb! The one who is taking away the sin of the world!’
Even with this dramatic experience, Ya’akov didn’t remember so well. Sometimes we are unaware of G-d’s activity and forget!
Genesis 28:16, ‘Ya'akov awoke from his sleep and said, "Truly, ADONAI is in this place - and I didn't know it!"’
Are we aware when G-d reveals Himself to us and even more, do we always remember?
Albert Einstein described time as the fourth dimension. But there is another dimension; the fifth dimension where G-d lives, and He reveals His activity and Himself to us in our four dimensional world!
Isaiah 57:15, ‘For thus says the High, Exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy: "I live in the high and holy place but also with the broken and humble, in order to revive the spirit of the humble and revive the hearts of the broken ones.’
We all need a revelation or encounter with G-d. Can you remember receiving an encounter with G-d and experiencing the House of G-d and Gate of Heaven?
Ya’akov seemingly forgot the promises of G-d and encounter he experienced as recorded in Genesis 28 and we see in Genesis 32, he prays to G-d. He is struggling over Esav’ and he is afraid!
Genesis 32:9-13, ‘Then Ya'akov said, "God of my father Avraham and God of my father Yitz'chak, ADONAI, who told me, 'Return to your country and your kinsmen, and I will do you good': 10 I'm not worthy of all the love and faithfulness you have shown your servant, since I crossed the Yarden with only my staff. But now I have become two camps. 11 Please! Rescue me from my brother 'Esav! I'm afraid of him, afraid he'll come and attack me, without regard for mothers or children. 12 You said, 'I will certainly do you good and make your descendants as numerous as the grains of sand by the sea, which are so many they can't be counted.'" 13 He stayed there that night; then he chose from among his possessions the following as a present for 'Esav his brother.’
We certainly tend not to trust or remember!
Isaiah 30:15, ‘For this is what Adonai ELOHIM, the Holy One of Isra'el, says: "Returning and resting is what will save you; calmness and confidence will make you strong - but you want none of this!’
But G-d promises, Isaiah 32:18, ‘My people will live in a peaceful place, in secure neighborhoods and tranquil dwellings.’
Ya’akov was operating between the flesh and the spirit. He was in trouble! The Hebrew word is ‘t’sara’ which means narrowed, tight, crisis. What is threatening you right now?
Our answer to t’sara is to pray. The Hebrew word is ‘t’filah’.
1 Timothy 2:1, ‘First of all, then, I counsel that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all human beings.’
Our first response should be to pray, not to talk about our issue or to scheme about solving it!
As Ya’akov felt unworthy, he attempts to solve the problem with Esav’ using three strategies:
He prays, he sends gifts and he plans to either fight Esav’ or to escape him.
Based on the strategies he had, he demonstrated that he wasn’t truly trusting G-d. G-d had already appeared to him at Beit-El and given him promises. But now he was scheming in fear of Esav’s potential aggression.
What he didn’t know was that G-d had already changed Esav’s heart! It wasn’t Ya’akov’s plans that saved him but it was his prayer that worked as recorded in Genesis 33.
Before Ya’akov met Esav, it is recorded in Genesis 32:24, ‘and Ya'akov was left alone. Then some man wrestled with him until daybreak.’
Ya’akov was left to himself and look what happened!
G-d contended with Ya’akov and demonstrated that He was truly going to fulfill His promise to Him.
Genesis 32:25-32, ‘When he saw that he did not defeat Ya'akov, he struck Ya'akov's hip socket, so that his hip was dislocated while wrestling with him. 26 The man said, "Let me go, because it's daybreak." But Ya'akov replied, "I won't let you go unless you bless me." 27 The man asked, "What is your name?" and he answered, "Ya'akov." 28 Then the man said, "From now on, you will no longer be called Ya'akov, but Isra'el; because you have shown your strength to both God and men and have prevailed." 29 Ya'akov asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he answered, "Why are you asking about my name?" and blessed him there. 30 Ya'akov called the place P'ni-El [face of God], "Because I have seen God face to face, yet my life is spared." 31 As the sun rose upon him he went on past P'ni-El, limping at the hip. 32 This is why, to this day, the people of Isra'el do not eat the thigh muscle that passes along the hip socket - because the man struck Ya'akov's hip at its socket.’
Looking closely we see that Ya’akov won the match! But sometimes we have to lose in order to win. Our greatest hindrance can be our own strength!
So, ‘the man’ struck Ya’akov’s hip socket. So, in winning he did not really lose because G-d prevailed in his life.
This is where he met G-d and named the place P’ni-El. He had wrestled with G-d and seen His face. Interestingly, the word for face is plural. So really he had seen the ‘faces’ of G-d. G-d doesn’t always reveal Himself the same way all the time. But praise His Name He does reveal Himself to us!
Further Reading: Hosea 12:4-6, 1 Corinthians 15:46-51, Hebrews 13:5, Job 33:16, Numbers 12:6, Hebrews 10:25, Psalm 27:4-6, Psalm 84, Isaiah 14:24,27, Daniel 6:23, Psalm 91:11, Ephesians 3, Isaiah 32:18, Hosea 24:4,
Monday, December 12, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Obedience of Convenience
Rabbi Ken Alpren
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
September 10, 2011
Deuteronomy 21: 1-14, ‘When you go out to war against your enemies, and ADONAI your God hands them over to you, and you take prisoners, 11 and you see among the prisoners a woman who looks good to you, and you feel attracted to her and want her as your wife; 12 you are to bring her home to your house, where she will shave her head, cut her fingernails 13 and remove her prison clothing. She will stay there in your house, mourning her father and mother for a full month; after which you may go in to have sexual relations with her and be her husband, and she will be your wife. 14 In the event that you lose interest in her, you are to let her go wherever she wishes; but you may not sell her for money or treat her like a slave, because you humiliated her.’
It is very interesting that the Scripture allows an Israeli who goes to war, to take for himself a woman from the goyim to be a wife, as well as the stipulations that are given for the process. Notice, he may find her attractive at the time of war, but G-d issues restrictions for her becoming a wife that virtually eliminate any outward signs of beauty. Her hair is shaved off, her nails trimmed, her ‘prison’ clothes removed (usually her best clothes would be worn when taken into captivity) and she is basically put into seclusion for a month to mourn the death of her family. Then her captor is to reassess his desire for her and either marry her or free her in a respectable way.
This passage, although unusual to our modern day behavior, emphasizes G-d’s truth that infatuation is not love and passion or lust is not love and there should not be confusion about this point. Attraction to a mate should be spiritual first and then physical. Physical attraction is still important, but should not be the primary reason for relationship.
Even our L-rd was not especially physically attractive. Our attraction to Him is spiritual first. There is a distinction made to eliminate a natural tendency for physical attraction alone.
Isaiah 53:1-2, ‘Who believes our report? To whom is the arm of ADONAI revealed? 2 For before him he grew up like a young plant, like a root out of dry ground. He was not well-formed or especially handsome; we saw him, but his appearance did not attract us.’
Recognize that Saul did not obey the L-rd but spared the best spoils of war for himself rather than completely obeying the command.
1 Samuel 15:1-4, ‘Sh'mu'el said to Sha'ul, "ADONAI sent me to anoint you king over his people, over Isra'el. Now listen to what ADONAI has to say. 2 Here is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: 'I remember what 'Amalek did to Isra'el, how they fought against Isra'el when they were coming up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack 'Amalek, and completely destroy everything they have. Don't spare them, but kill men and women, children and babies, cows and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"
Did Sha’ul (Saul) obey?
1 Samuel 15:8-10, ‘He took Agag the king of 'Amalek alive; but he completely destroyed the people, putting them to the sword. 9 However, Sha'ul and the people spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, and even the second best, also the lambs, and everything that was good - they weren't inclined to destroy these things. But everything that was worthless or weak they completely destroyed.
Saul spared what he considered the best of everything. He did not obey; he allowed himself to be guided by his senses and the outward attraction of what he saw. Not only did he completely miss a lesson G-d was teaching about the value of inward character but by not obeying G-d to destroy Amalek future generation of Israelites were directly affected through his descendants, namely Haman during the time of Esther.
G-d had made it clear what to remember!
Deuteronomy 25:17-19, ‘"Remember what 'Amalek did to you on the road as you were coming out of Egypt, 18 how he met you by the road, attacked those in the rear, those who were exhausted and straggling behind when you were tired and weary. He did not fear God. 19 Therefore, when ADONAI your God has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies in the land ADONAI your God is giving you as your inheritance to possess, you are to blot out all memory of 'Amalek from under heaven. Don't forget!”
Note that the instruction is to ‘don’t forget’. However, we are to forget when sins are forgiven!
Hebrews 8:12, ‘because I will be merciful toward their wickednesses and remember their sins no more.’
Isaiah 43:25, ‘I, yes I, am the one who blots out your offenses for my own sake; I will not remember your sins.’
However, when sins are not forgiven and there is no repentance, we are to remember!
It was over 400 years later that Saul was to remember the what Amalek had done!
Saul did not obey completely and made excuses to Samuel about it. Although, G-d’s heart weeps for those who stray, forgiveness isn’t given unless there is repentance.
Exodus 34:7, ‘showing grace to the thousandth generation, forgiving offenses, crimes and sins; yet not exonerating the guilty, but causing the negative effects of the parents' offenses to be experienced by their children and grandchildren, and even by the third and fourth generations.’
But how great is the forgiveness offered!
Isaiah 1:18, ‘"Come now," says ADONAI, "let's talk this over together. Even if your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow; even if they are red as crimson, they will be like wool.’
Colossians 2:13, ‘You were dead because of your sins, that is, because of your "foreskin," your old nature. But God made you alive along with the Messiah by forgiving you all your sins.’
Saul’s heart did not turn toward the L-rd; his obedience was an obedience of convenience! And his disobedience resulted in the kingdom being taken from him. It was then through Samuel that G-d’s vengeance was taken on the Amalekite.
1 Samuel 15:2, ‘Here is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: 'I remember what 'Amalek did to Isra'el, how they fought against Isra'el when they were coming up from Egypt.’
Saul was instructed to remember. The Hebrew word used is ‘paqad’ which means to visit or to make a deposit. At Yom HaDin (Judgement Day) the deposit is returned.
So, when we are forgiven, we also are compelled to forgive.
Ephesians 4:32, ‘Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted; and forgive each other, just as in the Messiah God has also forgiven you.’
It is a shame that Saul’s heart never turned to the L-rd for forgiveness. However, it is never too late; we are never too old to turn to Him or to obey Him! What happened to Saul does not have to happen to us.
Further Reading: John 1:9-12, Hebrews 13:4-5, 17, John 3:16-17, Revelation 1:5, Hebrews 9:14, 1John 1:7, Ephesians 1:7
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
September 10, 2011
Deuteronomy 21: 1-14, ‘When you go out to war against your enemies, and ADONAI your God hands them over to you, and you take prisoners, 11 and you see among the prisoners a woman who looks good to you, and you feel attracted to her and want her as your wife; 12 you are to bring her home to your house, where she will shave her head, cut her fingernails 13 and remove her prison clothing. She will stay there in your house, mourning her father and mother for a full month; after which you may go in to have sexual relations with her and be her husband, and she will be your wife. 14 In the event that you lose interest in her, you are to let her go wherever she wishes; but you may not sell her for money or treat her like a slave, because you humiliated her.’
It is very interesting that the Scripture allows an Israeli who goes to war, to take for himself a woman from the goyim to be a wife, as well as the stipulations that are given for the process. Notice, he may find her attractive at the time of war, but G-d issues restrictions for her becoming a wife that virtually eliminate any outward signs of beauty. Her hair is shaved off, her nails trimmed, her ‘prison’ clothes removed (usually her best clothes would be worn when taken into captivity) and she is basically put into seclusion for a month to mourn the death of her family. Then her captor is to reassess his desire for her and either marry her or free her in a respectable way.
This passage, although unusual to our modern day behavior, emphasizes G-d’s truth that infatuation is not love and passion or lust is not love and there should not be confusion about this point. Attraction to a mate should be spiritual first and then physical. Physical attraction is still important, but should not be the primary reason for relationship.
Even our L-rd was not especially physically attractive. Our attraction to Him is spiritual first. There is a distinction made to eliminate a natural tendency for physical attraction alone.
Isaiah 53:1-2, ‘Who believes our report? To whom is the arm of ADONAI revealed? 2 For before him he grew up like a young plant, like a root out of dry ground. He was not well-formed or especially handsome; we saw him, but his appearance did not attract us.’
Recognize that Saul did not obey the L-rd but spared the best spoils of war for himself rather than completely obeying the command.
1 Samuel 15:1-4, ‘Sh'mu'el said to Sha'ul, "ADONAI sent me to anoint you king over his people, over Isra'el. Now listen to what ADONAI has to say. 2 Here is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: 'I remember what 'Amalek did to Isra'el, how they fought against Isra'el when they were coming up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack 'Amalek, and completely destroy everything they have. Don't spare them, but kill men and women, children and babies, cows and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"
Did Sha’ul (Saul) obey?
1 Samuel 15:8-10, ‘He took Agag the king of 'Amalek alive; but he completely destroyed the people, putting them to the sword. 9 However, Sha'ul and the people spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, and even the second best, also the lambs, and everything that was good - they weren't inclined to destroy these things. But everything that was worthless or weak they completely destroyed.
Saul spared what he considered the best of everything. He did not obey; he allowed himself to be guided by his senses and the outward attraction of what he saw. Not only did he completely miss a lesson G-d was teaching about the value of inward character but by not obeying G-d to destroy Amalek future generation of Israelites were directly affected through his descendants, namely Haman during the time of Esther.
G-d had made it clear what to remember!
Deuteronomy 25:17-19, ‘"Remember what 'Amalek did to you on the road as you were coming out of Egypt, 18 how he met you by the road, attacked those in the rear, those who were exhausted and straggling behind when you were tired and weary. He did not fear God. 19 Therefore, when ADONAI your God has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies in the land ADONAI your God is giving you as your inheritance to possess, you are to blot out all memory of 'Amalek from under heaven. Don't forget!”
Note that the instruction is to ‘don’t forget’. However, we are to forget when sins are forgiven!
Hebrews 8:12, ‘because I will be merciful toward their wickednesses and remember their sins no more.’
Isaiah 43:25, ‘I, yes I, am the one who blots out your offenses for my own sake; I will not remember your sins.’
However, when sins are not forgiven and there is no repentance, we are to remember!
It was over 400 years later that Saul was to remember the what Amalek had done!
Saul did not obey completely and made excuses to Samuel about it. Although, G-d’s heart weeps for those who stray, forgiveness isn’t given unless there is repentance.
Exodus 34:7, ‘showing grace to the thousandth generation, forgiving offenses, crimes and sins; yet not exonerating the guilty, but causing the negative effects of the parents' offenses to be experienced by their children and grandchildren, and even by the third and fourth generations.’
But how great is the forgiveness offered!
Isaiah 1:18, ‘"Come now," says ADONAI, "let's talk this over together. Even if your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow; even if they are red as crimson, they will be like wool.’
Colossians 2:13, ‘You were dead because of your sins, that is, because of your "foreskin," your old nature. But God made you alive along with the Messiah by forgiving you all your sins.’
Saul’s heart did not turn toward the L-rd; his obedience was an obedience of convenience! And his disobedience resulted in the kingdom being taken from him. It was then through Samuel that G-d’s vengeance was taken on the Amalekite.
1 Samuel 15:2, ‘Here is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: 'I remember what 'Amalek did to Isra'el, how they fought against Isra'el when they were coming up from Egypt.’
Saul was instructed to remember. The Hebrew word used is ‘paqad’ which means to visit or to make a deposit. At Yom HaDin (Judgement Day) the deposit is returned.
So, when we are forgiven, we also are compelled to forgive.
Ephesians 4:32, ‘Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted; and forgive each other, just as in the Messiah God has also forgiven you.’
It is a shame that Saul’s heart never turned to the L-rd for forgiveness. However, it is never too late; we are never too old to turn to Him or to obey Him! What happened to Saul does not have to happen to us.
Further Reading: John 1:9-12, Hebrews 13:4-5, 17, John 3:16-17, Revelation 1:5, Hebrews 9:14, 1John 1:7, Ephesians 1:7
Monday, August 29, 2011
Radically First
Sermon Notes
Rabbi Ken Alpren
Notes by: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
Deuteronomy 13:6-8, ‘“If your brother the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or your wife whom you love, or your friend who means as much to you as yourself, secretly tries to entice you to go and serve other gods, which you haven't known, neither you nor your ancestors - 7 gods of the peoples surrounding you, whether near or far away from you, anywhere in the world - 8 you are not to consent, and you are not to listen to him; and you must not pity him or spare him; and you may not conceal him.”’
This portion of Scripture warns us to be aware that you will be enticed away from serving the One True Living G-d. Even our loved ones may entice us away.
Matthew 10:37, ‘Whoever loves his father or mother more than he loves me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than he loves me is not worthy of me.’
Of courser the L-rd wants us to love our families, but this verse emphasizes our radical need to put Him first especially as it relates to our families!
There are several Hebrew words used in the passage of Deuteronomy that are notable in regard to being tempted away from the Truth.
Looking at the Hebrew words in verse 6 of the passage in Deuteronomy, the phrase ‘secretly entice you to serve other gods’, we see “cether’ which means secretly to hide or conceal and ‘suth’ which means to incite, allure, lure or instigate. Literally, this passage cautions us about being secretly allured away or even tricked into serving other gods.
Paul’s writings caution us about the same in 2Corinthians 11:2-3, ‘For I am jealous for you with God's kind of jealousy; since I promised to present you as a pure virgin in marriage to your one husband, the Messiah; 3 and I fear that somehow your minds may be seduced away from simple and pure devotion to the Messiah, just as Havah was deceived by the serpent and his craftiness.’
The reason given in Deuteronomy 13:6 for the caution to be secretly enticed is to go and serve other gods. The Hebrew word for serve is ‘abad’ which means work. What other gods might be be tempted to work for? Money? Success? Power? Influence?
Even John cautions us in 1John 5:21, ‘Children, guard yourselves against false gods!’
Jeremiah 2:5, ‘here is what ADONAI says: "What did your ancestors find wrong with me to make them go so far away from me, to make them go after nothings and become themselves nothings?”’
Independence from G-d was the first sin in the Garden. We want to be like G-d without G-d! There is an allurement to be independent; to fall away from our dependence upon G-d and look for dependence and guidance from other places including ourselves.
We are tempted to serve the gods of others; that is the gods of people that surround us. But the Hebrew in Deuteronomy 13:6 also means ‘after G-d or G-d after’. Our tendency is to serve or worship G-d after He has done something for me or for others. The principle here is to serve and worship Him before He does anything for me! Praise Him and love Him before He answers my prayer or does anything for me or for others!
We need wisdom to be able to put G-d Radically First! Be wary of things that lure us away rather than foster the truth and healthy doctrine. Keeping the L-rd radically first not only entails staying in the truth, but also requires us to letting go or giving things back to Him.
Deuteronomy 15:18, ‘Don't resent it when you set him free, since during his six years of service he has been worth twice as much as a hired employee. Then ADONAI your God will bless you in everything you do.’
The Hebrew word for resent is ‘qasheh’ which means hard, severe, fierce or harsh. Setting things free or giving them back to the L-rd should not be hard for us because when we do, the L-rd will double bless us in all we do.
Three principles can be applied through the process of giving things up to G-d: be grateful for the past, be obedient in the present and be expectant for the future.
Hebrews 12:15, ‘See to it that no one misses out on God's grace, that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble and thus contaminates many,’
We can be grateful for the past regardless of how we have been hurt or mistreated in it; doing so will guard against developing a root of bitterness. Know, like Joseph, that G-d had His purpose through Joseph’s trials to bless others and to bless Joseph.
Genesis 50:20, ‘You meant to do me harm, but God meant it for good -so that it would come about as it is today, with many people's lives being saved.’
G-d can use our brokenness and turn it into compassion for others as we give our brokenness up to Him.
Be obedient in the present! Holding on to people, possessions and places; we need to let them go to G-d will a joyful heart and willingly.
1Chronicles 29:9, ‘The people were filled with joy, because they had given willingly - wholeheartedly they had given willingly to ADONAI; and David the king too was completely filled with joy,’
Abraham let go of Lot, Jonathan let go of his inheritance to David, Hannah let go of Samuel to the L-rd and Miriam let go of Yeshua. We also need to let go of people and things.
Finally, we need to be expectant toward the future. In the passage of Deuteronomy 15:18, we read that G-d will bless us in all we do. Let people, things, past, ourselves and our futures to G-d and He will bless us because we are obedient. He will bless us when we put him radically first in all aspects of our lives!
Further Readings: Luke 18:28-30, Philemon 10-16, 1John 5:21, Jeremiah 2:5, Jeremiah 3:14, 1John 5:16, Hebrews 12:15, Psalm 49, Psalm 51:17, Isaiah 66:1-2, Psalm 139, Romans 5:3-5
Rabbi Ken Alpren
Notes by: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
Deuteronomy 13:6-8, ‘“If your brother the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or your wife whom you love, or your friend who means as much to you as yourself, secretly tries to entice you to go and serve other gods, which you haven't known, neither you nor your ancestors - 7 gods of the peoples surrounding you, whether near or far away from you, anywhere in the world - 8 you are not to consent, and you are not to listen to him; and you must not pity him or spare him; and you may not conceal him.”’
This portion of Scripture warns us to be aware that you will be enticed away from serving the One True Living G-d. Even our loved ones may entice us away.
Matthew 10:37, ‘Whoever loves his father or mother more than he loves me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than he loves me is not worthy of me.’
Of courser the L-rd wants us to love our families, but this verse emphasizes our radical need to put Him first especially as it relates to our families!
There are several Hebrew words used in the passage of Deuteronomy that are notable in regard to being tempted away from the Truth.
Looking at the Hebrew words in verse 6 of the passage in Deuteronomy, the phrase ‘secretly entice you to serve other gods’, we see “cether’ which means secretly to hide or conceal and ‘suth’ which means to incite, allure, lure or instigate. Literally, this passage cautions us about being secretly allured away or even tricked into serving other gods.
Paul’s writings caution us about the same in 2Corinthians 11:2-3, ‘For I am jealous for you with God's kind of jealousy; since I promised to present you as a pure virgin in marriage to your one husband, the Messiah; 3 and I fear that somehow your minds may be seduced away from simple and pure devotion to the Messiah, just as Havah was deceived by the serpent and his craftiness.’
The reason given in Deuteronomy 13:6 for the caution to be secretly enticed is to go and serve other gods. The Hebrew word for serve is ‘abad’ which means work. What other gods might be be tempted to work for? Money? Success? Power? Influence?
Even John cautions us in 1John 5:21, ‘Children, guard yourselves against false gods!’
Jeremiah 2:5, ‘here is what ADONAI says: "What did your ancestors find wrong with me to make them go so far away from me, to make them go after nothings and become themselves nothings?”’
Independence from G-d was the first sin in the Garden. We want to be like G-d without G-d! There is an allurement to be independent; to fall away from our dependence upon G-d and look for dependence and guidance from other places including ourselves.
We are tempted to serve the gods of others; that is the gods of people that surround us. But the Hebrew in Deuteronomy 13:6 also means ‘after G-d or G-d after’. Our tendency is to serve or worship G-d after He has done something for me or for others. The principle here is to serve and worship Him before He does anything for me! Praise Him and love Him before He answers my prayer or does anything for me or for others!
We need wisdom to be able to put G-d Radically First! Be wary of things that lure us away rather than foster the truth and healthy doctrine. Keeping the L-rd radically first not only entails staying in the truth, but also requires us to letting go or giving things back to Him.
Deuteronomy 15:18, ‘Don't resent it when you set him free, since during his six years of service he has been worth twice as much as a hired employee. Then ADONAI your God will bless you in everything you do.’
The Hebrew word for resent is ‘qasheh’ which means hard, severe, fierce or harsh. Setting things free or giving them back to the L-rd should not be hard for us because when we do, the L-rd will double bless us in all we do.
Three principles can be applied through the process of giving things up to G-d: be grateful for the past, be obedient in the present and be expectant for the future.
Hebrews 12:15, ‘See to it that no one misses out on God's grace, that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble and thus contaminates many,’
We can be grateful for the past regardless of how we have been hurt or mistreated in it; doing so will guard against developing a root of bitterness. Know, like Joseph, that G-d had His purpose through Joseph’s trials to bless others and to bless Joseph.
Genesis 50:20, ‘You meant to do me harm, but God meant it for good -so that it would come about as it is today, with many people's lives being saved.’
G-d can use our brokenness and turn it into compassion for others as we give our brokenness up to Him.
Be obedient in the present! Holding on to people, possessions and places; we need to let them go to G-d will a joyful heart and willingly.
1Chronicles 29:9, ‘The people were filled with joy, because they had given willingly - wholeheartedly they had given willingly to ADONAI; and David the king too was completely filled with joy,’
Abraham let go of Lot, Jonathan let go of his inheritance to David, Hannah let go of Samuel to the L-rd and Miriam let go of Yeshua. We also need to let go of people and things.
Finally, we need to be expectant toward the future. In the passage of Deuteronomy 15:18, we read that G-d will bless us in all we do. Let people, things, past, ourselves and our futures to G-d and He will bless us because we are obedient. He will bless us when we put him radically first in all aspects of our lives!
Further Readings: Luke 18:28-30, Philemon 10-16, 1John 5:21, Jeremiah 2:5, Jeremiah 3:14, 1John 5:16, Hebrews 12:15, Psalm 49, Psalm 51:17, Isaiah 66:1-2, Psalm 139, Romans 5:3-5
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Face North!
Rabbi Ken Apren
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
August 6, 2011
D’var is the Hebrew word for the Book of Deuteronomy and means ‘reality or the real thing’ reminding us that G-d’s Word is true and eternal. See Matthew 24:35 and Psalm 119:89. The word deuteronomy is derived from a Greek word which means ‘second law’ and was used to name this book since it is a review of the history of Moses preparing to enter and inherit the Promised Land.
Deuteronomy 1:22-23, ‘"You approached me, every one of you, and said, 'Let's send men ahead of us to explore the country for us and bring back word concerning what route we should use in going up and what the cities we will encounter are like.' 23 The idea seemed good to me, so I took twelve of your men, one from each tribe.’
What seemed good in Moses’ eyes certainly was not what G-d saw as right in His eyes. It wasn’t G-d’s plan at all for them to spy out the land prior to taking it. What seems right in our eyes may not be the L-rd’s plan for us.
Proverbs 14:12, ‘There can be a way which seems right to a person, but at its end are the ways of death.’
We are much too quick to act upon what seems right to us without waiting on the L-rd for His guidance and confirmation. We can keep going nowhere or going around in circles like the Israelites did.
Deuteronomy 2:1-3, ‘"Then we turned and began traveling into the desert along the road to the Sea of Suf, as ADONAI had said to me; and we skirted Mount Se'ir for a long time. 2 Finally ADONAI said to me, 3 'You have been going around this mountain long enough! Head north.’
For all practical purposes, the Israelites had been ‘circling the mountain’ for 38 years! Why? Because they had not trusted in the L-rd or believed Him. They made no progress and weren’t succeeding.
Ecclesiastes 1:9, ‘What has been is what will be, what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.’
The Hebrew word used in the passage of Deuteronomy for traveling around the mountain is ‘sov’ which comes from the root word ‘savav’. Savav means going around, vain or futile movement, getting exhausted, going nowhere.
How despairing!
Ecclesiastes 3:15, ‘That which was is here already; and that which will be has already been, but God seeks out what people chase after.’
Through our eyes we are quite limited, but through G-d’s eyes, we are unlimited! Even though there is nothing new under the sun, G-d is over the sun. The circuitous route taken was in the natural realm to avoid the Edomites and in the supernatural realm it was due to rebellion.
Revelation 3:8, ‘"I know what you are doing. Look, I have put in front of you an open door, and no one can shut it.’
When G-d shuts a door, nothing we can do can open it. Many times we try to open a door He has shut and eventually begin to bang our head against the wall so to speak. God is more interested in our heart than to open a door that we are persisting in trying to open. He will keep a door shut so as to affect a change in our hearts and relationship with Him. Similarly, He can open a door when it was not humanly possible to do so. We live a supernatural life as a Child of G-d, not a natural life.
After 38 years of judgement, G-d was still with His people and still imparting their judgement when He said that it had been long enough! Why had they been under judgement for so long? They had not put Him first! They were rebellious, ignoring Him, pursuing their own plans. But G-d wasn’t finished! It wasn’t over yet, nor was it the end of the story.
Finally, after all that time of judgement, circling around in the desert, He said it was time to take the Land!
Philippians 3:13-14, ‘Brothers, I, for my part, do not think of myself as having yet gotten hold of it; but one thing I do: forgetting what is behind me and straining forward toward what lies ahead, 14 I keep pursuing the goal in order to win the prize offered by God's upward calling in the Messiah Yeshua.’
It was time to move on and turn to Him!
He said, ‘Face north’ or ‘turn north’. In Hebrew, ‘p’noo lachem tsaphon’.
‘Panah’ means to turn, and is related to ‘panim’ which is face or faces of G-d; it means to face Him and turn from the wrong direction.
‘Tsaphon’ means north, or hidden, a treasure and in Scripture, north is a picture of heaven!
Isaiah 14:13, ‘You thought to yourself, 'I will scale the heavens, I will raise my throne above God's stars. I will sit on the Mount of Assembly far away in the north.’
Job 37:22, ‘Out of the north comes a golden glow, fearsome majesty surrounding God.’
In Canaanite mythology, Ba’al reigned in the north. Spiritually, Ba’al and false gods are dethroned and the One true G-d assumes the throne. By facing north, false gods are dethroned, whether they be ourselves, sin, others, things or even our past. There are no answers in these things. Face the L-rd! He is on His Throne! Face Him and He’ll dethrone Ba’al and falsehoods and assume His rightful place in our lives!
It is never too late to face north or turn to Him. He can redeem the years the locusts have eaten and turn us around to His plan and future.
Joel 2:25, ‘"I will restore to you the years that the locusts ate, the grasshoppers, shearer-worms and cutter-worms, my great army that I sent against you.”’
Turn toward that hidden place, that treasure, the L-rd.
Further Reading: Deuteronomy 1:20-27, 2 Samuel 7:1-5, Hebrews 12:1-2, Job 23:12, Col 2:3
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
August 6, 2011
D’var is the Hebrew word for the Book of Deuteronomy and means ‘reality or the real thing’ reminding us that G-d’s Word is true and eternal. See Matthew 24:35 and Psalm 119:89. The word deuteronomy is derived from a Greek word which means ‘second law’ and was used to name this book since it is a review of the history of Moses preparing to enter and inherit the Promised Land.
Deuteronomy 1:22-23, ‘"You approached me, every one of you, and said, 'Let's send men ahead of us to explore the country for us and bring back word concerning what route we should use in going up and what the cities we will encounter are like.' 23 The idea seemed good to me, so I took twelve of your men, one from each tribe.’
What seemed good in Moses’ eyes certainly was not what G-d saw as right in His eyes. It wasn’t G-d’s plan at all for them to spy out the land prior to taking it. What seems right in our eyes may not be the L-rd’s plan for us.
Proverbs 14:12, ‘There can be a way which seems right to a person, but at its end are the ways of death.’
We are much too quick to act upon what seems right to us without waiting on the L-rd for His guidance and confirmation. We can keep going nowhere or going around in circles like the Israelites did.
Deuteronomy 2:1-3, ‘"Then we turned and began traveling into the desert along the road to the Sea of Suf, as ADONAI had said to me; and we skirted Mount Se'ir for a long time. 2 Finally ADONAI said to me, 3 'You have been going around this mountain long enough! Head north.’
For all practical purposes, the Israelites had been ‘circling the mountain’ for 38 years! Why? Because they had not trusted in the L-rd or believed Him. They made no progress and weren’t succeeding.
Ecclesiastes 1:9, ‘What has been is what will be, what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.’
The Hebrew word used in the passage of Deuteronomy for traveling around the mountain is ‘sov’ which comes from the root word ‘savav’. Savav means going around, vain or futile movement, getting exhausted, going nowhere.
How despairing!
Ecclesiastes 3:15, ‘That which was is here already; and that which will be has already been, but God seeks out what people chase after.’
Through our eyes we are quite limited, but through G-d’s eyes, we are unlimited! Even though there is nothing new under the sun, G-d is over the sun. The circuitous route taken was in the natural realm to avoid the Edomites and in the supernatural realm it was due to rebellion.
Revelation 3:8, ‘"I know what you are doing. Look, I have put in front of you an open door, and no one can shut it.’
When G-d shuts a door, nothing we can do can open it. Many times we try to open a door He has shut and eventually begin to bang our head against the wall so to speak. God is more interested in our heart than to open a door that we are persisting in trying to open. He will keep a door shut so as to affect a change in our hearts and relationship with Him. Similarly, He can open a door when it was not humanly possible to do so. We live a supernatural life as a Child of G-d, not a natural life.
After 38 years of judgement, G-d was still with His people and still imparting their judgement when He said that it had been long enough! Why had they been under judgement for so long? They had not put Him first! They were rebellious, ignoring Him, pursuing their own plans. But G-d wasn’t finished! It wasn’t over yet, nor was it the end of the story.
Finally, after all that time of judgement, circling around in the desert, He said it was time to take the Land!
Philippians 3:13-14, ‘Brothers, I, for my part, do not think of myself as having yet gotten hold of it; but one thing I do: forgetting what is behind me and straining forward toward what lies ahead, 14 I keep pursuing the goal in order to win the prize offered by God's upward calling in the Messiah Yeshua.’
It was time to move on and turn to Him!
He said, ‘Face north’ or ‘turn north’. In Hebrew, ‘p’noo lachem tsaphon’.
‘Panah’ means to turn, and is related to ‘panim’ which is face or faces of G-d; it means to face Him and turn from the wrong direction.
‘Tsaphon’ means north, or hidden, a treasure and in Scripture, north is a picture of heaven!
Isaiah 14:13, ‘You thought to yourself, 'I will scale the heavens, I will raise my throne above God's stars. I will sit on the Mount of Assembly far away in the north.’
Job 37:22, ‘Out of the north comes a golden glow, fearsome majesty surrounding God.’
In Canaanite mythology, Ba’al reigned in the north. Spiritually, Ba’al and false gods are dethroned and the One true G-d assumes the throne. By facing north, false gods are dethroned, whether they be ourselves, sin, others, things or even our past. There are no answers in these things. Face the L-rd! He is on His Throne! Face Him and He’ll dethrone Ba’al and falsehoods and assume His rightful place in our lives!
It is never too late to face north or turn to Him. He can redeem the years the locusts have eaten and turn us around to His plan and future.
Joel 2:25, ‘"I will restore to you the years that the locusts ate, the grasshoppers, shearer-worms and cutter-worms, my great army that I sent against you.”’
Turn toward that hidden place, that treasure, the L-rd.
Further Reading: Deuteronomy 1:20-27, 2 Samuel 7:1-5, Hebrews 12:1-2, Job 23:12, Col 2:3
Going Forward
Rabbi Ken Alpren
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
July 30, 2011
We all want to know the future! We need guidance and direction not only for our lives, but for our nation and our world.
Scripture records forty-two encampments of the Jewish people in Numbers 33 requiring the people to pull up their tents and then go forth to their next destination.
Numbers 33:1, ‘These are the stages in the journey of the people of Isra'el as they left the land of Egypt divided into groups under the leadership of Moshe and Aharon.’
The Hebrew word used in this passage for leaving the land of Egypt is ‘yatsa’ which means to go out, go forth or forward. And the Hebrew word for pulling out is ‘nasav’.
Numbers 33:2, ‘Moshe recorded each of the stages of their journey by order of ADONAI; here are the starting-points of each stage:’
As with the Israelites, G-d is keeping a record of every start and stop we make along our journey. In this instance He recorded every step from their journey out of Egypt into the Land or Haaretz.
Two important lessons can be drawn from the recorded journey of the Israelites from Egypt to Haaretz. In order to go forward we must pull up or pull out our stakes so to speak and sometimes in order to pull out, we must first just make the effort to go forward. And secondly, the final review of our lives will be recorded by G-d which will include all the steps we took in faith and obedience.
Romans 1:5-8, ‘Through him we received grace and were given the work of being an emissary on his behalf promoting trust-grounded obedience among all the Gentiles, 6 including you, who have been called by Yeshua the Messiah. 7 To: All those in Rome whom God loves, who have been called, who have been set apart for him: Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 8 First, I thank my God through Yeshua the Messiah for all of you, because the report of your trust is spreading throughout the whole world.’
Our sins are not being recorded if we are in Messiah, however, we do experience the consequences of sin and discipline.
Our journey as a country is being recorded as well and it appears we are at a crossroads. Will we, as believers, have an impact on the course of history?
We do have the power to change things, but not in human effort! How then can we affect change? Through prayer and the Word of G-d!
Through prayer we can be in tune with G-d and listen for His Voice. We have power in prayer as the Holy Spirit leads.
G-d answers prayer!
Psalm 30:1-4, ‘A psalm. A song for the dedication of the house. By David: I will exalt you, ADONAI, because you drew me up; you didn't let my enemies rejoice over me. 2 ADONAI my God, I cried out to you, and you provided healing for me. 3 ADONAI, you lifted me up from Sh'ol; you kept me alive when I was sinking into a pit. 4 Sing praise to ADONAI, you faithful of his; and give thanks on recalling his holiness.’
David knew what it was like to have a false sense of security, but then he realized that when the L-rd’s Face was turned from him he was in deep trouble so he cried out to the L-rd and He responded!
Psalm 30:6-12, ‘Once I was prosperous and used to say, that nothing could ever shake me 7 when you showed me favor, ADONAI, I was firm as a mighty mountain. But when you hid your face, I was struck with terror. 8 I called to you, ADONAI; to ADONAI I pleaded for mercy: 9 "What advantage is there in my death, in my going down to the pit? Can the dust praise you? Can it proclaim your truth? 10 Hear me, ADONAI, and show me your favor! ADONAI, be my helper!" 11 You turned my mourning into dancing! You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 so that my well-being can praise you and not be silent; ADONAI my God, I will thank you forever!’
Every detail of the Israelites’ journey was recorded; where they came from and where they went. Most of the journey’s record may seem boring or mundane with occasional interruptions recording significant events as with the death of Aaron. But with G-d the entire record is important because as with us, character was being formed through every seemingly boring or mundane start and stop. They continued their journey and didn’t stop and finally reached Jericho where they were to cross the Yarden to reach Haaretz. As with us, we continue as well until we meet the L-rd!
As with the Israelites, we must be willing to pull out and move forward no matter how inconvenient. In faith, G-d gives the ability and He moves us forward to replant; but first we must be uprooted.
Psalm 1:3, ‘They are like trees planted by streams -they bear their fruit in season, their leaves never wither, everything they do succeeds.’
The Hebrew word ‘shatooll’ for planted in this passage actually means ‘replanted’. Clearly, for a plant to replanted, it must first be uprooted! Wasn’t Abraham uprooted from his home to go to the Promised Land? This principle also applies to us.
Hebrews 11 records from an eternal perspective the faithful ones and their obedience. It does not record their sins, faults or bad days, but rather, where they were obedient.
The final review of our lives, as well, G-d will have recorded our steps of obedience and not our sins. He will have recorded every time we trusted Him, when we pulled out and when we went forward. We put our hand in His, trusting His guidance knowing it is the only place to be kept safe.
Further Reading: Psalm 85, Romans 5:1-5, Isaiah 46:10 and Ephesians 1:3-4
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
July 30, 2011
We all want to know the future! We need guidance and direction not only for our lives, but for our nation and our world.
Scripture records forty-two encampments of the Jewish people in Numbers 33 requiring the people to pull up their tents and then go forth to their next destination.
Numbers 33:1, ‘These are the stages in the journey of the people of Isra'el as they left the land of Egypt divided into groups under the leadership of Moshe and Aharon.’
The Hebrew word used in this passage for leaving the land of Egypt is ‘yatsa’ which means to go out, go forth or forward. And the Hebrew word for pulling out is ‘nasav’.
Numbers 33:2, ‘Moshe recorded each of the stages of their journey by order of ADONAI; here are the starting-points of each stage:’
As with the Israelites, G-d is keeping a record of every start and stop we make along our journey. In this instance He recorded every step from their journey out of Egypt into the Land or Haaretz.
Two important lessons can be drawn from the recorded journey of the Israelites from Egypt to Haaretz. In order to go forward we must pull up or pull out our stakes so to speak and sometimes in order to pull out, we must first just make the effort to go forward. And secondly, the final review of our lives will be recorded by G-d which will include all the steps we took in faith and obedience.
Romans 1:5-8, ‘Through him we received grace and were given the work of being an emissary on his behalf promoting trust-grounded obedience among all the Gentiles, 6 including you, who have been called by Yeshua the Messiah. 7 To: All those in Rome whom God loves, who have been called, who have been set apart for him: Grace to you and shalom from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 8 First, I thank my God through Yeshua the Messiah for all of you, because the report of your trust is spreading throughout the whole world.’
Our sins are not being recorded if we are in Messiah, however, we do experience the consequences of sin and discipline.
Our journey as a country is being recorded as well and it appears we are at a crossroads. Will we, as believers, have an impact on the course of history?
We do have the power to change things, but not in human effort! How then can we affect change? Through prayer and the Word of G-d!
Through prayer we can be in tune with G-d and listen for His Voice. We have power in prayer as the Holy Spirit leads.
G-d answers prayer!
Psalm 30:1-4, ‘A psalm. A song for the dedication of the house. By David: I will exalt you, ADONAI, because you drew me up; you didn't let my enemies rejoice over me. 2 ADONAI my God, I cried out to you, and you provided healing for me. 3 ADONAI, you lifted me up from Sh'ol; you kept me alive when I was sinking into a pit. 4 Sing praise to ADONAI, you faithful of his; and give thanks on recalling his holiness.’
David knew what it was like to have a false sense of security, but then he realized that when the L-rd’s Face was turned from him he was in deep trouble so he cried out to the L-rd and He responded!
Psalm 30:6-12, ‘Once I was prosperous and used to say, that nothing could ever shake me 7 when you showed me favor, ADONAI, I was firm as a mighty mountain. But when you hid your face, I was struck with terror. 8 I called to you, ADONAI; to ADONAI I pleaded for mercy: 9 "What advantage is there in my death, in my going down to the pit? Can the dust praise you? Can it proclaim your truth? 10 Hear me, ADONAI, and show me your favor! ADONAI, be my helper!" 11 You turned my mourning into dancing! You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 so that my well-being can praise you and not be silent; ADONAI my God, I will thank you forever!’
Every detail of the Israelites’ journey was recorded; where they came from and where they went. Most of the journey’s record may seem boring or mundane with occasional interruptions recording significant events as with the death of Aaron. But with G-d the entire record is important because as with us, character was being formed through every seemingly boring or mundane start and stop. They continued their journey and didn’t stop and finally reached Jericho where they were to cross the Yarden to reach Haaretz. As with us, we continue as well until we meet the L-rd!
As with the Israelites, we must be willing to pull out and move forward no matter how inconvenient. In faith, G-d gives the ability and He moves us forward to replant; but first we must be uprooted.
Psalm 1:3, ‘They are like trees planted by streams -they bear their fruit in season, their leaves never wither, everything they do succeeds.’
The Hebrew word ‘shatooll’ for planted in this passage actually means ‘replanted’. Clearly, for a plant to replanted, it must first be uprooted! Wasn’t Abraham uprooted from his home to go to the Promised Land? This principle also applies to us.
Hebrews 11 records from an eternal perspective the faithful ones and their obedience. It does not record their sins, faults or bad days, but rather, where they were obedient.
The final review of our lives, as well, G-d will have recorded our steps of obedience and not our sins. He will have recorded every time we trusted Him, when we pulled out and when we went forward. We put our hand in His, trusting His guidance knowing it is the only place to be kept safe.
Further Reading: Psalm 85, Romans 5:1-5, Isaiah 46:10 and Ephesians 1:3-4
Fully Committed
Sean Bortz
Sermon Notes by Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
July 23, 2007
Numbers 32:1-9, “1 The descendants of Re'uven and the descendants of Gad had vast quantities of livestock. When they saw that the land of Ya'zer and the land of Gil'ad were good for livestock, 2 the descendants of Gad and of Re'uven came and spoke to Moshe, El'azar the cohen and the community leaders. They said, 3 "'Atarot, Divon, Ya'zer, Nimrah, Heshbon, El'aleh, S'vam, N'vo and Be'on, 4 the country that ADONAI conquered before the community of Isra'el, is livestock country; and your servants have livestock. 5 If you regard us favorably," they went on, "let this land be given to your servants as their possession; and don't have us cross the Yarden." 6 Moshe answered the descendants of Gad and of Re'uven: "Are your brothers to go to war while you stay here? 7 Besides, why are you trying to discourage the people of Isra'el from crossing into the land ADONAI gave them? 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up to the Eshkol Valley and saw the land, they disheartened the people of Isra'el, so that they wouldn't enter the land ADONAI had given them.”
Gad and Re’uven were tempted to stay in the lush pastures of Gil’ad because they had much livestock. They weren’t considering the effect of staying east of the Yarden (or Jordan River) or what it would do to the moral of the entire Israeli community and they certainly weren’t thinking about how their actions related to the actions of their fathers just forty years prior.
When the spies had returned from the land, the report of the ten resulted in national fear and rebellion.
Numbers 14:1-3, “1 At this all the people of Isra'el cried out in dismay and wept all night long. 2 Moreover, all the people of Isra'el began grumbling against Moshe and Aharon; the whole community told them, "We wish we had died in the land of Egypt! or that we had died here in the desert! 3 Why is ADONAI bringing us to this land, where we will die by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be taken as booty! Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?"
Fear led to rebellion and the desire to return to slavery than to trust the Living G-d who had just delivered them!
Forty years later, the little children who were spared were now men with families of their own. They had wandered the desert dependent upon G-d for where to go, what to eat and what to drink. But at the very last step, right when they were about to cross the Yarden, the commitment of Gad and Re’uven was beginning to crack!
Can we not be guilty of the same? Given a view of what we think is important to us, couldn’t we also be guilty of thinking “I’ve got mine!” and our self preservation can become more important than obedience or community preservation.
Gad and Re’uven’s behavior could have brought the whole nation back to ‘square one’ so to speak. But this time, Moses intervened. Over the course of forty years leading the people through G-d’s direction, he had learned a few things about leadership! This time he spoke up and persuaded them to participate in the taking of the Promised Land. He didn’t let history repeat and fail to enter the Promised Land thus averting a national crisis!
Numbers 32:14-23, ‘14 Now you, another brood of sinners, have arisen in your fathers' place to increase still more the fierce anger of ADONAI toward Isra'el! 15 For if you turn away from him, he will leave them in the desert again, and thus you will cause the destruction of all these people!" 16 But they came up to him and said, "Here we will build enclosures for our livestock and cities for our little ones, 17 but we ourselves will be armed and ready for action to march at the head of the people of Isra'el, until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones will stay in the fortified cities here because of the people now living in the land. 18 However, we will not return to our own homes until every man in Isra'el has taken possession of his land for inheritance. 19 We will not have an inheritance with them on the other side of the Yarden, westward; because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of the Yarden, eastward." 20 Moshe said to them, "If you will do this - if you will arm yourselves to go before ADONAI to the war, 21 and if every one of your soldiers will cross the Yarden before ADONAI, until he has driven out his enemies ahead of him, 22 and if the land has been conquered before ADONAI, and only after that do you return - then you will be clear before ADONAI and before Isra'el, and this land here will be yours to possess before ADONAI. 23 But if you will not do this, then you have sinned against ADONAI, and you must understand that your sin will find you out.
Gad and Re’uven were certainly tempted to stay put in Gil’ad because it was lush and plentiful for all their livestock. When they were confronted by Moses, although tempted to stay in Gil’ad, they chose to be obedient and participate in the taking of the Promised Land.
Temptation is not sin. Yeshua was tempted for in the wilderness after fasting for forty days! The fasting made Him sharp as a razor and when He was tempted he countered the evil one with Scripture. His time of testing made Him sharp and prepared Him for His ministry.
Similarly, we can view temptation as testing without becoming disheartened and decide to be committed to the L-rd!
Psalm 37:5, ‘Commit your way to ADONAI; trust in him, and he will act.’
There are three important facets of commitment; commitment to G-d, commitment to others and G-d’s commitment to each of us.
We cannot be truly committed to Him and others unless we know how committed He is to us!
Luke 14:25-27, ‘Large crowds were traveling along with Yeshua. Turning, he said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, his mother, his wife, his children, his brothers and his sisters, yes, and his own life besides, he cannot be my talmid. 27 Whoever does not carry his own execution-stake and come after me cannot be my talmid.”’
The verses in Luke describe the type of commitment about which the L-rd is fostering in us. Looking closely one may be confused about what the L-rd is saying in regard to ‘hating’ your family. What He means is that because we love Him so much and are committed to Him that it will appear as though we hate our family. Of course we love our family. But the dedication and commitment toward the L-rd in comparison to the type of love we have for our family would make it seem like hating them.
Similarly, testing the commitment of His Talmidim, the L-rd says something outrageous.
John 6:53-58, ‘Then Yeshua said to them, "Yes, indeed! I tell you that unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life -- that is, I will raise him up on the Last Day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I live in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live through the Father, so also who ever eats me will live through me. 58 So this is the bread that has come down from heaven -- it is not like the bread the fathers ate; they're dead, but whoever eats this bread will live forever!"’
The type of commitment He wants from us requires us to put all else aside. He wants us to say, “My answer is yes, L-rd, what is Your bidding?”
What type of commitment do we have? Are we like Paul who on the edge of death and danger because of his commitment to the congregations, put his life in danger and went to help them anyway? See 2 Corinthians 11 and Acts 20.
The L-rd is far more committed to us than we are to Him! He is always thinking about us as described in Psalm 40 and He is the defender of our very lives based upon Psalm 27:1.
We should take commitment seriously and be careful not to over commit either. G-d takes what we say seriously; what we say matters. Nor should we be under committed.
What makes commitment to Him, to others, and His commitment to us possible? The answer is love.
John 17:20-23, ‘"I pray not only for these, but also for those who will trust in me because of their word, 21 that they may all be one. Just as you, Father, are united with me and I with you, I pray that they may be united with us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. 22 The glory which you have given to me, I have given to them; so that they may be one, just as we are one -- 23 I united with them and you with me, so that they may be completely one, and the world thus realize that you sent me, and that you have loved them just as you have loved me.”’
Sermon Notes by Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
July 23, 2007
Numbers 32:1-9, “1 The descendants of Re'uven and the descendants of Gad had vast quantities of livestock. When they saw that the land of Ya'zer and the land of Gil'ad were good for livestock, 2 the descendants of Gad and of Re'uven came and spoke to Moshe, El'azar the cohen and the community leaders. They said, 3 "'Atarot, Divon, Ya'zer, Nimrah, Heshbon, El'aleh, S'vam, N'vo and Be'on, 4 the country that ADONAI conquered before the community of Isra'el, is livestock country; and your servants have livestock. 5 If you regard us favorably," they went on, "let this land be given to your servants as their possession; and don't have us cross the Yarden." 6 Moshe answered the descendants of Gad and of Re'uven: "Are your brothers to go to war while you stay here? 7 Besides, why are you trying to discourage the people of Isra'el from crossing into the land ADONAI gave them? 8 This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up to the Eshkol Valley and saw the land, they disheartened the people of Isra'el, so that they wouldn't enter the land ADONAI had given them.”
Gad and Re’uven were tempted to stay in the lush pastures of Gil’ad because they had much livestock. They weren’t considering the effect of staying east of the Yarden (or Jordan River) or what it would do to the moral of the entire Israeli community and they certainly weren’t thinking about how their actions related to the actions of their fathers just forty years prior.
When the spies had returned from the land, the report of the ten resulted in national fear and rebellion.
Numbers 14:1-3, “1 At this all the people of Isra'el cried out in dismay and wept all night long. 2 Moreover, all the people of Isra'el began grumbling against Moshe and Aharon; the whole community told them, "We wish we had died in the land of Egypt! or that we had died here in the desert! 3 Why is ADONAI bringing us to this land, where we will die by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be taken as booty! Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?"
Fear led to rebellion and the desire to return to slavery than to trust the Living G-d who had just delivered them!
Forty years later, the little children who were spared were now men with families of their own. They had wandered the desert dependent upon G-d for where to go, what to eat and what to drink. But at the very last step, right when they were about to cross the Yarden, the commitment of Gad and Re’uven was beginning to crack!
Can we not be guilty of the same? Given a view of what we think is important to us, couldn’t we also be guilty of thinking “I’ve got mine!” and our self preservation can become more important than obedience or community preservation.
Gad and Re’uven’s behavior could have brought the whole nation back to ‘square one’ so to speak. But this time, Moses intervened. Over the course of forty years leading the people through G-d’s direction, he had learned a few things about leadership! This time he spoke up and persuaded them to participate in the taking of the Promised Land. He didn’t let history repeat and fail to enter the Promised Land thus averting a national crisis!
Numbers 32:14-23, ‘14 Now you, another brood of sinners, have arisen in your fathers' place to increase still more the fierce anger of ADONAI toward Isra'el! 15 For if you turn away from him, he will leave them in the desert again, and thus you will cause the destruction of all these people!" 16 But they came up to him and said, "Here we will build enclosures for our livestock and cities for our little ones, 17 but we ourselves will be armed and ready for action to march at the head of the people of Isra'el, until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones will stay in the fortified cities here because of the people now living in the land. 18 However, we will not return to our own homes until every man in Isra'el has taken possession of his land for inheritance. 19 We will not have an inheritance with them on the other side of the Yarden, westward; because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of the Yarden, eastward." 20 Moshe said to them, "If you will do this - if you will arm yourselves to go before ADONAI to the war, 21 and if every one of your soldiers will cross the Yarden before ADONAI, until he has driven out his enemies ahead of him, 22 and if the land has been conquered before ADONAI, and only after that do you return - then you will be clear before ADONAI and before Isra'el, and this land here will be yours to possess before ADONAI. 23 But if you will not do this, then you have sinned against ADONAI, and you must understand that your sin will find you out.
Gad and Re’uven were certainly tempted to stay put in Gil’ad because it was lush and plentiful for all their livestock. When they were confronted by Moses, although tempted to stay in Gil’ad, they chose to be obedient and participate in the taking of the Promised Land.
Temptation is not sin. Yeshua was tempted for in the wilderness after fasting for forty days! The fasting made Him sharp as a razor and when He was tempted he countered the evil one with Scripture. His time of testing made Him sharp and prepared Him for His ministry.
Similarly, we can view temptation as testing without becoming disheartened and decide to be committed to the L-rd!
Psalm 37:5, ‘Commit your way to ADONAI; trust in him, and he will act.’
There are three important facets of commitment; commitment to G-d, commitment to others and G-d’s commitment to each of us.
We cannot be truly committed to Him and others unless we know how committed He is to us!
Luke 14:25-27, ‘Large crowds were traveling along with Yeshua. Turning, he said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, his mother, his wife, his children, his brothers and his sisters, yes, and his own life besides, he cannot be my talmid. 27 Whoever does not carry his own execution-stake and come after me cannot be my talmid.”’
The verses in Luke describe the type of commitment about which the L-rd is fostering in us. Looking closely one may be confused about what the L-rd is saying in regard to ‘hating’ your family. What He means is that because we love Him so much and are committed to Him that it will appear as though we hate our family. Of course we love our family. But the dedication and commitment toward the L-rd in comparison to the type of love we have for our family would make it seem like hating them.
Similarly, testing the commitment of His Talmidim, the L-rd says something outrageous.
John 6:53-58, ‘Then Yeshua said to them, "Yes, indeed! I tell you that unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life -- that is, I will raise him up on the Last Day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I live in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live through the Father, so also who ever eats me will live through me. 58 So this is the bread that has come down from heaven -- it is not like the bread the fathers ate; they're dead, but whoever eats this bread will live forever!"’
The type of commitment He wants from us requires us to put all else aside. He wants us to say, “My answer is yes, L-rd, what is Your bidding?”
What type of commitment do we have? Are we like Paul who on the edge of death and danger because of his commitment to the congregations, put his life in danger and went to help them anyway? See 2 Corinthians 11 and Acts 20.
The L-rd is far more committed to us than we are to Him! He is always thinking about us as described in Psalm 40 and He is the defender of our very lives based upon Psalm 27:1.
We should take commitment seriously and be careful not to over commit either. G-d takes what we say seriously; what we say matters. Nor should we be under committed.
What makes commitment to Him, to others, and His commitment to us possible? The answer is love.
John 17:20-23, ‘"I pray not only for these, but also for those who will trust in me because of their word, 21 that they may all be one. Just as you, Father, are united with me and I with you, I pray that they may be united with us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. 22 The glory which you have given to me, I have given to them; so that they may be one, just as we are one -- 23 I united with them and you with me, so that they may be completely one, and the world thus realize that you sent me, and that you have loved them just as you have loved me.”’
Sunday, June 12, 2011
G-d’s Guidance
Rabbi Ken Alpren
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
June 11, 2011
How does G-d guide us? His guidance was recorded for the Israelites through the desert.
Numbers 9:15-23, ‘On the day the tabernacle was put up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, that is, the tent of the testimony; and in the evening, over the tabernacle was what appeared to be fire, which remained until morning. 16 So the cloud always covered it, and it looked like fire at night. 17 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tent, the people of Isra'el continued their travels; and they camped wherever the cloud stopped. 18 At the order of ADONAI, the people of Isra'el traveled; at the order of ADONAI, they camped; and as long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they stayed in camp. 19 Even when the cloud remained on the tabernacle for a long time, the people of Isra'el did what ADONAI had charged them to do and did not travel. 20 Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle; according to ADONAI's order, they remained in camp; and according to ADONAI's order, they traveled. 21 Sometimes the cloud was there only from evening until morning; so that when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they traveled. Or even if it continued up both day and night, when the cloud was up, they traveled. 22 Whether it was two days, a month or a year that the cloud remained over the tabernacle, staying on it, the people of Isra'el remained in camp and did not travel; but as soon as it was taken up, they traveled. 23 At ADONAI's order, they camped; and at ADONAI's order, they traveled -they did what ADONAI had charged them to do through Moshe.’
This passage of Scripture is expanded from Exodus 40:38, ‘For the cloud of ADONAI was above the tabernacle during the day, and fire was in [the cloud] at night, so that all the house of Isra'el could see it throughout all their travels.’
Fire provided warmth for the cool desert nights as well as light in the darkness. It may have also kept away wild animals from the people. The cloud by day provided shade from the hot desert sun. The fire and the cloud guided and protected the people and was a symbol of His divine guidance and protection!
The Hebrew word for cloud is ‘anan’ and for fire is ‘esh’. When the cloud lifted the Israelites would set out and when it settled, they would encamp. The Hebrew words used for ‘at the order of ADONAI’ are ‘peh ADONAI’ which literally means ‘at the mouth of ADONAI’. It was at G-d’s word, then, that the cloud lifted or settled!
Not only did the cloud represent the presence of the L-rd but also the word of the L-rd!
Psalm 119:105, ‘Your word is a lamp for my foot and light on my path.’
He guides and directs us through His word and His Spirit.
G-d has a witness of His word through all creation displaying to all humanity His existence. He speaks through His creation! He can speak to us through a sunset or sunrise and we can hear Him say, “I love you!”. Even the clouds moving slowly through the sky can witness to us that He is in control; slow down and don’t worry.
Romans 1:20, ‘For ever since the creation of the universe his invisible qualities - both his eternal power and his divine nature - have been clearly seen, because they can be understood from what he has made.’
The Israelites had to trust and obey the L-rd as the cloud moved at the L-rd’s command.
Numbers 9:22, ‘Whether it was two days, a month or a year that the cloud remained over the tabernacle, staying on it, the people of Isra'el remained in camp and did not travel; but as soon as it was taken up, they traveled.
Do we obey similarly when it may be inconvenient to go or inconvenient to wait? It is too easy to run ahead or fall behind Him! We can move ahead and He has stayed or we can stay and He has moved ahead; whether individually as believers or corporately in our congregations.
The L-rd tells us to obey and He will guide us. His presence was constantly with them as they obeyed Him.
As the cloud He is the protector and as the fire He is the leader. As the cloud He is the gaurd and as the fire He is the General leading the army. We should also be watching and ready!
Mark 13:32-37, ‘However, when that day and hour will come, no one knows -- not the angels in heaven, not the Son, just the Father. 33 Stay alert! Be on your guard! For you do not know when the time will come. 34 "It's like a man who travels away from home, puts his servants in charge, each with his own task, and tells the doorkeeper to stay alert. 35 So stay alert! for you don't know when the owner of the house will come, 36 whether it will be evening, midnight, cockcrow or morning -- you don't want him to come suddenly and find you sleeping! 37 And what I say to you, I say to everyone: stay alert!"’
We can get so busy in our plans and what we are doing that we aren’t watching as we follow our own agenda that we’ve mapped out. We can keep doing things as normal and the L-rd’s presence has left us!
We don’t know when the L-rd returns, but we are to be ready. Similarly, we should be ready in all circumstances whether illness, trial or calamity. Always be ready and always be watching.
Are we available to the L-rd? Are we seeking Him? When we were born again, when we trusted Yeshua as your Messiah, His Spirit lives inside us and now leads us; dwelling in us and directing us!
Romans 8:13-14, ‘For if you live according to your old nature, you will certainly die; but if, by the Spirit, you keep putting to death the practices of the body, you will live. All who are led by God's Spirit are God's sons.’
The Greek word for ‘sons’ used in this passage describe a mature son, not a baby or newborn. If we are mature, we are being directed by the L-rd contrary to our own preferences and that indicates discipleship, growing and maturing.
Galatians 5:18, ‘But if you are led by the Spirit, then you are not in subjection to the system that results from perverting the Torah into legalism.’
The cloud by day and the fire by night reveals that His appearance doesn’t always look the same just as He can direct us differently dependent upon circumstance. Like the cloud, He can direct us to be calm, to bring comfort and conceal versus like the fire, He can direct us to shout, bring us conviction or reveal something once hidden. His Spirit is dimensional and doesn’t always lead us the same way. We need His Spirit to be dimensional; to fill us with love to counteract our fleshly selfishness, to bring joy in the midst of sorrow and to fill us with peace in turmoil. The degree of His Spirit will be made apparent based upon our availability to Him.
He is the first and the last, grace and truth and the lion and the lamb!
Be spiritually led! Let’s be open to be led, limited and enlarged by the L-rd whatever the case may be.
Further Reading: Psalm 19:1-4a, Acts 16:6-10, Psalm 29, Psalm 121, Deuteronomy 8:3, Hebrews 6:12, Matthew 28:20, Ephesians 4:30, 1 Corinthians 10, John 14:17, John 5:24, Ephesians 1:13, 4:30, 1 Kings 17
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
June 11, 2011
How does G-d guide us? His guidance was recorded for the Israelites through the desert.
Numbers 9:15-23, ‘On the day the tabernacle was put up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, that is, the tent of the testimony; and in the evening, over the tabernacle was what appeared to be fire, which remained until morning. 16 So the cloud always covered it, and it looked like fire at night. 17 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tent, the people of Isra'el continued their travels; and they camped wherever the cloud stopped. 18 At the order of ADONAI, the people of Isra'el traveled; at the order of ADONAI, they camped; and as long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they stayed in camp. 19 Even when the cloud remained on the tabernacle for a long time, the people of Isra'el did what ADONAI had charged them to do and did not travel. 20 Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle; according to ADONAI's order, they remained in camp; and according to ADONAI's order, they traveled. 21 Sometimes the cloud was there only from evening until morning; so that when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they traveled. Or even if it continued up both day and night, when the cloud was up, they traveled. 22 Whether it was two days, a month or a year that the cloud remained over the tabernacle, staying on it, the people of Isra'el remained in camp and did not travel; but as soon as it was taken up, they traveled. 23 At ADONAI's order, they camped; and at ADONAI's order, they traveled -they did what ADONAI had charged them to do through Moshe.’
This passage of Scripture is expanded from Exodus 40:38, ‘For the cloud of ADONAI was above the tabernacle during the day, and fire was in [the cloud] at night, so that all the house of Isra'el could see it throughout all their travels.’
Fire provided warmth for the cool desert nights as well as light in the darkness. It may have also kept away wild animals from the people. The cloud by day provided shade from the hot desert sun. The fire and the cloud guided and protected the people and was a symbol of His divine guidance and protection!
The Hebrew word for cloud is ‘anan’ and for fire is ‘esh’. When the cloud lifted the Israelites would set out and when it settled, they would encamp. The Hebrew words used for ‘at the order of ADONAI’ are ‘peh ADONAI’ which literally means ‘at the mouth of ADONAI’. It was at G-d’s word, then, that the cloud lifted or settled!
Not only did the cloud represent the presence of the L-rd but also the word of the L-rd!
Psalm 119:105, ‘Your word is a lamp for my foot and light on my path.’
He guides and directs us through His word and His Spirit.
G-d has a witness of His word through all creation displaying to all humanity His existence. He speaks through His creation! He can speak to us through a sunset or sunrise and we can hear Him say, “I love you!”. Even the clouds moving slowly through the sky can witness to us that He is in control; slow down and don’t worry.
Romans 1:20, ‘For ever since the creation of the universe his invisible qualities - both his eternal power and his divine nature - have been clearly seen, because they can be understood from what he has made.’
The Israelites had to trust and obey the L-rd as the cloud moved at the L-rd’s command.
Numbers 9:22, ‘Whether it was two days, a month or a year that the cloud remained over the tabernacle, staying on it, the people of Isra'el remained in camp and did not travel; but as soon as it was taken up, they traveled.
Do we obey similarly when it may be inconvenient to go or inconvenient to wait? It is too easy to run ahead or fall behind Him! We can move ahead and He has stayed or we can stay and He has moved ahead; whether individually as believers or corporately in our congregations.
The L-rd tells us to obey and He will guide us. His presence was constantly with them as they obeyed Him.
As the cloud He is the protector and as the fire He is the leader. As the cloud He is the gaurd and as the fire He is the General leading the army. We should also be watching and ready!
Mark 13:32-37, ‘However, when that day and hour will come, no one knows -- not the angels in heaven, not the Son, just the Father. 33 Stay alert! Be on your guard! For you do not know when the time will come. 34 "It's like a man who travels away from home, puts his servants in charge, each with his own task, and tells the doorkeeper to stay alert. 35 So stay alert! for you don't know when the owner of the house will come, 36 whether it will be evening, midnight, cockcrow or morning -- you don't want him to come suddenly and find you sleeping! 37 And what I say to you, I say to everyone: stay alert!"’
We can get so busy in our plans and what we are doing that we aren’t watching as we follow our own agenda that we’ve mapped out. We can keep doing things as normal and the L-rd’s presence has left us!
We don’t know when the L-rd returns, but we are to be ready. Similarly, we should be ready in all circumstances whether illness, trial or calamity. Always be ready and always be watching.
Are we available to the L-rd? Are we seeking Him? When we were born again, when we trusted Yeshua as your Messiah, His Spirit lives inside us and now leads us; dwelling in us and directing us!
Romans 8:13-14, ‘For if you live according to your old nature, you will certainly die; but if, by the Spirit, you keep putting to death the practices of the body, you will live. All who are led by God's Spirit are God's sons.’
The Greek word for ‘sons’ used in this passage describe a mature son, not a baby or newborn. If we are mature, we are being directed by the L-rd contrary to our own preferences and that indicates discipleship, growing and maturing.
Galatians 5:18, ‘But if you are led by the Spirit, then you are not in subjection to the system that results from perverting the Torah into legalism.’
The cloud by day and the fire by night reveals that His appearance doesn’t always look the same just as He can direct us differently dependent upon circumstance. Like the cloud, He can direct us to be calm, to bring comfort and conceal versus like the fire, He can direct us to shout, bring us conviction or reveal something once hidden. His Spirit is dimensional and doesn’t always lead us the same way. We need His Spirit to be dimensional; to fill us with love to counteract our fleshly selfishness, to bring joy in the midst of sorrow and to fill us with peace in turmoil. The degree of His Spirit will be made apparent based upon our availability to Him.
He is the first and the last, grace and truth and the lion and the lamb!
Be spiritually led! Let’s be open to be led, limited and enlarged by the L-rd whatever the case may be.
Further Reading: Psalm 19:1-4a, Acts 16:6-10, Psalm 29, Psalm 121, Deuteronomy 8:3, Hebrews 6:12, Matthew 28:20, Ephesians 4:30, 1 Corinthians 10, John 14:17, John 5:24, Ephesians 1:13, 4:30, 1 Kings 17
Monday, June 6, 2011
Multigenerational Congregations
Rabbi Ken Alpren
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
June 4, 2011
Numbers 4:21-23, 46-47, 49, ‘ADONAI said to Moshe, 22 "Take a census of the descendants of Gershon also, by clans and families; 23 count all those between thirty and fifty years old, all who will enter the corps doing the work of serving in the tent of meeting.’ ‘The census of the L'vi'im, whom Moshe, Aharon and the leaders of Isra'el enumerated by their clans and families, 47 all those between thirty and fifty years old who were part of those working to serve and working to carry loads in the tent of meeting,’ ‘According to ADONAI's order they were appointed by Moshe, each one to his specific service or work. They were also enumerated, as ADONAI had ordered Moshe.’
Seven times in this portion, G-d instructed Moshe to enumerate the priests for service; He specified their service be between the ages of 30 and 50 years old. Each priest served for twenty years.
Within the congregation as with the people of Israel, there is always people of different ages with different responsibilities.
Notice the different characteristics given by the Apostle Yochanan for the different generations.
1 John 2:12-14, ‘You children, I am writing you because your sins have been forgiven for his sake. 13 You fathers, I am writing you because you have known him who has existed from the beginning. You young people, I am writing you because you have overcome the Evil One. 14 You children, I have written you because you have known the Father. You fathers, I have written you because you have known him who has existed from the beginning. You young people, I have written you because you are strong the Word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the Evil One.’
Each of us fit into one category. Where do you see yourself?
Perhaps we are not limited to one category, but we can have different aspects from all three because we have the Spirit of G-d in us.
We can be like little children with an innocence in trusting like a child. We can be strong like the young overcoming the Evil One with the Word of G-d. And we can be mature with the wisdom that comes with spiritual age, fathering or disciplining others.
1 Corinthians 4:15, ‘For even if you have ten thousand trainers in connection with the Messiah, you do not have many fathers; for in connection with the Messiah Yeshua it was I who became your father by means of the Good News.’
As mature believers we should all be pouring our lives into others, not just teaching them but ‘fathering’ them or discipling them.
The Hebrew words for children are ‘yeladim’, ‘banim’ for sons and ‘banot’ for daughters. ‘Narim’ are for the young (wide range of meaning). The Hebrew word for fathers is ‘avot’; and the word for daddy is ‘abba’.
When we are His children, born again by His Spirit, our hearts cry Abba Father!
Galatians 4:6, ‘Now because you are sons, God has sent forth into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, the Spirit who cries out, "Abba!" (that is, "Dear Father!").’
Romans 8:15,16, ‘For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to bring you back again into fear; on the contrary, you received the Spirit, who makes us sons and by whose power we cry out, "Abba!" (that is, "Dear Father!"). 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our own spirits that we are children of God.’
We have a sense of really knowing Him and knowing we are His and experience that wonderful assurance and intimacy with Him!
Another word for father is ‘zaqen’; the root word is derived from ‘zaqan’ which means ‘elder’ of which the root Hebrew word means ‘beard’.
Yeshua began his ministry when He was 30 years old (Luke 3:23). It is also written in the Talmud that one must be at least 40 years old to be considered wise. Notice in the conversation recorded in Gospel of John, the age of 50 was used as a measure of wisdom.
John 8:55-58, ‘Now you have not known him, but I do know him; indeed, if I were to say that I don't know him, I would be a liar like you! But I do know him, and I obey his word. 56 Avraham, your father, was glad that he would see my day; then he saw it and was overjoyed." 57 "Why, you're not yet fifty years old," the Judeans replied, "and you have seen Avraham?" 58 Yeshua said to them, "Yes, indeed! Before Avraham came into being, I AM!"’
G-dly wisdom is not necessarily based upon chronological age, but rather through humility, obedience and submission to our L-rd. Therefore, someone younger can actually be more wise spiritually depending upon one’s relationship and experience with the L-rd.
We all need each other to be healthy multigenerationally and intergenerationally within our congregation. In fact, Yeshua demonstrated characteristics of all three delineations described in 1 John. He had a childlike relationship with the Father (Matthew 3:17), He overcame evil like a warrior (Luke 4:4) and He is One with the Father (John 10:30 and Isaiah 9:6) and fathered disciples.
In the same way, we can exhibit these characteristics as well. But don’t get too comfortable in any one delineation. Rather, let G-d expand and grow us as we follow after Him.
Further Reading: Psalm 71, Psalm 78:1-7, 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12, Luke 3:23, Hebrews 5:12-14
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
June 4, 2011
Numbers 4:21-23, 46-47, 49, ‘ADONAI said to Moshe, 22 "Take a census of the descendants of Gershon also, by clans and families; 23 count all those between thirty and fifty years old, all who will enter the corps doing the work of serving in the tent of meeting.’ ‘The census of the L'vi'im, whom Moshe, Aharon and the leaders of Isra'el enumerated by their clans and families, 47 all those between thirty and fifty years old who were part of those working to serve and working to carry loads in the tent of meeting,’ ‘According to ADONAI's order they were appointed by Moshe, each one to his specific service or work. They were also enumerated, as ADONAI had ordered Moshe.’
Seven times in this portion, G-d instructed Moshe to enumerate the priests for service; He specified their service be between the ages of 30 and 50 years old. Each priest served for twenty years.
Within the congregation as with the people of Israel, there is always people of different ages with different responsibilities.
Notice the different characteristics given by the Apostle Yochanan for the different generations.
1 John 2:12-14, ‘You children, I am writing you because your sins have been forgiven for his sake. 13 You fathers, I am writing you because you have known him who has existed from the beginning. You young people, I am writing you because you have overcome the Evil One. 14 You children, I have written you because you have known the Father. You fathers, I have written you because you have known him who has existed from the beginning. You young people, I have written you because you are strong the Word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the Evil One.’
Each of us fit into one category. Where do you see yourself?
Perhaps we are not limited to one category, but we can have different aspects from all three because we have the Spirit of G-d in us.
We can be like little children with an innocence in trusting like a child. We can be strong like the young overcoming the Evil One with the Word of G-d. And we can be mature with the wisdom that comes with spiritual age, fathering or disciplining others.
1 Corinthians 4:15, ‘For even if you have ten thousand trainers in connection with the Messiah, you do not have many fathers; for in connection with the Messiah Yeshua it was I who became your father by means of the Good News.’
As mature believers we should all be pouring our lives into others, not just teaching them but ‘fathering’ them or discipling them.
The Hebrew words for children are ‘yeladim’, ‘banim’ for sons and ‘banot’ for daughters. ‘Narim’ are for the young (wide range of meaning). The Hebrew word for fathers is ‘avot’; and the word for daddy is ‘abba’.
When we are His children, born again by His Spirit, our hearts cry Abba Father!
Galatians 4:6, ‘Now because you are sons, God has sent forth into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, the Spirit who cries out, "Abba!" (that is, "Dear Father!").’
Romans 8:15,16, ‘For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to bring you back again into fear; on the contrary, you received the Spirit, who makes us sons and by whose power we cry out, "Abba!" (that is, "Dear Father!"). 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our own spirits that we are children of God.’
We have a sense of really knowing Him and knowing we are His and experience that wonderful assurance and intimacy with Him!
Another word for father is ‘zaqen’; the root word is derived from ‘zaqan’ which means ‘elder’ of which the root Hebrew word means ‘beard’.
Yeshua began his ministry when He was 30 years old (Luke 3:23). It is also written in the Talmud that one must be at least 40 years old to be considered wise. Notice in the conversation recorded in Gospel of John, the age of 50 was used as a measure of wisdom.
John 8:55-58, ‘Now you have not known him, but I do know him; indeed, if I were to say that I don't know him, I would be a liar like you! But I do know him, and I obey his word. 56 Avraham, your father, was glad that he would see my day; then he saw it and was overjoyed." 57 "Why, you're not yet fifty years old," the Judeans replied, "and you have seen Avraham?" 58 Yeshua said to them, "Yes, indeed! Before Avraham came into being, I AM!"’
G-dly wisdom is not necessarily based upon chronological age, but rather through humility, obedience and submission to our L-rd. Therefore, someone younger can actually be more wise spiritually depending upon one’s relationship and experience with the L-rd.
We all need each other to be healthy multigenerationally and intergenerationally within our congregation. In fact, Yeshua demonstrated characteristics of all three delineations described in 1 John. He had a childlike relationship with the Father (Matthew 3:17), He overcame evil like a warrior (Luke 4:4) and He is One with the Father (John 10:30 and Isaiah 9:6) and fathered disciples.
In the same way, we can exhibit these characteristics as well. But don’t get too comfortable in any one delineation. Rather, let G-d expand and grow us as we follow after Him.
Further Reading: Psalm 71, Psalm 78:1-7, 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12, Luke 3:23, Hebrews 5:12-14
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Enlisted Soldiers
Rabbi Ken Alpren
May 27, 2011
Sermon Notes by Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
Numbers 1:1-4, ‘ADONAI spoke to Moshe in the Sinai Desert, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month of the second year after they had left the land of Egypt. He said, 2 "Take a census of the entire assembly of the people of Isra'el, by clans and families. Record the names of all the men 3 twenty years old and over who are subject to military service in Isra'el. You and Aharon are to enumerate them company by company. 4 Take with you from each tribe someone who is head of a clan.”’
This census was taken after the Tabernacle was constructed and delineated who would serve as well as provided for the arrangement of the tribes for battle. The priests were separated and counted in a different census and the priests were critical for having
G-d’s blessing on the army.
Those subject to military service were to trust in G-d’s blessings and His strength for winning battles.
Psalm 44:6-8, ‘For I don't rely on my bow, nor can my sword give me victory. 7 No, you saved us from our adversaries; you put to shame those who hate us. 8 We will boast in our God all day and give thanks to your name forever. (Selah)’
Likewise, we are to trust in the L-rd, not our own resources; the victory is not dependent upon us, but on Him!
Notice also that G-d identified leaders for the head of the clans. Similarly, each of us is called to leadership in some form or fashion. He will direct us into leadership and service by putting desires in our hearts that are confirmed through prayer. Don’t wait for someone else to take leadership and know that sometimes G-d is waiting on us to be the leader!
No experience or qualifications needed for leadership. Remember Moses and Gideon? Where they qualified when G-d called them? In fact, G-d receives more glory if we have no ability of our own and when His strength takes over our weaknesses.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10, ‘but he told me, "My grace is enough for you, for my power is brought to perfection in weakness." Therefore, I am very happy to boast about my weaknesses, in order that the Messiah's power will rest upon me. 10 Yes, I am well pleased with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties endured on behalf of the Messiah; for it is when I am weak that I am strong.”’
G-d looks at our heart and loves our faith or trust in Him!
There are several key phrases that appear in the passage when G-d instructed Moses to enumerate those for military service.
The Hebrew used when counting those for military service is ‘shi-oo et rosh’ which means to ‘lift the head of’. G-d counts people and knows every one. He numbers the fighters; those going forth to fight. When one’s head is lifted, it is easy to look into the eyes; to be counted. He is counting them and is counting on them!
Additionally, the Hebrew word ‘paqad’ is used when He is numbering the fighters. ‘Paqad’ means number, but also means visit, look after, and care for. Doesn’t He keep count of the very hairs on our head, tears we have cried and the stars in the sky? He cares individually and counts on those mature enough to do battle. Those mature enough for battle protected the nation, they contributed and worked as a unit just as the Body of Messiah is designed to do.
Many people love to fellowship with other Believers, but fellowship in the Body of Messiah is much more than enjoying social activities together! We are meant to minister to each other and those yet believing, contribute to the Body and get together for eternal purposes.
In the Numbers passage above, if the person wasn’t mature enough to fight, then he wasn’t counted. G-d counted those He could count on!
Is G-d Army a volunteer army? NO! G-d’s Army are enlisted.
2 Timothy 2:1-4, ‘So then, you, my son, be empowered by the grace that comes from the Messiah Yeshua. 2 And the things you heard from me, which were supported by many witnesses, these things commit to faithful people, such as will be competent to teach others also. 3 Accept your share in suffering disgrace as a good soldier of the Messiah Yeshua. 4 No soldier on duty gets involved with civilian affairs, since he has to please his commanding officer. ‘
What kind of soldier am I?
Fourteen times in the passage of Numbers the phrase, “all who go forth to fight” is used; in Hebrew, “kol yatsa’ tsava’”. The word ‘tsava’ is related to the word used to describe the L-rd of Hosts which is ‘ADONAI Tzevaot’. We are in warfare and their is a lot against us!
As we have a Trunity G-d; also called a Uniplural G-d, so also, we war against three main forces which are the world or social culture, the flesh or sin nature and the devil also known as Ha Satan. We fight a cultural war which is external and a carnal war which is internal.
What did Yeshua use against temptation? Clearly in Luke 4 and Matthew 4, He responds with “It is written”. He fought with the Word of G-d as should we!
1 John 2:15-17, ‘Do not love the world or the things of the world. If someone loves the world, then love for the Father is not in him; 16 because all the things of the world - the desires of the old nature, the desires of the eyes, and the pretensions of life - are not from the Father but from the world. 17 And the world is passing away, along with its desires. But whoever does God's will remains forever.’
The answer is to wield the Sword of the Spirit in the power of the Spirit! Many people know the Word of G-d but either don’t believe it to be true or aren’t following His direction and the power is not manifested in them. However, the power is manifested when the Holy Spirit is wielding the Word of G-d through us!
Most of the aspects of the Armor of G-d described in Ephesians 6 are defensive, however, two aspects are offensive; they are the Sword which is the Word of G-d and prayer! Be strong in G-d’s strength!
We are enlisted as G-d’s soldiers! Don’t get side tracked, detoured, or caught up in a lesser battle and don’t quit! Our real battle and focus should remain on sharing the Gospel and making disciples! And ultimately we are against the Adversary who opposes the spread of the Gospel and who is against the Word of G-d.
1 Timothy 1:18, ‘This charge, son Timothy, I put to you, in keeping with the prophecies already made about you, so that by these prophecies you may fight the good fight.’
Remember Yeshua will be returning as a Rider making war as described in Revelation 19!
Exodus 15:3, ‘ADONAI is a warrior; ADONAI is his name.’
He is returning to set up His Kingdom, as His enlisted soldiers let us focus on discipleship, His work and mission and don’t get entangled in lesser things!
Further Reading: Numbers 1:44-45, 1 Samuel 17:32-40, 44-45, Psalm 18:28-29, 31-34, 39; 144:1, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, 1 Timothy 6:12, Psalm 2
May 27, 2011
Sermon Notes by Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
Numbers 1:1-4, ‘ADONAI spoke to Moshe in the Sinai Desert, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month of the second year after they had left the land of Egypt. He said, 2 "Take a census of the entire assembly of the people of Isra'el, by clans and families. Record the names of all the men 3 twenty years old and over who are subject to military service in Isra'el. You and Aharon are to enumerate them company by company. 4 Take with you from each tribe someone who is head of a clan.”’
This census was taken after the Tabernacle was constructed and delineated who would serve as well as provided for the arrangement of the tribes for battle. The priests were separated and counted in a different census and the priests were critical for having
G-d’s blessing on the army.
Those subject to military service were to trust in G-d’s blessings and His strength for winning battles.
Psalm 44:6-8, ‘For I don't rely on my bow, nor can my sword give me victory. 7 No, you saved us from our adversaries; you put to shame those who hate us. 8 We will boast in our God all day and give thanks to your name forever. (Selah)’
Likewise, we are to trust in the L-rd, not our own resources; the victory is not dependent upon us, but on Him!
Notice also that G-d identified leaders for the head of the clans. Similarly, each of us is called to leadership in some form or fashion. He will direct us into leadership and service by putting desires in our hearts that are confirmed through prayer. Don’t wait for someone else to take leadership and know that sometimes G-d is waiting on us to be the leader!
No experience or qualifications needed for leadership. Remember Moses and Gideon? Where they qualified when G-d called them? In fact, G-d receives more glory if we have no ability of our own and when His strength takes over our weaknesses.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10, ‘but he told me, "My grace is enough for you, for my power is brought to perfection in weakness." Therefore, I am very happy to boast about my weaknesses, in order that the Messiah's power will rest upon me. 10 Yes, I am well pleased with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties endured on behalf of the Messiah; for it is when I am weak that I am strong.”’
G-d looks at our heart and loves our faith or trust in Him!
There are several key phrases that appear in the passage when G-d instructed Moses to enumerate those for military service.
The Hebrew used when counting those for military service is ‘shi-oo et rosh’ which means to ‘lift the head of’. G-d counts people and knows every one. He numbers the fighters; those going forth to fight. When one’s head is lifted, it is easy to look into the eyes; to be counted. He is counting them and is counting on them!
Additionally, the Hebrew word ‘paqad’ is used when He is numbering the fighters. ‘Paqad’ means number, but also means visit, look after, and care for. Doesn’t He keep count of the very hairs on our head, tears we have cried and the stars in the sky? He cares individually and counts on those mature enough to do battle. Those mature enough for battle protected the nation, they contributed and worked as a unit just as the Body of Messiah is designed to do.
Many people love to fellowship with other Believers, but fellowship in the Body of Messiah is much more than enjoying social activities together! We are meant to minister to each other and those yet believing, contribute to the Body and get together for eternal purposes.
In the Numbers passage above, if the person wasn’t mature enough to fight, then he wasn’t counted. G-d counted those He could count on!
Is G-d Army a volunteer army? NO! G-d’s Army are enlisted.
2 Timothy 2:1-4, ‘So then, you, my son, be empowered by the grace that comes from the Messiah Yeshua. 2 And the things you heard from me, which were supported by many witnesses, these things commit to faithful people, such as will be competent to teach others also. 3 Accept your share in suffering disgrace as a good soldier of the Messiah Yeshua. 4 No soldier on duty gets involved with civilian affairs, since he has to please his commanding officer. ‘
What kind of soldier am I?
Fourteen times in the passage of Numbers the phrase, “all who go forth to fight” is used; in Hebrew, “kol yatsa’ tsava’”. The word ‘tsava’ is related to the word used to describe the L-rd of Hosts which is ‘ADONAI Tzevaot’. We are in warfare and their is a lot against us!
As we have a Trunity G-d; also called a Uniplural G-d, so also, we war against three main forces which are the world or social culture, the flesh or sin nature and the devil also known as Ha Satan. We fight a cultural war which is external and a carnal war which is internal.
What did Yeshua use against temptation? Clearly in Luke 4 and Matthew 4, He responds with “It is written”. He fought with the Word of G-d as should we!
1 John 2:15-17, ‘Do not love the world or the things of the world. If someone loves the world, then love for the Father is not in him; 16 because all the things of the world - the desires of the old nature, the desires of the eyes, and the pretensions of life - are not from the Father but from the world. 17 And the world is passing away, along with its desires. But whoever does God's will remains forever.’
The answer is to wield the Sword of the Spirit in the power of the Spirit! Many people know the Word of G-d but either don’t believe it to be true or aren’t following His direction and the power is not manifested in them. However, the power is manifested when the Holy Spirit is wielding the Word of G-d through us!
Most of the aspects of the Armor of G-d described in Ephesians 6 are defensive, however, two aspects are offensive; they are the Sword which is the Word of G-d and prayer! Be strong in G-d’s strength!
We are enlisted as G-d’s soldiers! Don’t get side tracked, detoured, or caught up in a lesser battle and don’t quit! Our real battle and focus should remain on sharing the Gospel and making disciples! And ultimately we are against the Adversary who opposes the spread of the Gospel and who is against the Word of G-d.
1 Timothy 1:18, ‘This charge, son Timothy, I put to you, in keeping with the prophecies already made about you, so that by these prophecies you may fight the good fight.’
Remember Yeshua will be returning as a Rider making war as described in Revelation 19!
Exodus 15:3, ‘ADONAI is a warrior; ADONAI is his name.’
He is returning to set up His Kingdom, as His enlisted soldiers let us focus on discipleship, His work and mission and don’t get entangled in lesser things!
Further Reading: Numbers 1:44-45, 1 Samuel 17:32-40, 44-45, Psalm 18:28-29, 31-34, 39; 144:1, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, 1 Timothy 6:12, Psalm 2
Monday, May 23, 2011
The Unbreakable Covenant
Rabbi Ken Alpren
May 21, 2011
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
Leviticus 26:3-9, ‘"'If you live by my regulations, observe my mitzvot and obey them; 4 then I will provide the rain you need in its season, the land will yield its produce, and the trees in the field will yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing time will extend until the grape harvest, and your grape harvesting will extend until the time for sowing seed. You will eat as much food as you want and live securely in your land. 6 "'I will give shalom in the land -you will lie down to sleep unafraid of anyone. I will rid the land of wild animals. The sword will not go through your land. 7 You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before your sword. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand -your enemies will fall before your sword. 9 "'I will turn toward you, make you productive, increase your numbers and uphold my covenant with you.”’
We must consider the seamlessness of the Old and New Testament; realizing there are differences, and know that according to 1 Corinthians 10:11, ‘These things happened to them as prefigurative historical events, and they were written down as a warning to us who are living in the acharit-hayamim.’
Know we are in covenant with the Living G-d, and that blessings and curses depend upon our obedience!
Also, know that He will never leave us or forsake us!
Hebrews 13:5, ‘Keep your lives free from the love of money; and be satisfied with what you have; for God himself has said, "I will never fail you or abandon you."’
The L-rd knows whose are His (2 Timothy 2:19)!
John 10:2-4, ‘“But the one who goes in through the gate is the sheep's own shepherd. 3 This is the one the gate-keeper admits, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep, each one by name, and leads them out.”’
We will be disciplined and chastised, but will never be taken out of His hand and nor can we even take ourselves out of His hand!
Romans 8:38-39, ‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers, neither what exists nor what is coming, 39 neither powers above nor powers below, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which comes to us through the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.’
We are in safe keeping, but that doesn’t mean we should live any way we want to live and in that way, the brit’ or covenant could be good or bad; it could be glorious or disastrous for Israel as well as for us.
Did you know that the L-rd has an order by which He will deal with us; for the Jew first and then the Gentile?
Romans 2:7-11, ‘To those who seek glory, honor and immortality by perseverance in doing good, he will pay back eternal life. 8 But to those who are self-seeking, who disobey the truth and obey evil, he will pay back wrath and anger. 9 Yes, he will pay back misery and anguish to every human being who does evil, to the Jew first, then to the Gentile; 10 but glory and honor and shalom to everyone who keeps doing what is good, to the Jew first, then to the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.’
The Hebrew word for honor is ‘kavod’ and also means weight. Kavod means honor and value but could also mean burden. There is privilege but also responsibility, prosperity and poverty, blessing and frustration, punishment and curse as well as success and disaster.
When referring to Israel, G-d says, in Amos 3:2, ‘"Of all the families on earth, only you have I intimately known. This is why I will punish you for all your crimes."’
Being in covenant with the L-rd is a serious matter.
Why was Israel chosen?
Genesis 12:3, ‘“I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed."’ Indeed, the L-rd has blessed us through Messiah as well as generally, through Jewish people.
We are in relationship with the one and only Living G-d and He answers our prayers!
Deuteronomy 4:7-8, ‘For what great nation is there that has God as close to them as ADONAI our God is, whenever we call on him? 8 What great nation is there that has laws and rulings as just as this entire Torah which I am setting before you today?’
In Leviticus 26 there is a 3:1 ratio of bad consequences for disobedience versus good consequences for obedience.
Our natural tendency is to turn away from Him and disobey. Four different times in the passage of Leviticus 26, He admonishes us to listen and then the bad consequences would stop. His heart is for us to turn and listen! Interestingly, in this passage the consequences get progressively worse ranging from distress, drought, invasion of wild animals, disease, siege of moral indecency, and finally, dispersion with enemies taking over the land.
Even so, our G-d does not give up on us, nor does He give up on the Israelites in Leviticus.
Leviticus 26:40-42, ‘Then they will confess their misdeeds and those of their ancestors which they committed against me in their rebellion; they will admit that they went against me. 41 At that time I will be going against them, bringing them into the lands of their enemies. But if their uncircumcised hearts will grow humble, and they are paid the punishment for their misdeeds; 42 then I will remember my covenant with Ya'akov, also my covenant with Yitz'chak and my covenant with Avraham; and I will remember the land.’
G-d’s door to restoration is always open! He won’t let us go. Can things be difficult and miserable? Yes! But He does bless us when we put Him first! The blessings can be more noticeable inwardly as expressed by Paul in Philippians 4, but G-d knows; He is familiar with the unknown, the unnamed and the unseen.
2 Corinthians 6:9, ‘unknown and famous. And we commend ourselves as God's workers headed for death, yet look! we're alive! as punished, yet not killed;’
We naturally gravitate toward those like ourselves or those who are well known or seemingly important. Even the prophet Samuel and David’s father weren’t looking for G-d to choose David, but He did choose Him.
Messiah Himself had an appearance that was not particularly outwardly attractive as expressed in Isaiah 53:2.
Let us be careful not to miss G-d because we gravitate toward being comfortable and toward those most like ourselves.
Further Reading: Psalm 89:31-38, John 15:4-8, Ephesians 2:11-12, 2 Timothy 2:16-17, Luke 8:18, Hebrews 12, Exodus 19:6, Deuteronomy 7:6-7, Ephesians 3:14, Revelation 1:13-15, Revelation 2:1, Hebrews 6:10, Psalm 139, Romans 16:8-9, Galatians 6:10, Hebrews 6:10, 1 Samuel 16
May 21, 2011
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
Leviticus 26:3-9, ‘"'If you live by my regulations, observe my mitzvot and obey them; 4 then I will provide the rain you need in its season, the land will yield its produce, and the trees in the field will yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing time will extend until the grape harvest, and your grape harvesting will extend until the time for sowing seed. You will eat as much food as you want and live securely in your land. 6 "'I will give shalom in the land -you will lie down to sleep unafraid of anyone. I will rid the land of wild animals. The sword will not go through your land. 7 You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before your sword. 8 Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand -your enemies will fall before your sword. 9 "'I will turn toward you, make you productive, increase your numbers and uphold my covenant with you.”’
We must consider the seamlessness of the Old and New Testament; realizing there are differences, and know that according to 1 Corinthians 10:11, ‘These things happened to them as prefigurative historical events, and they were written down as a warning to us who are living in the acharit-hayamim.’
Know we are in covenant with the Living G-d, and that blessings and curses depend upon our obedience!
Also, know that He will never leave us or forsake us!
Hebrews 13:5, ‘Keep your lives free from the love of money; and be satisfied with what you have; for God himself has said, "I will never fail you or abandon you."’
The L-rd knows whose are His (2 Timothy 2:19)!
John 10:2-4, ‘“But the one who goes in through the gate is the sheep's own shepherd. 3 This is the one the gate-keeper admits, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep, each one by name, and leads them out.”’
We will be disciplined and chastised, but will never be taken out of His hand and nor can we even take ourselves out of His hand!
Romans 8:38-39, ‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers, neither what exists nor what is coming, 39 neither powers above nor powers below, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which comes to us through the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.’
We are in safe keeping, but that doesn’t mean we should live any way we want to live and in that way, the brit’ or covenant could be good or bad; it could be glorious or disastrous for Israel as well as for us.
Did you know that the L-rd has an order by which He will deal with us; for the Jew first and then the Gentile?
Romans 2:7-11, ‘To those who seek glory, honor and immortality by perseverance in doing good, he will pay back eternal life. 8 But to those who are self-seeking, who disobey the truth and obey evil, he will pay back wrath and anger. 9 Yes, he will pay back misery and anguish to every human being who does evil, to the Jew first, then to the Gentile; 10 but glory and honor and shalom to everyone who keeps doing what is good, to the Jew first, then to the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.’
The Hebrew word for honor is ‘kavod’ and also means weight. Kavod means honor and value but could also mean burden. There is privilege but also responsibility, prosperity and poverty, blessing and frustration, punishment and curse as well as success and disaster.
When referring to Israel, G-d says, in Amos 3:2, ‘"Of all the families on earth, only you have I intimately known. This is why I will punish you for all your crimes."’
Being in covenant with the L-rd is a serious matter.
Why was Israel chosen?
Genesis 12:3, ‘“I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed."’ Indeed, the L-rd has blessed us through Messiah as well as generally, through Jewish people.
We are in relationship with the one and only Living G-d and He answers our prayers!
Deuteronomy 4:7-8, ‘For what great nation is there that has God as close to them as ADONAI our God is, whenever we call on him? 8 What great nation is there that has laws and rulings as just as this entire Torah which I am setting before you today?’
In Leviticus 26 there is a 3:1 ratio of bad consequences for disobedience versus good consequences for obedience.
Our natural tendency is to turn away from Him and disobey. Four different times in the passage of Leviticus 26, He admonishes us to listen and then the bad consequences would stop. His heart is for us to turn and listen! Interestingly, in this passage the consequences get progressively worse ranging from distress, drought, invasion of wild animals, disease, siege of moral indecency, and finally, dispersion with enemies taking over the land.
Even so, our G-d does not give up on us, nor does He give up on the Israelites in Leviticus.
Leviticus 26:40-42, ‘Then they will confess their misdeeds and those of their ancestors which they committed against me in their rebellion; they will admit that they went against me. 41 At that time I will be going against them, bringing them into the lands of their enemies. But if their uncircumcised hearts will grow humble, and they are paid the punishment for their misdeeds; 42 then I will remember my covenant with Ya'akov, also my covenant with Yitz'chak and my covenant with Avraham; and I will remember the land.’
G-d’s door to restoration is always open! He won’t let us go. Can things be difficult and miserable? Yes! But He does bless us when we put Him first! The blessings can be more noticeable inwardly as expressed by Paul in Philippians 4, but G-d knows; He is familiar with the unknown, the unnamed and the unseen.
2 Corinthians 6:9, ‘unknown and famous. And we commend ourselves as God's workers headed for death, yet look! we're alive! as punished, yet not killed;’
We naturally gravitate toward those like ourselves or those who are well known or seemingly important. Even the prophet Samuel and David’s father weren’t looking for G-d to choose David, but He did choose Him.
Messiah Himself had an appearance that was not particularly outwardly attractive as expressed in Isaiah 53:2.
Let us be careful not to miss G-d because we gravitate toward being comfortable and toward those most like ourselves.
Further Reading: Psalm 89:31-38, John 15:4-8, Ephesians 2:11-12, 2 Timothy 2:16-17, Luke 8:18, Hebrews 12, Exodus 19:6, Deuteronomy 7:6-7, Ephesians 3:14, Revelation 1:13-15, Revelation 2:1, Hebrews 6:10, Psalm 139, Romans 16:8-9, Galatians 6:10, Hebrews 6:10, 1 Samuel 16
Sunday, May 22, 2011
G-d's Commanded Blessing
Rabbi Ken Alpren
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
May 14, 2011
In the twenty-fifth chapter of Leviticus, three times the L-rd reiterates that His people not rule over or treat each other harshly; specifically in verses 43, 46 and 53. Interestingly, the Hebrew word used in these passages is ‘perek’ which is related to the Hebrew word ‘parokhet’ used for the curtain dividing the Holy Place in the Temple from the Holies Place.
When used in Leviticus, this word means with rigor, but also may mean to suffocate or stifle. Further in verse 17 of the same chapter, the word ‘yanah’ is used.
Leviticus 25:17, ‘Thus you are not to take advantage of each other, but you are to fear your God; for I am ADONAI your God.’
The instruction here with ‘yanah’ is not to oppress or wrong one another, but to fear G-d instead.
Am I critical or judgmental with others? Do I judge and draw conclusions based on appearances?
John 7:24, ‘“Stop judging by surface appearances, and judge the right way!"’
If I am judgmental I may speak harshly about someone and drive others away from the L-rd!
Romans 14:10, 12, 13, ‘You then, why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For all of us will stand before God's judgment seat, So then, every one of us will have to give an account of himself to God. 13 Therefore, let's stop passing judgment on each other! Instead, make this one judgment - not to put a stumbling block or a snare in a brother's way.’ Instead, we are to ‘pursue the things that make for shalom and mutual upbuilding’ as is written in Romans 14:19.
Rabbinical teachings have cited Leviticus 25:17 and in the context, the word ‘yanah’, that our treatment and judgment of others may cause unbearable pain especially when reminding others of past transgressions.
We need to be careful! For G-d Himself says in Jeremiah 31:34 that He will remember our sins no more, ‘No longer will any of them teach his fellow community member or his brother, 'Know ADONAI'; for all will know me, from the least of them to the greatest; because I will forgive their wickednesses and remember their sins no more."’.
Our own judgements will come back to us!
Matthew 7:1-2, ‘"Don't judge, so that you won't be judged. 2 For the way you judge others is how you will be judged -- the measure with which you measure out will be used to measure to you.”’.
Would I want G-d to deal with me the way I deal with others?
In Leviticus 25, the L-rd not only gave instructions on how to deal with others, He also instructed the Israelites about the observance of Sabbath for the land they were entering.
The people would naturally be concerned about how they would survive during the Sabbath year.
Leviticus 25:20, ‘"'If you ask, "If we aren't allowed to sow seed or harvest what our land produces, what are we going to eat the seventh year?"’
What is G-d’s answer?
Leviticus 25:21, ‘“then I will order my blessing on you during the sixth year, so that the land brings forth enough produce for all three years.”’
G-d orders or commands a blessing! He promises something supernatural; something that man cannot do!
Doesn’t this remind us of what Yeshua said?
Matthew 6:31-33, ‘"So don't be anxious, asking, `What will we eat?,' `What will we drink?' or `How will we be clothed?' 32 For it is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. 33 But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”’
The principle is that G-d honors us when we put Him first, demonstrated by the obedience of the Israelites during the Sabbath year and for us as we seek first His Kingdom knowing that He will take care of us.
Give Him our best first; not the leftovers or something that cost us nothing and He will honor it!
Proverbs 3:9, ‘Honor ADONAI with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your income.’
What about my plans? Do I pray first or do I make plans and then pray about them?
Proverbs 16:3, ‘If you entrust all you do to ADONAI, your plans will achieve success.’
Just as G-d commanded the blessing to provide for His people during the Sabbath, He does so when we forgive and live in unity with one another.
Ephesians 4:32, ‘Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted; and forgive each other, just as in the Messiah God has also forgiven you.’
Look at this verse as it relates to Psalm 133, ‘A song of ascents. By David: Oh, how good, how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in harmony. 2 It is like fragrant oil on the head that runs down over the beard, over the beard of Aharon, and flows down on the collar of his robes. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon that settles on the mountains of Tziyon. For it was there that ADONAI ordained the blessing of everlasting life.’
Unity is costly and requires humility; it requires putting our preferences and rights aside so as to love the L-rd and live together in unity.
In doing so, He commands the blessing! And what a blessing of everlasting life!
Contrast this principle with what happens when we don’t put the L-rd first as described in Haggai 1:6, ‘“You sow much but bring in little; you eat but aren't satisfied; you drink but never have enough; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who works for a living earns wages that are put in a bag full of holes.'"
If we wonder why things don’t work out or our lives are paved by obstacles, we may need to assess whether we are putting G-d first or not! We will not be free of tribulation, but our paths will be easier, better and be less stressful.
The Sabbatical year is known as Shana HaShmita and reminds us that the earth belongs to the L-rd and the Year of Jubilee is known as Shana HaYovel and reminds us that we are sojourners here on Earth.
As sojourners we are are looking toward the true Year of Jubilee or the Ultimate Yovel when we receive the fullness of His Commanded Blessing upon Yeshua’s return!
Revelation 21:3-4, ‘“I heard a loud voice from the throne say, "See! God's Sh'khinah is with mankind, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and he himself, God-with-them, will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death; and there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain; because the old order has passed away."’
Further Reading: Leviticus 25:1-5, 8-10, 20-21, Malachi 3:8-10, Hebrews 11:13, Romans 2:1, Galatians 6:7, Isaiah 58:13,14, 2 Samuel 24:24, 1 Timothy 2:1, 1 Samuel 2:30, Mark 10:28-30, Romans 8:21, Acts 3:21, Revelation 20:4, Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 11:6, 2 Peter 3:13
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
May 14, 2011
In the twenty-fifth chapter of Leviticus, three times the L-rd reiterates that His people not rule over or treat each other harshly; specifically in verses 43, 46 and 53. Interestingly, the Hebrew word used in these passages is ‘perek’ which is related to the Hebrew word ‘parokhet’ used for the curtain dividing the Holy Place in the Temple from the Holies Place.
When used in Leviticus, this word means with rigor, but also may mean to suffocate or stifle. Further in verse 17 of the same chapter, the word ‘yanah’ is used.
Leviticus 25:17, ‘Thus you are not to take advantage of each other, but you are to fear your God; for I am ADONAI your God.’
The instruction here with ‘yanah’ is not to oppress or wrong one another, but to fear G-d instead.
Am I critical or judgmental with others? Do I judge and draw conclusions based on appearances?
John 7:24, ‘“Stop judging by surface appearances, and judge the right way!"’
If I am judgmental I may speak harshly about someone and drive others away from the L-rd!
Romans 14:10, 12, 13, ‘You then, why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For all of us will stand before God's judgment seat, So then, every one of us will have to give an account of himself to God. 13 Therefore, let's stop passing judgment on each other! Instead, make this one judgment - not to put a stumbling block or a snare in a brother's way.’ Instead, we are to ‘pursue the things that make for shalom and mutual upbuilding’ as is written in Romans 14:19.
Rabbinical teachings have cited Leviticus 25:17 and in the context, the word ‘yanah’, that our treatment and judgment of others may cause unbearable pain especially when reminding others of past transgressions.
We need to be careful! For G-d Himself says in Jeremiah 31:34 that He will remember our sins no more, ‘No longer will any of them teach his fellow community member or his brother, 'Know ADONAI'; for all will know me, from the least of them to the greatest; because I will forgive their wickednesses and remember their sins no more."’.
Our own judgements will come back to us!
Matthew 7:1-2, ‘"Don't judge, so that you won't be judged. 2 For the way you judge others is how you will be judged -- the measure with which you measure out will be used to measure to you.”’.
Would I want G-d to deal with me the way I deal with others?
In Leviticus 25, the L-rd not only gave instructions on how to deal with others, He also instructed the Israelites about the observance of Sabbath for the land they were entering.
The people would naturally be concerned about how they would survive during the Sabbath year.
Leviticus 25:20, ‘"'If you ask, "If we aren't allowed to sow seed or harvest what our land produces, what are we going to eat the seventh year?"’
What is G-d’s answer?
Leviticus 25:21, ‘“then I will order my blessing on you during the sixth year, so that the land brings forth enough produce for all three years.”’
G-d orders or commands a blessing! He promises something supernatural; something that man cannot do!
Doesn’t this remind us of what Yeshua said?
Matthew 6:31-33, ‘"So don't be anxious, asking, `What will we eat?,' `What will we drink?' or `How will we be clothed?' 32 For it is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. 33 But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”’
The principle is that G-d honors us when we put Him first, demonstrated by the obedience of the Israelites during the Sabbath year and for us as we seek first His Kingdom knowing that He will take care of us.
Give Him our best first; not the leftovers or something that cost us nothing and He will honor it!
Proverbs 3:9, ‘Honor ADONAI with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your income.’
What about my plans? Do I pray first or do I make plans and then pray about them?
Proverbs 16:3, ‘If you entrust all you do to ADONAI, your plans will achieve success.’
Just as G-d commanded the blessing to provide for His people during the Sabbath, He does so when we forgive and live in unity with one another.
Ephesians 4:32, ‘Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted; and forgive each other, just as in the Messiah God has also forgiven you.’
Look at this verse as it relates to Psalm 133, ‘A song of ascents. By David: Oh, how good, how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in harmony. 2 It is like fragrant oil on the head that runs down over the beard, over the beard of Aharon, and flows down on the collar of his robes. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon that settles on the mountains of Tziyon. For it was there that ADONAI ordained the blessing of everlasting life.’
Unity is costly and requires humility; it requires putting our preferences and rights aside so as to love the L-rd and live together in unity.
In doing so, He commands the blessing! And what a blessing of everlasting life!
Contrast this principle with what happens when we don’t put the L-rd first as described in Haggai 1:6, ‘“You sow much but bring in little; you eat but aren't satisfied; you drink but never have enough; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who works for a living earns wages that are put in a bag full of holes.'"
If we wonder why things don’t work out or our lives are paved by obstacles, we may need to assess whether we are putting G-d first or not! We will not be free of tribulation, but our paths will be easier, better and be less stressful.
The Sabbatical year is known as Shana HaShmita and reminds us that the earth belongs to the L-rd and the Year of Jubilee is known as Shana HaYovel and reminds us that we are sojourners here on Earth.
As sojourners we are are looking toward the true Year of Jubilee or the Ultimate Yovel when we receive the fullness of His Commanded Blessing upon Yeshua’s return!
Revelation 21:3-4, ‘“I heard a loud voice from the throne say, "See! God's Sh'khinah is with mankind, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and he himself, God-with-them, will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death; and there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain; because the old order has passed away."’
Further Reading: Leviticus 25:1-5, 8-10, 20-21, Malachi 3:8-10, Hebrews 11:13, Romans 2:1, Galatians 6:7, Isaiah 58:13,14, 2 Samuel 24:24, 1 Timothy 2:1, 1 Samuel 2:30, Mark 10:28-30, Romans 8:21, Acts 3:21, Revelation 20:4, Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 11:6, 2 Peter 3:13
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Israel’s Restoration
Rabbi Ken Alpren
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
May 7, 2011
As we celebrate Israel’s Independence and the unrest in the Middle East, we may be wondering if the current State of Israel is permanent or not.
Amos 9:15, ‘“I will plant them on their own soil, no more to be uprooted from their land, which I gave them," says ADONAI your God.’
At least seven times God promised the Land of Israel to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Genesis.
The current State of Israel is indeed permanent and it is important that the Babylonian exile and return be distinguished from the current global return to Israel.
Isaiah 11:12, ‘He will hoist a banner for the Goyim, assemble the dispersed of Isra'el, and gather the scattered of Y'hudah from the four corners of the earth.’
What about Yeshua’s return? Does He return before Israel’s return to God?
Let’s explore three scenarios.
The first scenario’s order would begin with Israel’s national restoration, followed by Yeshua’s return and culminate with the revelation of Yeshua’s identity and spiritual rebirth of the people of Israel as described in Zechariah 12:10 which says, ‘and I will pour out on the house of David and on those living in Yerushalayim a spirit of grace and prayer; and they will look to me, whom they pierced." They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son; they will be in bitterness on his behalf like the bitterness for a firstborn son.’
A second scenario would begin with Israel’s national restoration followed by it’s spiritual rebirth and culminate with Yeshua’s return.
Acts 3:18-21, ‘But this is how God fulfilled what he had announced in advance, when he spoke through all the prophets, namely, that his Messiah was to die. 19 "Therefore, repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be erased; 20 so that times of refreshing may come from the Lord's presence; and he may send the Messiah appointed in advance for you, that is, Yeshua. 21 He has to remain in heaven until the time comes for restoring everything, as God said long ago, when he spoke through the holy prophets.’
This second scenario is quite plausible because Yeshua Himself said that His return would occur when His Jewish people would clearly be reborn demonstrated by their expression of praise for His return; which is currently occurring in Israel.
Matthew 23:39, ‘“For I tell you, from now on, you will not see me again until you say, `Blessed is he who comes in the name of ADONAI.'"
However, let us consider a third scenario which begins with Israel’s national restoration, followed by their spiritual rebirth in part, and then Yeshua’s return which then results in a full revelation to the entire State of Israel when all Israel will be saved.
Romans 11:25-27, ‘For, brothers, I want you to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won't imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Isra'el, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness; 26 and that it is in this way that all Isra'el will be saved. As the Tanakh says, "Out of Tziyon will come the Redeemer; he will turn away ungodliness from Ya'akov 27 and this will be my covenant with them, . . . when I take away their sins."’
Regardless of the exact timing of God’s revelation to His people, we know He will revive His people demonstrated so vividly in Ezekiel 37.
Ezekiel 37:1-3, ‘With the hand of ADONAI upon me, ADONAI carried me out by his Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones. 2 He had me pass by all around them - there were so many bones lying in the valley, and they were so dry! 3 He asked me, "Human being, can these bones live?" I answered, "Adonai ELOHIM! Only you know that!"’
In this passage, Ezekiel is literally placed amongst skeletons; they are all around him and there are a multitude of them; withered and without moisture.
Consider at this point that the Lord Himself asked Ezekiel the question, “Human being, can these bones live?”
And Ezekiel answers, “Adonai ELOHIM! Only you know that!” He wasn’t going to say that is was impossible! No, he knew better and he knew that if the bones were to live, it would be through God and no other way.
What seems absolutely impossible, can be possible through Him! Notice how the Lord brings life into the bones described further in the passage. Through His Word spoken by Ezekiel which is reiterated by the passage in Romans that faith comes from hearing the Word of God.
Romans 10:17, ‘So trust comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through a word proclaimed about the Messiah.’
Ezekiel 37:4-10, ‘Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones! Say to them, 'Dry bones! Hear what ADONAI has to say! 5 To these bones Adonai ELOHIM says, "I will make breath enter you, and you will live. 6 I will attach ligaments to you, make flesh grow on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you. You will live, and you will know that I am ADONAI."'" 7 So I prophesied as ordered; and while I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound; it was the bones coming together, each bone in its proper place. 8 As I watched, ligaments grew on them, flesh appeared and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Next he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath! Prophesy, human being! Say to the breath that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'Come from the four winds, breath; and breathe on these slain, so that they can live.'" 10 So I prophesied as ordered, and the breath came into them, and they were alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army!’
From this portion of Scripture, a three-fold phase of spiritual rebirth is illuminated!
When Ezekiel spoke the first prophesy, the bones came together and ligaments grew and flesh appeared; there was life, but no breath indicating a first phase. They were living but without the Ruach. With the second prophesy, the Ruach came into them and they stood on their feet, acknowledged and recognized and then thirdly, they were a vast army.
The Hebrew for ‘vast army’ is written, ‘maod maod chayil gadol’ translated, ‘very very great mighty’. Chayil can mean mighty or growing mightily and ‘chayil’ can also mean anguish. We know that through pain the Lord can bring about something mighty as He is now doing. We are witnessing the Ruach of God entering the hearts of His people and they are beginning to stand!
Further Reading: Ezekiel 37:11-14, Hosea 5:15-6:6, Philippians 3:7-10, Psalm 110:1, Proverbs 30:4, Psalm 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8, Isaiah 57:15, John 10:10, Isaiah 64, Psalm 85
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
May 7, 2011
As we celebrate Israel’s Independence and the unrest in the Middle East, we may be wondering if the current State of Israel is permanent or not.
Amos 9:15, ‘“I will plant them on their own soil, no more to be uprooted from their land, which I gave them," says ADONAI your God.’
At least seven times God promised the Land of Israel to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Genesis.
The current State of Israel is indeed permanent and it is important that the Babylonian exile and return be distinguished from the current global return to Israel.
Isaiah 11:12, ‘He will hoist a banner for the Goyim, assemble the dispersed of Isra'el, and gather the scattered of Y'hudah from the four corners of the earth.’
What about Yeshua’s return? Does He return before Israel’s return to God?
Let’s explore three scenarios.
The first scenario’s order would begin with Israel’s national restoration, followed by Yeshua’s return and culminate with the revelation of Yeshua’s identity and spiritual rebirth of the people of Israel as described in Zechariah 12:10 which says, ‘and I will pour out on the house of David and on those living in Yerushalayim a spirit of grace and prayer; and they will look to me, whom they pierced." They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son; they will be in bitterness on his behalf like the bitterness for a firstborn son.’
A second scenario would begin with Israel’s national restoration followed by it’s spiritual rebirth and culminate with Yeshua’s return.
Acts 3:18-21, ‘But this is how God fulfilled what he had announced in advance, when he spoke through all the prophets, namely, that his Messiah was to die. 19 "Therefore, repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be erased; 20 so that times of refreshing may come from the Lord's presence; and he may send the Messiah appointed in advance for you, that is, Yeshua. 21 He has to remain in heaven until the time comes for restoring everything, as God said long ago, when he spoke through the holy prophets.’
This second scenario is quite plausible because Yeshua Himself said that His return would occur when His Jewish people would clearly be reborn demonstrated by their expression of praise for His return; which is currently occurring in Israel.
Matthew 23:39, ‘“For I tell you, from now on, you will not see me again until you say, `Blessed is he who comes in the name of ADONAI.'"
However, let us consider a third scenario which begins with Israel’s national restoration, followed by their spiritual rebirth in part, and then Yeshua’s return which then results in a full revelation to the entire State of Israel when all Israel will be saved.
Romans 11:25-27, ‘For, brothers, I want you to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won't imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Isra'el, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness; 26 and that it is in this way that all Isra'el will be saved. As the Tanakh says, "Out of Tziyon will come the Redeemer; he will turn away ungodliness from Ya'akov 27 and this will be my covenant with them, . . . when I take away their sins."’
Regardless of the exact timing of God’s revelation to His people, we know He will revive His people demonstrated so vividly in Ezekiel 37.
Ezekiel 37:1-3, ‘With the hand of ADONAI upon me, ADONAI carried me out by his Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones. 2 He had me pass by all around them - there were so many bones lying in the valley, and they were so dry! 3 He asked me, "Human being, can these bones live?" I answered, "Adonai ELOHIM! Only you know that!"’
In this passage, Ezekiel is literally placed amongst skeletons; they are all around him and there are a multitude of them; withered and without moisture.
Consider at this point that the Lord Himself asked Ezekiel the question, “Human being, can these bones live?”
And Ezekiel answers, “Adonai ELOHIM! Only you know that!” He wasn’t going to say that is was impossible! No, he knew better and he knew that if the bones were to live, it would be through God and no other way.
What seems absolutely impossible, can be possible through Him! Notice how the Lord brings life into the bones described further in the passage. Through His Word spoken by Ezekiel which is reiterated by the passage in Romans that faith comes from hearing the Word of God.
Romans 10:17, ‘So trust comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through a word proclaimed about the Messiah.’
Ezekiel 37:4-10, ‘Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones! Say to them, 'Dry bones! Hear what ADONAI has to say! 5 To these bones Adonai ELOHIM says, "I will make breath enter you, and you will live. 6 I will attach ligaments to you, make flesh grow on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you. You will live, and you will know that I am ADONAI."'" 7 So I prophesied as ordered; and while I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound; it was the bones coming together, each bone in its proper place. 8 As I watched, ligaments grew on them, flesh appeared and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Next he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath! Prophesy, human being! Say to the breath that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'Come from the four winds, breath; and breathe on these slain, so that they can live.'" 10 So I prophesied as ordered, and the breath came into them, and they were alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army!’
From this portion of Scripture, a three-fold phase of spiritual rebirth is illuminated!
When Ezekiel spoke the first prophesy, the bones came together and ligaments grew and flesh appeared; there was life, but no breath indicating a first phase. They were living but without the Ruach. With the second prophesy, the Ruach came into them and they stood on their feet, acknowledged and recognized and then thirdly, they were a vast army.
The Hebrew for ‘vast army’ is written, ‘maod maod chayil gadol’ translated, ‘very very great mighty’. Chayil can mean mighty or growing mightily and ‘chayil’ can also mean anguish. We know that through pain the Lord can bring about something mighty as He is now doing. We are witnessing the Ruach of God entering the hearts of His people and they are beginning to stand!
Further Reading: Ezekiel 37:11-14, Hosea 5:15-6:6, Philippians 3:7-10, Psalm 110:1, Proverbs 30:4, Psalm 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8, Isaiah 57:15, John 10:10, Isaiah 64, Psalm 85
Monday, April 25, 2011
Two Great Bible Studies
Rabbi Ken Alpren
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
April 24, 2011
After the L-rd was raised from the dead, He gave two great and amazing Bible Studies to His talmidim recorded in Luke 24.
Luke 24:1-9, “but the next day, while it was still very early, they took the spices they had prepared, went to the tomb, 2 and found the stone rolled away from the tomb! 3 On entering, they discovered that the body of the Lord Yeshua was gone! They were 4 standing there, not knowing what to think about it, when suddenly two men in dazzlingly bright clothing stood next to them. 5 Terror-stricken, they bowed down with their faces to the ground. The two men said to them, "Why are you looking for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has been raised. Remember how he told you while he was still in the Galil, 7 `The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be executed on a stake as a criminal, but on the third day be raised again'?" 8 Then they remembered his words; 9 and, returning from the tomb, they told everything to the Eleven and to all the rest.”
Notice the ‘two men’ reminded the women what they had already been told by Yeshua.
1 Peter 1:12-13, “For this reason, I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you already have. 13 And I consider it right to keep stirring you up with reminders, as long as I am in the tent of this body.”
The women were faced with skepticism when they returned to tell the others. The others thought the women were full of nonsense! They weren’t trusting yet.
Even Kefa, although skeptical, ran to the tomb to see for himself and came away wondering what happened.
Meanwhile, the L-rd Yeshua Himself joined two talmidim who were walking to Amma’us.
Luke 24:13-19a, ‘That same day, two of them were going toward a village about seven miles from Yerushalayim called Amma'us, 14 and they were talking with each other about all the things that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed, Yeshua himself came up and walked along with them, 16 but something kept them from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, "What are you talking about with each other as you walk along?" They stopped short, their faces downcast; 18 and one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only person staying in Yerushalayim that doesn't know the things that have been going on there the last few days?" "What things?" he asked them.’
Do you think the L-rd was being intentionally deceptive by asking, “What things?” or was He probing them in order to get them to articulate for themselves the events over the past few days as well as verbally process their thoughts?
He also did not reveal Himself. Is this deceptive or was He allowing them the freedom to speak their thoughts and express their desire for His appearing?
Even with us, He will probe our hearts and minds and make it seem as though He isn’t near when in fact He is working in His way to draw our thoughts out of us and help us see things for ourselves.
Luke 24: 19b-25, ‘They said to him, "The things about Yeshua from Natzeret. He was a prophet and proved it by the things he did and said before God and all the people. 20 Our head cohanim and our leaders handed him over, so that he could be sentenced to death and executed on a stake as a criminal. 21 And we had hoped that he would be the one to liberate Isra'el! Besides all that, today is the third day since these things happened; 22 and this morning, some of the women astounded us. They were at the tomb early 23 and couldn't find his body, so they came back; but they also reported that they had seen a vision of angels who say he's alive! 24 Some of our friends went to the tomb and found it exactly as the women had said, but they didn't see him."
At this point the L-rd had enough of their unbelief! And then something marvelous happened. He began to open the Scriptures to them!
Luke 24:25-27, ‘He said to them, "Foolish people! So unwilling to put your trust in everything the prophets spoke! 26 Didn't the Messiah have to die like this before entering his glory?" 27 Then, starting with Moshe and all the prophets, he explained to them the things that can be found throughout the Tanakh concerning himself.’
Even at this point they didn’t know if was Yeshua Himself speaking to them.
What verses might He have expounded with them? Perhaps Psalm 118:22-23 from the Hallel about the rejection of the Chief Cornerstone, or Isaiah 9:6 that a child would be born, or Proverbs 30:4 concerning G-d’s Son whom we would surely know, or Psalm 22 written by David describing His crucifixion, or Daniel 9:6 that we had not listened to the prophets, or Psalm 2:7 that ADONAI has a Son and wouldn’t He have expounded the great Messianic prophesy in Isaiah 53 and Zechariah 12:10? Might He also included Hosea 5:15 that He would return to Heaven’s Throne and wait until they admit their guilt and seek Him?
Aren’t our own hearts burning now to have been there with them that day to walk with the L-rd and hear Him speak?
Yet as they approached their destination, Yeshua acted as though He were to continue on without them. Was He disinterested or was did He want them to pursue His staying with them and to demonstrate they wanted to learn more?
Luke 24:28-32, ‘They approached the village where they were going. He made as if he were going on farther; 29 but they held him back, saying, "Stay with us, for it's almost evening, and it's getting dark." So he went in to stay with them. 30 As he was reclining with them at the table, he took the matzah, made the b'rakhah, broke it and handed it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. But he became invisible to them. 32 They said to each other, "Didn't our hearts burn inside us as he spoke to us on the road, opening up the Tanakh to us?"
The entire time they were together that day, Yeshua’s identity remained hidden until He took the matzah and made the b’rakhah! At that point He was completely recognizable to them; they knew it was Him!
They immediately acted!
Luke 24:33-35, ‘They got up at once, returned to Yerushalayim and found the Eleven gathered together with their friends, 34 saying, "It's true! The Lord has risen! Shim`on saw him!" 35 Then the two told what had happened on the road and how he had become known to them in the breaking of the matzah.’
And much to their surprise, Yeshua appeared again!
Luke 24, ‘They were still talking about it when -- there he was, standing among them! 37 Startled and terrified, they thought they were seeing a ghost. 38 But he said to them, "Why are you so upset? Why are these doubts welling up inside you? 39 Look at my hands and my feet -- it is I, myself! Touch me and see -- a ghost doesn't have flesh and bones, as you can see I do." 40 As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet.’
After asking for some food, He began the second portion of His Bible study!
Luke 24:44-47, ‘Yeshua said to them, "This is what I meant when I was still with you and told you that everything written about me in the Torah of Moshe, the Prophets and the Psalms had to be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened their minds, so that they could understand the Tanakh, 46 telling them, "Here is what it says: the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day; 47 and in his name repentance leading to forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed to people from all nations, starting with Yerushalayim.’
It is at this point Yeshua ended the Bible Study with what is known as the Great Commission emphasizing that in His Name repentance and forgiveness of sin should be proclaimed into all people beginning with Jerusalem. The Greek in this passage interestingly also means that this Commission would be ‘ruled’ from Jerusalem. Remember Romans 1:16, to share the truth about repentance and forgiveness of sin in Yeshua the Jewish Messiah to the Jew first and to the nations; to both without the exclusion of either!
Sermon Notes: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
April 24, 2011
After the L-rd was raised from the dead, He gave two great and amazing Bible Studies to His talmidim recorded in Luke 24.
Luke 24:1-9, “but the next day, while it was still very early, they took the spices they had prepared, went to the tomb, 2 and found the stone rolled away from the tomb! 3 On entering, they discovered that the body of the Lord Yeshua was gone! They were 4 standing there, not knowing what to think about it, when suddenly two men in dazzlingly bright clothing stood next to them. 5 Terror-stricken, they bowed down with their faces to the ground. The two men said to them, "Why are you looking for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has been raised. Remember how he told you while he was still in the Galil, 7 `The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be executed on a stake as a criminal, but on the third day be raised again'?" 8 Then they remembered his words; 9 and, returning from the tomb, they told everything to the Eleven and to all the rest.”
Notice the ‘two men’ reminded the women what they had already been told by Yeshua.
1 Peter 1:12-13, “For this reason, I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you already have. 13 And I consider it right to keep stirring you up with reminders, as long as I am in the tent of this body.”
The women were faced with skepticism when they returned to tell the others. The others thought the women were full of nonsense! They weren’t trusting yet.
Even Kefa, although skeptical, ran to the tomb to see for himself and came away wondering what happened.
Meanwhile, the L-rd Yeshua Himself joined two talmidim who were walking to Amma’us.
Luke 24:13-19a, ‘That same day, two of them were going toward a village about seven miles from Yerushalayim called Amma'us, 14 and they were talking with each other about all the things that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed, Yeshua himself came up and walked along with them, 16 but something kept them from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, "What are you talking about with each other as you walk along?" They stopped short, their faces downcast; 18 and one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only person staying in Yerushalayim that doesn't know the things that have been going on there the last few days?" "What things?" he asked them.’
Do you think the L-rd was being intentionally deceptive by asking, “What things?” or was He probing them in order to get them to articulate for themselves the events over the past few days as well as verbally process their thoughts?
He also did not reveal Himself. Is this deceptive or was He allowing them the freedom to speak their thoughts and express their desire for His appearing?
Even with us, He will probe our hearts and minds and make it seem as though He isn’t near when in fact He is working in His way to draw our thoughts out of us and help us see things for ourselves.
Luke 24: 19b-25, ‘They said to him, "The things about Yeshua from Natzeret. He was a prophet and proved it by the things he did and said before God and all the people. 20 Our head cohanim and our leaders handed him over, so that he could be sentenced to death and executed on a stake as a criminal. 21 And we had hoped that he would be the one to liberate Isra'el! Besides all that, today is the third day since these things happened; 22 and this morning, some of the women astounded us. They were at the tomb early 23 and couldn't find his body, so they came back; but they also reported that they had seen a vision of angels who say he's alive! 24 Some of our friends went to the tomb and found it exactly as the women had said, but they didn't see him."
At this point the L-rd had enough of their unbelief! And then something marvelous happened. He began to open the Scriptures to them!
Luke 24:25-27, ‘He said to them, "Foolish people! So unwilling to put your trust in everything the prophets spoke! 26 Didn't the Messiah have to die like this before entering his glory?" 27 Then, starting with Moshe and all the prophets, he explained to them the things that can be found throughout the Tanakh concerning himself.’
Even at this point they didn’t know if was Yeshua Himself speaking to them.
What verses might He have expounded with them? Perhaps Psalm 118:22-23 from the Hallel about the rejection of the Chief Cornerstone, or Isaiah 9:6 that a child would be born, or Proverbs 30:4 concerning G-d’s Son whom we would surely know, or Psalm 22 written by David describing His crucifixion, or Daniel 9:6 that we had not listened to the prophets, or Psalm 2:7 that ADONAI has a Son and wouldn’t He have expounded the great Messianic prophesy in Isaiah 53 and Zechariah 12:10? Might He also included Hosea 5:15 that He would return to Heaven’s Throne and wait until they admit their guilt and seek Him?
Aren’t our own hearts burning now to have been there with them that day to walk with the L-rd and hear Him speak?
Yet as they approached their destination, Yeshua acted as though He were to continue on without them. Was He disinterested or was did He want them to pursue His staying with them and to demonstrate they wanted to learn more?
Luke 24:28-32, ‘They approached the village where they were going. He made as if he were going on farther; 29 but they held him back, saying, "Stay with us, for it's almost evening, and it's getting dark." So he went in to stay with them. 30 As he was reclining with them at the table, he took the matzah, made the b'rakhah, broke it and handed it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. But he became invisible to them. 32 They said to each other, "Didn't our hearts burn inside us as he spoke to us on the road, opening up the Tanakh to us?"
The entire time they were together that day, Yeshua’s identity remained hidden until He took the matzah and made the b’rakhah! At that point He was completely recognizable to them; they knew it was Him!
They immediately acted!
Luke 24:33-35, ‘They got up at once, returned to Yerushalayim and found the Eleven gathered together with their friends, 34 saying, "It's true! The Lord has risen! Shim`on saw him!" 35 Then the two told what had happened on the road and how he had become known to them in the breaking of the matzah.’
And much to their surprise, Yeshua appeared again!
Luke 24, ‘They were still talking about it when -- there he was, standing among them! 37 Startled and terrified, they thought they were seeing a ghost. 38 But he said to them, "Why are you so upset? Why are these doubts welling up inside you? 39 Look at my hands and my feet -- it is I, myself! Touch me and see -- a ghost doesn't have flesh and bones, as you can see I do." 40 As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet.’
After asking for some food, He began the second portion of His Bible study!
Luke 24:44-47, ‘Yeshua said to them, "This is what I meant when I was still with you and told you that everything written about me in the Torah of Moshe, the Prophets and the Psalms had to be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened their minds, so that they could understand the Tanakh, 46 telling them, "Here is what it says: the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day; 47 and in his name repentance leading to forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed to people from all nations, starting with Yerushalayim.’
It is at this point Yeshua ended the Bible Study with what is known as the Great Commission emphasizing that in His Name repentance and forgiveness of sin should be proclaimed into all people beginning with Jerusalem. The Greek in this passage interestingly also means that this Commission would be ‘ruled’ from Jerusalem. Remember Romans 1:16, to share the truth about repentance and forgiveness of sin in Yeshua the Jewish Messiah to the Jew first and to the nations; to both without the exclusion of either!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Wordfulness will keep us from Worldliness
Rabbi Ken Alpren
April 15, 2011
Sermon Notes by: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
Leviticus 18:1-5, “ADONAI said to Moshe, 2 "Speak to the people of Isra'el; tell them, 'I am ADONAI your God. 3 You are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Egypt, where you used to live; and you are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Kena'an, where I am bringing you; nor are you to live by their laws. 4 You are to obey my rulings and laws and live accordingly; I am ADONAI your God. 5 You are to observe my laws and rulings; if a person does them, he will have life through them; I am ADONAI.”
Three times in this passage the L-rd says, ‘I am ADONAI’, emphasizing the point that His instruction was for the Israelites not to imitate the Goyim but to follow Him. Our ability to follow Him starts with Him and is not based upon us or our own ability. The passage also emphasizes the He is in our past and our future; where we used to live and where we are going.
As He brings us out of one place and leads us to another, there is no guarantee that life will be any easier! The truth is we are aliens here and are just passing through.
1 Peter 2:11, “Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and temporary residents not to give in to the desires of your old nature, which keep warring against you”
Where is our primary citizenship?
Philippians 3:20, “But we are citizens of heaven, and it is from there that we expect a Deliverer, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.”
He is telling us not to live in our past or even our futures here on Earth, but to live in Him! He is our G-d of the past and future and the only way to be set apart here is through Him and His Word.
Wherever He is leading us here, He is with us. Look closely at Leviticus 18:3, “You are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Egypt, where you used to live; and you are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Kena'an, where I am bringing you; nor are you to live by their laws.”
The Hebrew meaning in this verse literally means that ‘where He is coming, you are coming with me’. He leads us where He has already been. The provision for the Israelites then was G-d Word as it is for us now.
The Word of G-d keeps us and cleanses us. Yeshua exemplified this principle in John 13 when He washed His Talmidim’s feet at Pesach.
When G-d brought the Israelites from Egypt to Kena’an, He brought them from one hostile environment to another. He was with them and wanted them to be set apart and to abstain from the immorality and idolatry of these cultures.
Deuteronomy 28 explicitly details blessings for obeying the Word of G-d and being set apart as well as cursings for complying with the world. We are to be trend-setters, not culture-copiers! We are to implement G-d’s ways and be different because we are already different!
1 Corinthians 5:7-8, “Get rid of the old hametz, so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For our Pesach lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed. 8 So let us celebrate the Seder not with leftover hametz, the hametz of wickedness and evil, but with the matzah of purity and truth.”
The truth is we are already different! We will be miserable if we try to be like those around us anyway.
We are already set apart and we are set apart by His Word! John 17:17, “Set them apart for holiness by means of the truth -- your word is truth.”
Be aware that worldliness is more than our focus and fascination with outward or materials things. Worldliness begins internally with our attitude and values. Do our attitudes and values come from our culture or from the Word of G-d? If from the Word, then our thoughts are pure and our actions will result from pure hearts and minds.
What we want and where we focus our attention are our modern idols. John warned us in 1 John 5:21 to keep ourselves from idols.
So how do we keep ourselves from idols and be full of G-d’s Word rather than full of the world?
G-d is my life. Rather than living in the past or future, I am to live in Him!
How?
Colossians 3:1-3, “So if you were raised along with the Messiah, then seek the things above, where the Messiah is sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Focus your minds on the things above, not on things here on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God.”
Know we are in Him but we also must do as He says and therefore, be more like Him.
When Yeshua prayed for His Talmidim in John 17, He also prayed for us to set apart; sanctified through the Word. His prayer was for us to remain in the world, not be of the world, to be kept from evil while we are here and to be on a Mission with Him to that others would believe and know who Messiah really is.
Further Reading: Leviticus 17:10-11, 14, Jeremiah 10:2-3a, Ephesians 5:1-8, Hebrews 11:13; 13:14, John 15:3, Ephesians 5:26, Isaiah 40:8, Romans 12:1-2, Colossians 2:20, Ephesians 2:6, Colossians 3:8-11, Ephesians 4:23, 1John 2:16, Matthew 13:22, Isaiah 8:11-14, Isaiah 8:18, Deuteronomy 17:14
April 15, 2011
Sermon Notes by: Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
Leviticus 18:1-5, “ADONAI said to Moshe, 2 "Speak to the people of Isra'el; tell them, 'I am ADONAI your God. 3 You are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Egypt, where you used to live; and you are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Kena'an, where I am bringing you; nor are you to live by their laws. 4 You are to obey my rulings and laws and live accordingly; I am ADONAI your God. 5 You are to observe my laws and rulings; if a person does them, he will have life through them; I am ADONAI.”
Three times in this passage the L-rd says, ‘I am ADONAI’, emphasizing the point that His instruction was for the Israelites not to imitate the Goyim but to follow Him. Our ability to follow Him starts with Him and is not based upon us or our own ability. The passage also emphasizes the He is in our past and our future; where we used to live and where we are going.
As He brings us out of one place and leads us to another, there is no guarantee that life will be any easier! The truth is we are aliens here and are just passing through.
1 Peter 2:11, “Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and temporary residents not to give in to the desires of your old nature, which keep warring against you”
Where is our primary citizenship?
Philippians 3:20, “But we are citizens of heaven, and it is from there that we expect a Deliverer, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.”
He is telling us not to live in our past or even our futures here on Earth, but to live in Him! He is our G-d of the past and future and the only way to be set apart here is through Him and His Word.
Wherever He is leading us here, He is with us. Look closely at Leviticus 18:3, “You are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Egypt, where you used to live; and you are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Kena'an, where I am bringing you; nor are you to live by their laws.”
The Hebrew meaning in this verse literally means that ‘where He is coming, you are coming with me’. He leads us where He has already been. The provision for the Israelites then was G-d Word as it is for us now.
The Word of G-d keeps us and cleanses us. Yeshua exemplified this principle in John 13 when He washed His Talmidim’s feet at Pesach.
When G-d brought the Israelites from Egypt to Kena’an, He brought them from one hostile environment to another. He was with them and wanted them to be set apart and to abstain from the immorality and idolatry of these cultures.
Deuteronomy 28 explicitly details blessings for obeying the Word of G-d and being set apart as well as cursings for complying with the world. We are to be trend-setters, not culture-copiers! We are to implement G-d’s ways and be different because we are already different!
1 Corinthians 5:7-8, “Get rid of the old hametz, so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For our Pesach lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed. 8 So let us celebrate the Seder not with leftover hametz, the hametz of wickedness and evil, but with the matzah of purity and truth.”
The truth is we are already different! We will be miserable if we try to be like those around us anyway.
We are already set apart and we are set apart by His Word! John 17:17, “Set them apart for holiness by means of the truth -- your word is truth.”
Be aware that worldliness is more than our focus and fascination with outward or materials things. Worldliness begins internally with our attitude and values. Do our attitudes and values come from our culture or from the Word of G-d? If from the Word, then our thoughts are pure and our actions will result from pure hearts and minds.
What we want and where we focus our attention are our modern idols. John warned us in 1 John 5:21 to keep ourselves from idols.
So how do we keep ourselves from idols and be full of G-d’s Word rather than full of the world?
G-d is my life. Rather than living in the past or future, I am to live in Him!
How?
Colossians 3:1-3, “So if you were raised along with the Messiah, then seek the things above, where the Messiah is sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Focus your minds on the things above, not on things here on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God.”
Know we are in Him but we also must do as He says and therefore, be more like Him.
When Yeshua prayed for His Talmidim in John 17, He also prayed for us to set apart; sanctified through the Word. His prayer was for us to remain in the world, not be of the world, to be kept from evil while we are here and to be on a Mission with Him to that others would believe and know who Messiah really is.
Further Reading: Leviticus 17:10-11, 14, Jeremiah 10:2-3a, Ephesians 5:1-8, Hebrews 11:13; 13:14, John 15:3, Ephesians 5:26, Isaiah 40:8, Romans 12:1-2, Colossians 2:20, Ephesians 2:6, Colossians 3:8-11, Ephesians 4:23, 1John 2:16, Matthew 13:22, Isaiah 8:11-14, Isaiah 8:18, Deuteronomy 17:14
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Distinquished
Rabbi Ken Alpren
Sermon Notes by Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
March 26, 2011
Leviticus 11:44-47, “For I am ADONAI your God; therefore, consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy; and do not defile yourselves with any kind of swarming creature that moves along the ground. 45 For I am ADONAI, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. Therefore you are to be holy, because I am holy. 46 "'Such, then, is the law concerning animals, flying creatures, all living creatures that move about in the water, and all creatures that swarm on the ground. 47 Its purpose is to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.”
How is one distinguished? We are to be holy, set apart, separate, or other. The Hebrew word used for holy is ‘kadosh’. Our distinction as His begins with what He has done for us rather than what we might be doing for Him. Notice the Scripture says, “be holy, for I am holy.” We respond to His Holiness rather than striving for it.
1 John 4:19, “We ourselves love now because he loved us first.”
The L-rd has already made us holy and our being distinguished or set apart; indeed holy, has to do with aligning ourselves with what He has already done. See 1 Corinthians 5:7.
Our tendency is to turn our obedience into legalism without grace which results in our failing miserably and being phony living a world of contradictions. How do we avoid this trap? Be balanced in obedience, grace and love!
Hosea 11:1-4, “"When Isra'el was a child, I loved him; and out of Egypt I called my son. 2 But the more [the prophets] called them, the farther they went from them. They sacrificed to the ba'alim and offered incense to idols. 3 "Yet it was I who taught Efrayim to walk; I took them by their arms. But they did not know that it was I who was healing them, 4 who was guiding them on through human means with reins made of love. With them I was like someone removing the yoke from their jaws, and I bent down to feed them.”
We are holy, so be holy and don’t be ashamed to stand out, to be separate for G-d’s use and to be unique. We are to be distinguished! See Leviticus 11:46-47.
The L-rd distinguished between the clean and the unclean; specifically, the mammals, birds, grasshoppers and locusts, and fish. The Hebrew word used is ‘badal’ which means to divide, separate and set apart. A derivation of ‘badal’, Havdalah, is used to close out the Shabbat, distinguishing it from the rest of the week.
Being distinguished as His begins with what is permitted as food but goes beyond encompassing both spiritual and physical application. We are to avoid what pollutes us physically and spiritually because we love G-d!
Why not limit ourselves for our Master’s sake and choose to be self-sacrificing for the purpose of His training? When we submit to G-d’s provision, our character is cultivated.
What contaminates us?
James 3:6, “Yes, the tongue is a fire, a world of wickedness. The tongue is so placed in our body that it defiles every part of it, setting ablaze the whole of our life; and it is set on fire by Gei-Hinnom itself.”
Similarly, alcohol, drugs and smoking can be defiling. What do we have an appetite for that properly satisfied, nourishes us, and improperly, contaminates us? Is it movies, music, knowledge, friends, possessions, idle talk and gossip?
We so desperately need discernment, discrimination in order to distinguish ourselves.
James 3:13-18, “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him demonstrate it by his good way of life, by actions done in the humility that grows out of wisdom. 14 But if you harbor in your hearts bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, don't boast and attack the truth with lies! 15 This wisdom is not the kind that comes down from above; on the contrary, it is worldly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where there are jealousy and selfish ambition, there will be disharmony and every foul practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is, first of all, pure, then peaceful, kind, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 And peacemakers who sow seed in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”
What else will defile us?
Familiarity!
1 Corinthians 8:2-3, “The person who thinks he "knows" something doesn't yet know in the way he ought to know. 3 However, if someone loves God, God knows him.”
Familiarity can blunt our ability to learn afresh, to believe, to be healed and to see things from G-d’s point of view.
Mark 6:3-6, “Isn't he just the carpenter? the son of Miryam? the brother of Ya`akov and Yosi and Y'hudah and Shim`on? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. 4 But Yeshua said to them. "The only place people don't respect a prophet is in his home town, among his own relatives, and in his own house." 5 So he could do no miracles there, other than lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of trust. Then he went through the surrounding towns and villages, teaching.”
Being distinguished as holy includes being healthy spiritually as well as physically and being able to discern between what is clean and unclean.
Further Reading: Leviticus 11:1-7, 9-10, Proverbs 2:1-5, 10-13, Job 12:10-11, Philippians 1-9-11, 2 Timothy 2:14-17, 20-21, 1 Corinthians 5, Song of Songs 1:4, Genesis 1:14,19, 1 Samuel 20:23, 2 Corinthians 5:16, 1 John 1:17.
Sermon Notes by Teresa Bennett, Pharm.D.
March 26, 2011
Leviticus 11:44-47, “For I am ADONAI your God; therefore, consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy; and do not defile yourselves with any kind of swarming creature that moves along the ground. 45 For I am ADONAI, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. Therefore you are to be holy, because I am holy. 46 "'Such, then, is the law concerning animals, flying creatures, all living creatures that move about in the water, and all creatures that swarm on the ground. 47 Its purpose is to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.”
How is one distinguished? We are to be holy, set apart, separate, or other. The Hebrew word used for holy is ‘kadosh’. Our distinction as His begins with what He has done for us rather than what we might be doing for Him. Notice the Scripture says, “be holy, for I am holy.” We respond to His Holiness rather than striving for it.
1 John 4:19, “We ourselves love now because he loved us first.”
The L-rd has already made us holy and our being distinguished or set apart; indeed holy, has to do with aligning ourselves with what He has already done. See 1 Corinthians 5:7.
Our tendency is to turn our obedience into legalism without grace which results in our failing miserably and being phony living a world of contradictions. How do we avoid this trap? Be balanced in obedience, grace and love!
Hosea 11:1-4, “"When Isra'el was a child, I loved him; and out of Egypt I called my son. 2 But the more [the prophets] called them, the farther they went from them. They sacrificed to the ba'alim and offered incense to idols. 3 "Yet it was I who taught Efrayim to walk; I took them by their arms. But they did not know that it was I who was healing them, 4 who was guiding them on through human means with reins made of love. With them I was like someone removing the yoke from their jaws, and I bent down to feed them.”
We are holy, so be holy and don’t be ashamed to stand out, to be separate for G-d’s use and to be unique. We are to be distinguished! See Leviticus 11:46-47.
The L-rd distinguished between the clean and the unclean; specifically, the mammals, birds, grasshoppers and locusts, and fish. The Hebrew word used is ‘badal’ which means to divide, separate and set apart. A derivation of ‘badal’, Havdalah, is used to close out the Shabbat, distinguishing it from the rest of the week.
Being distinguished as His begins with what is permitted as food but goes beyond encompassing both spiritual and physical application. We are to avoid what pollutes us physically and spiritually because we love G-d!
Why not limit ourselves for our Master’s sake and choose to be self-sacrificing for the purpose of His training? When we submit to G-d’s provision, our character is cultivated.
What contaminates us?
James 3:6, “Yes, the tongue is a fire, a world of wickedness. The tongue is so placed in our body that it defiles every part of it, setting ablaze the whole of our life; and it is set on fire by Gei-Hinnom itself.”
Similarly, alcohol, drugs and smoking can be defiling. What do we have an appetite for that properly satisfied, nourishes us, and improperly, contaminates us? Is it movies, music, knowledge, friends, possessions, idle talk and gossip?
We so desperately need discernment, discrimination in order to distinguish ourselves.
James 3:13-18, “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him demonstrate it by his good way of life, by actions done in the humility that grows out of wisdom. 14 But if you harbor in your hearts bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, don't boast and attack the truth with lies! 15 This wisdom is not the kind that comes down from above; on the contrary, it is worldly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where there are jealousy and selfish ambition, there will be disharmony and every foul practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is, first of all, pure, then peaceful, kind, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 And peacemakers who sow seed in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”
What else will defile us?
Familiarity!
1 Corinthians 8:2-3, “The person who thinks he "knows" something doesn't yet know in the way he ought to know. 3 However, if someone loves God, God knows him.”
Familiarity can blunt our ability to learn afresh, to believe, to be healed and to see things from G-d’s point of view.
Mark 6:3-6, “Isn't he just the carpenter? the son of Miryam? the brother of Ya`akov and Yosi and Y'hudah and Shim`on? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. 4 But Yeshua said to them. "The only place people don't respect a prophet is in his home town, among his own relatives, and in his own house." 5 So he could do no miracles there, other than lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of trust. Then he went through the surrounding towns and villages, teaching.”
Being distinguished as holy includes being healthy spiritually as well as physically and being able to discern between what is clean and unclean.
Further Reading: Leviticus 11:1-7, 9-10, Proverbs 2:1-5, 10-13, Job 12:10-11, Philippians 1-9-11, 2 Timothy 2:14-17, 20-21, 1 Corinthians 5, Song of Songs 1:4, Genesis 1:14,19, 1 Samuel 20:23, 2 Corinthians 5:16, 1 John 1:17.
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