Eternal Revelation
29 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Holy Land Moments Tags: Bible, Book of Deuteronomy, God, Judaism, Mount Sinai, Pentecost, Shavuot, Torah
“Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you.”— Deuteronomy 16:9–10
Isn’t it strange that the Bible gives us the date of every single holiday on the calendar except for one? And it’s the holiday that celebrates one of the most important events in human history! The Festival of Weeks, Shavuot or Pentecost, is associated with the giving of the Torah and the revelation of God at Mount Sinai, and yet neither the date of revelation, nor the precise date of the holiday is written in the Scriptures.
All we are told is that the festival occurs seven weeks from the time that we “put the sickle to the standing grain.” In addition, no one knows for sure where this momentous event occurred. Different theories abound, but God has made it so that no one can point to the precise location of Mount Sinai with complete certainty. All we know is that this great event happened somewhere, in the middle of nowhere, sometime in spring.
Why all the vagueness?
What we don’t know tells us a lot. The details that are absent from the story of the revelation point to a profound truth about the Torah: it is absolutely and unequivocally eternal. There is no date given because the Word of God is beyond time. It was, is, and always will be true. There is no time period, no season, and not even a single day during which the words of the Bible are not binding.
The location of the revelation is unknown because God’s Word is also beyond space. It is not confined to any single location. It holds true in every corner of the earth and is accessible no matter where you may be on the planet. By deliberately leaving us without the exact knowledge of where and when revelation took place, God is telling us that exactly where and when are irrelevant.
We can also learn from the only piece of information that we are given. What we do know is that the Torah was given in the desert. Had the Torah been given in a lush, bountiful land, we could have argued that keeping it was dependent upon easy circumstances. The Torah was given in a desert, a place known for harsh conditions and scarcity, in order to teach us that there are no conditions under which God’s Word does not apply.
No matter where you are or what your circumstances may be, God has a message for you right now. Pick up the Scriptures and study them daily. You will find that in some small way, the great revelation of long ago is still occurring today.
http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/eternal-revelation
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A Celebration of Unity
28 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Holy Land Moments Tags: Israelites, Jews, Judaism, Shavuot, Sinai, Ten Commandments, Torah, United States
“And they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the desert. Israel camped there opposite the mountain” – Exodus 19:2
In the coming days, the Jewish people will celebrate the festival of Shavuot which commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai exactly 50 days after the exodus from Egypt. Jews around the world will spend all night in study sessions after which, at morning prayers, we will read the climactic story of the giving of the Ten Commandments.
We’re always excited to hear the Ten Commandments, but it’s important not to overlook the verses that immediately precede them. Often times, the deepest parts of Scripture are found in the places we don’t immediately look. We’re taught to look for little clues – and we find one at the very beginning of chapter 19 of Exodus.
Why does the Torah repeat that seemingly meaningless detail about the encampment at Sinai? The very same verse tells us twice that the people camped. Well, of course they camped! Is the Torah concerned that we might think they hung out poolside at a four-star resort waiting for Moses to hand out copies of the Law? Of course not. So why the repetition?
The great 11th-century Jewish sage, Rashi, notices a telling bit of grammar in the text. When the sentence first uses the word “camped” (vayachanu), the Hebrew is plural – they camped. In the second part of the verse, “camped” (vayichan) is singular – he camped. The Jews arrived at Sinai as many – individuals, families, and tribes. But the experience at Sinai made them one – a single people with a single heart worshiping the One God.
This concept is hardly new for Americans – our nation’s motto is the Latin phrase e pluribus unum (“from many, one”). But, too often, we wait for danger or outrage to unify us. This has certainly been true throughout Jewish history and is true for most societies today. We are never more united than when we are threatened.
In this simple, easily-overlooked verse, the Torah is reminding us to find unity in joy and gratitude. Don’t wait for a negative reason to come together! Be like the Israelites at Sinai – gather together around the fountain of faith and learning and come away with a single heart for a single purpose: to do His will in the world.
In this season of receiving the Gift of the Law, may our gift be one of joyous unity. And may we share that gift with others.
http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/a-celebration-of-unity
Finger Pointer’s Anonymous
27 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Joe Stowell Tags: Christian, God, Jesus, Judaism, Lord, Old Testament, Paul, Rome
“Stop passing judgment on one another.” Romans 14:13
A glass of wine or not a glass of wine? To dance or not to dance? To work on Sunday or not to work on Sunday? To play cards or not to play cards? Or, in some places, to play dominoes or not to play dominoes?!
Let’s face it, we tend to feel strongly about our personal preferences regarding what Christians should and should not do. And, when others violate our spiritual preferences, the finger-pointing begins!
This is nothing new for Christians. Paul had to address the subject of preferences with the early believers in Rome who were troubled by a few issues. Believers who had been saved out of Judaism wondered what to do about the holy days prescribed in the Old Testament and the keeping of certain strict Sabbath rules. With their newfound freedom in Jesus, they didn’t know what to do with the ceremonial laws concerning “unclean” meat, not to mention the meat offered to idols in the pagan temples of their day.
In the face of conflicting preferences, note that Paul doesn’t take sides. Rather, he says, “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). Paul continued, “He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God” (Romans 14:6). Simply put, each of us should be convinced that what we are doing can be done to please the Lord.
Before you start thinking that this doesn’t apply to us because we don’t deal with these particular issues today, think again. The issues are different, but the lesson is the same: Each of us is individually accountable to God for our actions. Which, by the way, means that no one is accountable to—you guessed it—you for what they do or don’t do.
When we think that our point of view on personal preferences is the only point of view, we start finger-pointing and end up violating God’s call for us to reject a judgmental spirit. Often without even realizing it, we hold our preferences as standards of biblical spirituality. If thoughts like, He can’t be too serious about God—just look at his car! or, I can’t believe she watches that TV program! have ever crossed your mind, you know what I’m talking about!
So what’s the solution?
Take Paul’s exhortation to heart and “stop passing judgment on one another” (Romans 14:13). Some matters of personal preference are just that—personal, which means that it’s between that person and God. Paul called them “disputable matters” (Romans 14:1)—referring to issues that are not clearly outlined in Scripture as right or wrong. Rather than using our preferences as a spiritual whipping post, we must give room for others to express a different opinion and to love them as Jesus does. And, Paul tells us, “make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way” (Romans 14:13). When we know that something we feel is okay might endanger another’s walk with Jesus, then it’s up to us to love them enough to yield our preferences for the sake of their well-being.
And that’s the bottom line: love. It’s the glue that keeps us together when we face “disputable matters.” Next time you feel your grip tighten around a matter of personal preference, think about Romans 14:13. Stop passing judgment and make up your mind about what really matters—and hopefully love will win out every time!
YOUR JOURNEY…
- What are some personal preferences you feel strongly about? In what ways might you be inclined to judge others who don’t match up to your view?
- Sometimes it’s easy to get confused between non-negotiable biblical principles and our own personal convictions. Ask the Lord to help you carefully evaluate your personal preferences in light of Scripture.
- According to Paul’s practical instructions in Romans 14:13, what are two steps you can take to avoid conflicts concerning personal preferences?
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It’s Not Fair!
20 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Childrens Corner, Heartfelt Devotional, Tween/Teen Tags: David, Evil, God, Judaism, King David, Psalm, Religion and Spirituality, World to Come
“But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” — Psalm 73:2–3
If you have ever looked around at the world and the child in you screamed “it’s not fair,” then Psalm 73 is for you! You are in good company too. Like most people do at some point in their lives, King David strives to understand why the wicked prosper while the good suffer. In this Psalm, he expresses his frustration, but also his resolution.
The psalmist gives words to the feelings so many hold inside: “This is what the wicked are like— always free of care, they go on amassing wealth” (v.12). We look around and see a world in which many evil people have it so easy.
“Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence” (v.13). And then there are the good people, and even saintly people, whose lives bring them one struggle after the next. So what’s it worth? All the prayer, the good deeds, and all the faith in the world – and still they have it tough. Is it all in vain, as the psalmist suggests? Is there no divine justice in the world? Even King David had to ask.
“When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny” (vv.16–17). Once the psalmist looked at life from a godly perspective, he understood this deeply troubling issue. From our limited human perspective we experience life as physical beings that, on occasion, have spiritual experiences. But the truth is that we are spiritual beings, and for a limited amount of time, we are having a physical experience. We did not come from this planet, and we won’t be staying here forever. We are on a trip until the day we arrive home.
From this perspective we can understand that we don’t see the whole story down here. The “final destiny” of the wicked – and of the righteous – will be decided up there. Our existence in this world is so very limited. However, life in the world to come is for eternity. It’s not easy to suffer in this world, but deep down we all know that it’s our final destiny that matters most.
Next time you find yourself frustrated with the cards you were dealt, remember to S-T-O-P: Stop what you are doing. Take a deep breath. Observe the true reality and shift your Perspective. Then, like the psalmist, you also will be able to find comfort and say “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (v.26).
http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/its-not-fair
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Total Devotion
18 May 2012 1 Comment
in Holy Land Moments Tags: Ezra, God, Holy Land, Israel, Jew, Judaism, Second Temple, Temple
“For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” — Ezra 7:10
Ezra, a great priest and teacher of Israel, was extremely blessed. When he began his journey to the Land of Israel he was given many gifts by the king of Persia who supported his initiative and even encouraged Jews to join him.
The king furnished Ezra with gold, silver, cattle for offerings, and as much food as he needed for the way. He gave Ezra power to govern in the Holy Land and waived taxes for anyone working in the Temple. This was a far cry from the previous kings who had outlawed building the Temple altogether!
In addition, Ezra and his followers journeyed safely and securely over the four month period that it took them to reach Israel. Nothing that they had brought with them was stolen or damaged along the way. A highly unlikely scenario in the ancient world!
What did Ezra do that allowed him such wonderful and unusual divine providence? It seems that he got a huge dose of help from above. Something that we could all stand to receive!
Judaism has an oral tradition that says “Align your will with My Will, in order that I will align My Will to your will” (Ethics of our Fathers 2:4). In other words, when we want what God wants, then God wants what we want. When we dedicate our lives to doing God’s work and His will, we become partners with Him. We play for the same team – and who wouldn’t want the Master of the Universe as their teammate?
The Scripture teaches us that Ezra wholly devoted his life to study, observance, and teaching the word of God. So it’s not surprising that God took extra special care of him. Ezra’s world revolved around God, and so God made the world revolve around him.
Now, this doesn’t mean that everyone needs to quit their jobs and become a teacher or scholar of the Scriptures! You can be fully committed to God’s will and still be a doctor, a business owner, a teacher, or a mother. There are always opportunities to pass along God’s word and God’s love. And of course we teach best by example – by living the words that we teach.
Without a doubt, there is always room to grow in our devotion to God. For the most part we are on the same page. “Don’t murder,” check. “Don’t steal,” got it. But then it can get a little more difficult: “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone” (Leviticus 19:18). “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves” (Proverbs 31:8). Not always so easy! But as we make it our will to do His will, God’s will becomes our priority, and we become His.
http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/total-devotion
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Being a Mensch
13 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Holy Land Moments Tags: David, God, Judaism, King David, Psalm, Righteousness, Solomon, Torah
“Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.” — Psalm 72:1–2
Psalm 72 is widely believed to be King David’s last. The final line reads “this concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.” The theme of this psalm is a prayer for Solomon, King David’s son who would succeed him. It is a moving account of everything the psalmist wished for his child. It speaks volumes about what is really important in life.
What do you wish for your children and loved ones? Most of us would say things like health, wealth, happiness, and the like. What does the psalmist ask for? The first thing he prays for is “endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.” Translate: “Let my son know right from wrong and may he always do the right thing.” Judaism has invented a one-word term for this trait. It’s called being a mensch.
The word “mensch” means to be a person with integrity. A decent human being. You know, the kind who lets you cut in front of him in traffic or goes out of her way to return a lost wallet with every dollar still inside. A mensch is humble and honest. He tries his best to do the right thing all of the time. When she messes up, she feels bad about it and tries to make things right again.
King David is teaching us that the most important thing in life is to be a mensch. In fact, in Judaism there’s an expression that says “derech eretz kadma l’torah,” “good character comes before Torah.” In other words, being a mensch is even more important than being spiritual. It’s the pre-requisite! You cannot have a good relationship with God if you do not have a good relationship with His children.
A person may study the Word of God and be able to quote verses by heart, but if he can’t apply them to his life, it’s not worth very much. When King David prays for his child’s future he recognizes that more important than everything King Solomon will have or do, is the kind of person that he will be. First, he must be a mensch. Everything else will follow.
Imagine how the world might be different if all parents gave this message to their children: Sweetheart, be a lawyer or a street cleaner, be rich or be poor, be bookish or artistic. Be whatever you want – as long as you are a mensch!
Health, wealth, and happiness are all things that we want to have. But a mensch is who we first need to be.
http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/being-a-mensch
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Never Forget
19 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in Holy Land Moments Tags: Auschwitz, Auschwitz concentration camp, God, History, Holocaust, Israel, Jews, Judaism
“Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD: ‘The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.’”—Psalm 102:18–20
It’s human nature to avoid talking about unpleasant topics. The more serious the topic, the more uncomfortable we feel in discussing it. And when it comes to something as horrific as the Holocaust, we often are at a loss as to how to treat such an overwhelming and sensitive topic.
Indeed, there are those who invoke the Holocaust too frequently and those who do not talk of it enough; those who speak of it appropriately, and those who do so insensitively; those who wish to forget about the past and those who seek to learn from it; those who use the Holocaust to their own advantage, and those who are humbled by its magnitude.
When it comes to the Holocaust, it is essential that we never forget. All Jews today consider themselves as Holocaust survivors since Hitler’s plan was genocidal — to eradicate the entire Jewish nation. All Jews bear an awesome responsibility of telling the story of that painful and dark time in our history. We cannot allow history to repeat itself simply because we failed to convey the horrors to future generations. That’s why the stories of eyewitnesses are so important.
When one American doctor arrived at a concentration camp in Buchenwald, he walked through the barracks for the first time. He heard a voice and turned around and saw a “living skeleton” talking to him. The doctor said it was a strange feeling talking to a skeleton that talked back.
These are the kinds of stories that we cannot afford to forget, not for ourselves and not for our future generations. They convey, in vivid detail, what the eyewitnesses saw and experienced. But stories do not merely convey history; they convey moral value. A Jewish woman who was at Auschwitz said that whenever Allied planes flew overhead, she and the other Jewish prisoners prayed that they would bomb the gas chambers, “even if it meant we might be killed.” They were willing to give their lives to save others.
It’s important to convey both history and moral value to future generations. That’s why God’s word reminds us and warns us to pass it on: “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them” (Deuteronomy 4:9).
Consider what you can do today to remember the Holocaust and to pass on these stories to the next generation so that we will never forget.
http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/never-forget-2
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Working on the Inside Out
15 Apr 2012 1 Comment
in Holy Land Moments Tags: Bible, David, God, Judaism, King David, Outer space, Psalm, Rabbit
“Kings and armies flee in haste; the women at home divide the plunder.” — Psalm 68:12
I recently came across the following cartoon: Two rabbits are standing in a field. The first rabbit is standing next to a small green stem with a few leaves shooting off of it. The second rabbit, larger and more confident-looking than the first, is standing next to a much more elaborate display of greenery. Beneath the surface, the drawing reveals the first rabbit is standing next to a very large carrot – unseen, but about to poke its head out of the ground. The second rabbit is standing proudly next to a weed.
The caption reads “Success; it’s not always what you see.”
We live in a world that is overly focused on what we can see. Power, beauty, wealth, and the like. We often judge success by these outer elements. It’s no wonder that we tend to spend most of our time mastering the superficial arena of our lives. Almost everyone works OUT regularly, but how many of us spend time working IN? In Psalm 68 King David reminds us that our inner space is more important than our outer space.
Here is how King David expresses it: “Kings and armies flee in haste; the women at home divide the plunder.” Kings and armies are the ultimate symbol of outer dominance. They represent power and strength. They also refer to advances in science and technology which are ways of getting the physical world to make our lives better.
In contrast, a woman in her home represents inner mastery. She symbolizes inner achievements such as self-control, inner peace, and spiritual connection. In the Jewish tradition, as we approach the coming messianic era, we will favor cultivating our inner, spiritual selves over dominating the physical world around us. Humanity has already made it to outer space. Inner space is the final frontier.
Now, this is not to say that science and technology are bad or that we will go back to living in the Stone Age. When the psalmist writes that the women will “divide the plunder,” he is saying that we will still enjoy our external achievements, but only for the sake of our inner progress. All physicality will serve spirituality. Because real success is not what you see — it’s what you can’t see that matters most.
Try this for a week: make yourself a “working in” routine. You can supercharge your inner achievements when you make a list of your personal spiritual goals. Would you like to master anger? Maybe your goal is to have more faith. Set aside a fixed amount of time every day to work on them through Bible study, prayer, and introspection.
http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/working-on-the-inside-out
This Holy Season
08 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in Holy Land Moments Tags: Easter, God, Israelite, Jesus, Jews, Judaism, Korban Pesach, Passover
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”—Psalm 18:2
During this holy season for both faiths, I wish my Jewish friends a blessed Passover, and to my Christian friends, a blessed Easter. In the week ahead, I will share some reflections on the Passover celebration and the lessons that can be gleaned from it for Jews and Christians alike. In fact, many of the sacred aspects of Christian worship trace their spiritual roots directly to the Jewish faith and the early history of the nation of Israel.
Such is the case with the term “Paschal Lamb,” or “Lamb of God,” which in the Christian tradition refers to Jesus. From the Jewish perspective, the term is Korban Pesach, or “sacrifice of Passover,” which dates back to the first Exodus. The blood of a sacrificed lamb, which was smeared on the doorframes of each Jewish household, served as sign of deliverance from death striking their firstborn sons. The lamb’s blood would be the only path to salvation — without it, their firstborn would die, along with those of the Egyptians.
Additionally, the lamb represented the idols, or false gods, that the Egyptians worshiped. By killing a lamb, the Israelites were, in essence, defying their Egyptian masters as well as demonstrating once again the power of the God of Israel over the Egyptian gods.
In the times of the Jewish temple worship, Jews obeyed God’s command to remember the first Passover by sacrificing a lamb on that day. This lamb had to be male, one year old, and most importantly, without blemish. Only then would it suffice to be the perfect Passover sacrifice. (See Exodus 12:5.)
This Passover observance is what Christians reference when speaking of “a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19).
It is also true that Jesus, as an observant Jew, and his disciples were celebrating the Passover on the very night that he foretold his coming death. Jesus followed the same divine instructions that were given to Moses as he broke bread with his disciples. And later, the apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians to “keep the Festival” (Passover/Lord’s Supper) with unleavened bread.
Indeed, the Christian observance of Easter resonates back to the story of the Jews’ escape and deliverance from Egyptian bondage three thousand years ago. Understanding the story of Passover and rich symbolism of the Seder meal gives a new richness to many of the worship traditions at churches around the world.
This year, as my Christian friends celebrate Easter, it is good to remember the Jews’ miraculous deliverance on that first Passover and of God’s divine leading from bondage to freedom. Let us celebrate and praise along with David, in the words of Psalm 18, our rock, our fortress, and the horn of our salvation.
http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/this-holy-season-2
For God’s Sake
04 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in Holy Land Moments Tags: David, Elijah, God, Judaism, Lord, Nathan, Passover, Passover Seder
“After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he [David] said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.” — 2 Samuel 7:1–2
After years of war and turbulence, King David finally had some respite. He settled into his palace for some peace and quiet. Yet, just as he was getting comfortable, he had an uncomfortable thought: “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.” How can he enjoy his royal accommodations, while the ark of God had to make do with a tent?
Does the ark care? Does God need a house?
It reminds me of how a friend of mine remembers being baffled by a Jewish tradition performed at the Passover Seder (ritual meal) each year. At the point where Elijah the Prophet is invited to join the Seder, all those present get up, and one person will physically open the door for him to “enter.” My friend, as a child, thought that this was utterly ridiculous. If Elijah was a spirit, like Casper the ghost, why couldn’t he just come straight through the walls? What kind of ghost needs a door to be opened for him?
As an adult my friend understands that the act of opening the door for Elijah is not for Elijah. It is for the benefit of those present at the Seder. Tradition teaches us that Elijah will appear immediately before the messianic times arrive. By opening the door and getting up to greet him, the participants demonstrate that they must play an active role in bringing about redemption. It won’t just magically appear. Human participation is required for making the world a better place.
Similarly, while God certainly does not need a home, nor is it possible to contain the Almighty in any one place, the act of building a house of God is intended for our sake. If a group of families live in luxurious homes and their local place of worship lies in ruins, what does it say about that community? It says that God is pretty low on their list of priorities. However when a community makes it a priority to build a house of worship that they are proud to attend, it reinforces the centrality of God in every aspect of their lives.
We put our money into what we value most. If you want to know what you really care about, look at where you spend your money. If your expenditures match your priorities, then great! If not, maybe it’s time to make a check out to your favorite charity. Not for God’s sake, but for your own.
http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/for-gods-sake
