Tetzaveh (You are to command) Exodus/Sh’mot 27:20-30:10
Tetzaveh(You are to command)Exodus/Sh’mot 27:20-30:10
Haftorah Reading: Ezekiel 43:10-27
This Sabbath I have a few points I want to cover with you. I believe each of these points are spiritually relevant to our lives today. They should speak to each of us in our personal walk.
To begin, I want to share an example I read this week from a good friend who lives in Jerusalem. It concerned him buying olive oil for lighting his menorah on the Shabbat. According to scripture, pure pressed olive oil was used to light the candles in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple. This friend lights his Shabbat candles each Friday at sundown to welcome the Sabbath. As he was shopping for oil he found it would be much cheaper to buy sunflower oil or other substitutes for his menorah than pure pressed olive oil. Olive oil was double the price of sunflower oil. After thinking about it he decided to follow scripture and use what was prescribed there and not use a substitute.
Tzav (Command) Leviticus 6:1-8:36
Torah Portion: Tzav (Command) Leviticus 6:1-8:36
Haftorah Reading: Jeremiah 7:21-44:23
Messianic Scripture Mark 12:28-34, I Cor. 10:14-23
I want to wish each of you a blessed Passover this evening. With G-d’s grace we can soon meet together again in person.
Re’eh (See) D’Varim (Deut.) 11:26-16:17
Re’eh (See) D’Varim (Deut.) 11:26-16:17
Haftorah Readings: Isaiah (Yesh’yahu) 54:11-55:5
Today we read the Torah portion Re’eh. In the opening few verses, D’Varim/Deut. 11:26-28 we read these words, “Behold I set before you this day, a blessing and a curse. A blessing if you obey the commandments of the L-rd your G-d, which I command you this day. And a curse if you will not obey the commandments of the L-rd your G-d, but turn aside from the way I command you this day, to go after other gods, which you have not known.”
Vayelekh (He Went) D’Varim (Deuteronomy) 31:1-30
Torah Portion: Vayelekh (He Went) D’Varim (Deuteronomy) 31:1-30
Haftorah Reading Hosea 14:1-10, Micah 7:18-20, Joel 2:15-27
Tonight, our Torah reading covers only one chapter in D’Varim. In Judaism this Shabbat is known as Shabbat Shuva because it is the last Shabbat before Yom Kippur. The word shuva means repentance. This time of year calls us to remember, to think back over our life, over the last year and set right anything that stands between us and the Father or anything between us and another person. According to the Jewish faith, on Yom Kippur the book is closed. In the Messianic scriptures we see the same thought in Revelations 20:15. I would pray for all of us to use this time in G-d’s calendar to take a spiritual inventory and set right those things that need our attention.
Bo (Come) Sh’mot (Exodus) 10-13
Torah Portion Bo (Come) Sh’mot (Exodus) 10-13
Haftorah Reading Jeremiah 46:13-28
Tonight we read of the end of the plagues and also the instructions for Pesach (Passover) with special emphasis on the process of getting a male lamb without blemish, killing it, putting the blood on the door post of each home and eating it.
Sh’mot, Names Exodus 1-6
Torah Portion: Sh’mot(Names) Exodus 1-6
HafTorah: Jeremiah 1:1-2:3
Tonight we read the beginning of the redemption of the people from slavery. We read of the birth of Moshe and the first years of his life. This portion is filled with many spiritual lessons for us and I would like to cover a few of them. I believe these will speak to us about who we are and how we are to live as G-d’s people in today’s world.
Ekev (Because) D’Varim (Deut) 7-11
Torah Portion: Ekev (Because) D’varim(Deut.) 7-11
Haftorah Reading: Isaiah 49:14-51:3
This week we read a Torah portion so full of beautiful verses and spiritual insight it is hard to know where to begin. First, I have a question for you. What can we learn about Israel from this Torah portion? Look at chapter 8:7-9 and chapter 11:9-12. In these verses we see G-d cares for the Land. His eyes are always on it. He waters it with the rain of heaven. It flows with milk and honey and is blessed in every way. It is the inheritance of His people. It is part of the everlasting covenant between the nation of Israel and G-d. They may be scattered because of disobedience but G-d will and is gathering them home. The Haftorah this week, Isaiah 49:14-51:3, talks of this gathering and also our place and part to play in this event. This is one of the founding principles of Road to Zion, to be a part of this process and to help in any way we can.
Kedoshim Holy Lev 19-20
Torah Portion: Kedoshim Leviticus 19-20:27
HafTorah: Amos 9:7-15; Ezekiel 20:2-20
This week we read the Torah portion Kedoshim or Holy. In Lev. 19:2 we read where G-d is speaking to Moses telling him to relate to the people of Israel these words, “you shall be holy for I the L-rd your G-d am holy.” In I Peter 1:15-16 we read almost the exact same words written to the First Century believers. No doubt the author of I Peter had in mind these words from Leviticus that we are reading tonight. So then how would the people of Peter’s day put these words into action? I would think they would again look to Leviticus, in this Torah section, as a guide. When we read these verses a common thread holds them together. That thread for the most part has to do with how we relate to other people as we navigate the days of our lives. These verses speak to us about how to live each day as a holy person, a person who does not withdraw from the world but one who infuses each day with the holiness of G-d. They show us how to be set apart but not withdrawn from the world. When we deal with people we are to be honest, compassionate and loving, not react as others might but bring holiness into every part of our lives.
What Do You Fear? – Vayishlach, Genesis 32
Torah Portion: Vayishlach Genesis 32:4-36:43
HafTorah: Hosea 11:7-12:12, Obadiah 1:1-21
Matthew 26:36-46, Hebrews 11:11-20
Tonight we look at the Torah section that brings Jacob back to the Land. It covers his reunion with his brother as well as the death of his first love, Rachel.
I want us to look at a couple of things that I think the L-rd has for us tonight. First I want to explore the last question that I sent out to you. Why did Jacob fear Esau? He had heard the promises of G-d and experienced the blessings of G-d so why do we see him here overcome with fear? Remember he had recently dealt with Laban who also persecuted him yet he showed no fear in this meeting. So why here? Maybe he was feeling guilt for what he had done to Esau. Maybe he thought Esau had held on to his anger for 20 + years. Remember Rebecca had said she would send for him when Esau’s anger cooled. Yet she never did. So maybe his anger never cooled. It could have been a number of things. So it is hard to settle on one.