Post by alon on Jul 25, 2019 13:06:02 GMT -8
Par’shah: 41.2
This week’s readings: Par’shah 41
Date of reading: July 27, 2019/24 Tamuz, 5779
Name of Par’shah: Pinchas (Phinehas)
Par’shah: B’midbar 25:10-30:1(29:40)
Haftarah: M’Lakhim Alef 18:46-19:21
Brit Chadashah: Mattityahu 26:1-30; Mark 14:1-26; Luke 22:1-20; Yochanan 2:13-22; 7:1-13, 37-39; 11:55-12:1; 13:1; 18:28, 39; 19:14; Acts 2:1-21; 12:3-4; 20:5-6, 16; 27:9-11; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, 16:8; Hebrews 11:28
D’rash:
M’Lakhim 19:11-12---He [Adonai] said, “Go outside, and stand on the mountain before Adonai”; and right then and there, Adonai went past. A mighty blast of wind tore the mountains apart and broke the rocks in pieces before Adonai, but Adonai was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but Adonai was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, fire broke out; but Adonai was not in the fire. And after the fire came a quiet, subdued voice.
Let the readers familiarize themselves with what happened previously in chapter 18. To summarize, Adonai had just performed a mighty work through the prophet Eliyahu when He sent fire to consume the sacrifice Eliyahu had prepared in sight of Adonai’s people, while the sacrifice of b--- (ba’al) remained untouched and silent. This turned the people’s hearts back to HaShem, and at Eliyahu’s instructions slew the prophets of b---. Consequently, the prophet is now escaping to avoid death at the hands of Ach’av’s wife Izevel, the ruling matriarch. In distress, he is now taking refuge in a cave at Horev, the mountain of G-d, where he pours his heart out to Adonai.
I will state my purpose now, which is to discuss some points on revivals. Revivals can be likened to those “miracle” plays that occasionally occur in football. That long touchdown pass or run in the final few seconds that wins the game and snatches seemingly sure victory from the opponent creates high energy and excitement for both players and fans. Although it is certainly a legitimate part of the game, a discerning coach knows that a championship team is actually built on a solid, long-term strategy of mastering basic fundamentals, gaining several yards on each play to obtain the first down, maintaining control of the ball and slowly reach and ultimately cross the opponent’s goal line. Revivals are similar in that they create a spiritual awakening for the short-term purpose of repentance and refreshment from Adonai as we see in Kefa’s words to the people:
Acts 3:19-20---Therefore, repent and turn to G-d, so that your sins may be erased; so that times of refreshing may come from the L-rd’s Presence…
However, the long-term strategy of a revival has always been to instill sound doctrine, i.e.
, and obedience that produces lasting fruit in a life that honors YHVH. This is what happened when Yisra’el came out of Mitzrayim, crossed the Sea of Suf and soon after received in a great and glorious manner (Yesha’yahu 42:21). This is what happened when Eliyahu brought the people back to Adonai and a return to His Ways. When Yeshua came, His miracles were solidly imbedded in His teachings of sound principles. The emissaries continued this revival in the same manner:
Acts 2:42-43---They continued faithfully in the teaching of the emissaries, in fellowship, in breaking bread and in the prayers. Everyone was filled with awe, and many miracles and signs took place through the emissaries.
We run into problems when sound doctrine ceases to be the focus of a true revival; something will fill that vacuum and it is guaranteed to be something less valuable (Mattityahu 12:43-45), though to many, desirable. Some truth may be preached that will draw people such as the call to repentance, but all too often the leader’s or leaders’ false teachings will be injected and become the emphasis. The prosperity doctrine is one such teaching along with so-called “physical manifestations of the Spirit” which can invoke bizzare behavior. We can see this warning taught by Yeshua in His group of parables found in Mattityahu 13:24-43, 47-50: the tares sown with the wheat, the birds making their nests in the mustard tree (if we use the same description of birds being the adversary taking the seed sown on the hard path in the parable of the soils), leaven mixed in flour and good and bad fish caught together in the net. Even emissary Sha’ul warns of this danger after he leaves to go to Yerushalayim:
Acts 20:29-30---I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you; and they won’t spare the flock. Even from among your own number, men will arise and teach perversions of the truth, in order to drag away the talmidim after themselves.
The adversary can use good things to prevent the Word from being taught as recognized by Kefa:
Acts 6:2---“…It isn’t appropriate that we should neglect the Word of G-d in order to serve tables…”
When a person builds their spiritual life on signs and wonders without sound principles, their foundation is on sand and not rock (Mattityahu 7:24-27), and they are building with wood, grass or straw rather than gold, silver or precious stones (1 Corinthians 3:11-13).
Referring back to our beginning Scripture, our new or renewed walk in HaShem may start with the exciting fire that consumes the sacrifice but should be continued with the uneventful, yet effective teaching of sound doctrine by the “quiet, subdued voice”; and this happens through qualified teachers and our own personal time with HaShem through the Scriptures. We see this pattern with Yisra’el in the desert as Moshe taught the people YHVH’s Laws and YHVH desiring the people to build their own relationship with Him as they gaze upon the pillar of cloud/fire and meditate upon what they have learned. It is HaShem’s will that every believer learns to come to Him through His Word each day to find peace and contentment, rather than going from place to place seeking the so-called “moving of the Spirit” to maintain a deceptive ”high” in their walk with Him. It is good to remember:
Tehillim 23:(1) ---Adonai is my Shepherd; I lack nothing.
References: culteducation.com; midwestoutreach.org; other websites; Scriptures taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright 1998 by David H. Stern
MRD
This week’s readings: Par’shah 41
Date of reading: July 27, 2019/24 Tamuz, 5779
Name of Par’shah: Pinchas (Phinehas)
Par’shah: B’midbar 25:10-30:1(29:40)
Haftarah: M’Lakhim Alef 18:46-19:21
Brit Chadashah: Mattityahu 26:1-30; Mark 14:1-26; Luke 22:1-20; Yochanan 2:13-22; 7:1-13, 37-39; 11:55-12:1; 13:1; 18:28, 39; 19:14; Acts 2:1-21; 12:3-4; 20:5-6, 16; 27:9-11; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, 16:8; Hebrews 11:28
D’rash:
M’Lakhim 19:11-12---He [Adonai] said, “Go outside, and stand on the mountain before Adonai”; and right then and there, Adonai went past. A mighty blast of wind tore the mountains apart and broke the rocks in pieces before Adonai, but Adonai was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but Adonai was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, fire broke out; but Adonai was not in the fire. And after the fire came a quiet, subdued voice.
Let the readers familiarize themselves with what happened previously in chapter 18. To summarize, Adonai had just performed a mighty work through the prophet Eliyahu when He sent fire to consume the sacrifice Eliyahu had prepared in sight of Adonai’s people, while the sacrifice of b--- (ba’al) remained untouched and silent. This turned the people’s hearts back to HaShem, and at Eliyahu’s instructions slew the prophets of b---. Consequently, the prophet is now escaping to avoid death at the hands of Ach’av’s wife Izevel, the ruling matriarch. In distress, he is now taking refuge in a cave at Horev, the mountain of G-d, where he pours his heart out to Adonai.
I will state my purpose now, which is to discuss some points on revivals. Revivals can be likened to those “miracle” plays that occasionally occur in football. That long touchdown pass or run in the final few seconds that wins the game and snatches seemingly sure victory from the opponent creates high energy and excitement for both players and fans. Although it is certainly a legitimate part of the game, a discerning coach knows that a championship team is actually built on a solid, long-term strategy of mastering basic fundamentals, gaining several yards on each play to obtain the first down, maintaining control of the ball and slowly reach and ultimately cross the opponent’s goal line. Revivals are similar in that they create a spiritual awakening for the short-term purpose of repentance and refreshment from Adonai as we see in Kefa’s words to the people:
Acts 3:19-20---Therefore, repent and turn to G-d, so that your sins may be erased; so that times of refreshing may come from the L-rd’s Presence…
However, the long-term strategy of a revival has always been to instill sound doctrine, i.e.
, and obedience that produces lasting fruit in a life that honors YHVH. This is what happened when Yisra’el came out of Mitzrayim, crossed the Sea of Suf and soon after received in a great and glorious manner (Yesha’yahu 42:21). This is what happened when Eliyahu brought the people back to Adonai and a return to His Ways. When Yeshua came, His miracles were solidly imbedded in His teachings of sound principles. The emissaries continued this revival in the same manner:Acts 2:42-43---They continued faithfully in the teaching of the emissaries, in fellowship, in breaking bread and in the prayers. Everyone was filled with awe, and many miracles and signs took place through the emissaries.
We run into problems when sound doctrine ceases to be the focus of a true revival; something will fill that vacuum and it is guaranteed to be something less valuable (Mattityahu 12:43-45), though to many, desirable. Some truth may be preached that will draw people such as the call to repentance, but all too often the leader’s or leaders’ false teachings will be injected and become the emphasis. The prosperity doctrine is one such teaching along with so-called “physical manifestations of the Spirit” which can invoke bizzare behavior. We can see this warning taught by Yeshua in His group of parables found in Mattityahu 13:24-43, 47-50: the tares sown with the wheat, the birds making their nests in the mustard tree (if we use the same description of birds being the adversary taking the seed sown on the hard path in the parable of the soils), leaven mixed in flour and good and bad fish caught together in the net. Even emissary Sha’ul warns of this danger after he leaves to go to Yerushalayim:
Acts 20:29-30---I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you; and they won’t spare the flock. Even from among your own number, men will arise and teach perversions of the truth, in order to drag away the talmidim after themselves.
The adversary can use good things to prevent the Word from being taught as recognized by Kefa:
Acts 6:2---“…It isn’t appropriate that we should neglect the Word of G-d in order to serve tables…”
When a person builds their spiritual life on signs and wonders without sound
principles, their foundation is on sand and not rock (Mattityahu 7:24-27), and they are building with wood, grass or straw rather than gold, silver or precious stones (1 Corinthians 3:11-13).Referring back to our beginning Scripture, our new or renewed walk in HaShem may start with the exciting fire that consumes the sacrifice but should be continued with the uneventful, yet effective teaching of sound doctrine by the “quiet, subdued voice”; and this happens through qualified teachers and our own personal time with HaShem through the Scriptures. We see this pattern with Yisra’el in the desert as Moshe taught the people YHVH’s Laws and YHVH desiring the people to build their own relationship with Him as they gaze upon the pillar of cloud/fire and meditate upon what they have learned. It is HaShem’s will that every believer learns to come to Him through His Word each day to find peace and contentment, rather than going from place to place seeking the so-called “moving of the Spirit” to maintain a deceptive ”high” in their walk with Him. It is good to remember:
Tehillim 23:(1) ---Adonai is my Shepherd; I lack nothing.
References: culteducation.com; midwestoutreach.org; other websites; Scriptures taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright 1998 by David H. Stern
MRD
