Post by alon on Oct 17, 2019 8:19:59 GMT -8
Name of Par’shah: V’zot HaBrachah (This is the blessing)
Par’shah: Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12
Haftara: 2 Samuel 22:1-51
Brit Chadashah: Romans 10:14-21; 12:14-21; Hebrews 12:28-29
Darash: Our
portion tells us in ch. 34 vs. 7 “Moses was 120 years old when he died.” That is a long life. But sooner or later, all our lives come to an end.
However many times in our lives, we may think our end has come:
2 Samuel 22:6 (ESV) the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
chords- חבל chebel, kheh'-bel; or חֵבֶל chêbel; a rope (as twisted), especially a measuring line; by implication, a district or inheritance (as measured); or a noose (as of cords); figuratively, a company (as if tied together); a throe (especially of parturition); also ruin:—band, coast, company, cord, country, destruction, line, lot, pain, pang, portion, region, rope, snare, sorrow, tackling.
And in case you missed it:
parturition- par·tu·ri·tion n. The act or process of giving birth
These are the chevleh mavet, the umbilical chords of death Melech Dovid spoke of in Psalm 116:3, “Chevlei mavet [umbillical chords of death, sic] encompassed me, and the metzarei She’ol (confines, straitnesses of She’ol) have caught up with me and found me; tzoros and yagon (sorrow) I found. (Tehillim 116:3 OJB)
We need to be mindful that, no mater how much time a person seems to have left, he will one day face the chevlei mavet, the umbillical chords of death. This is a picture that promises that as our umbilical chord sustained us through the birth process, so too will we be sustained to enter a new life after death, “some to everlasting life, and some to
and everlasting contempt.” (Dan 12.2b ESV)
Too often we as Messianics- probably because many of us have come from Christianity and are ourselves focused on throwing off our previous errors- but we focus way too much on convincing Christians they are wrong. We too often forget that friends and relatives, neighbors and others are unsaved. This point was driven home to me a few weeks ago when my neighbor died suddenly at 41. And now the familiar lament, “I could have done more.” But it is too late.
Romans 10:14-21 (ESV) For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
Our responsibility is to anyone who El Rachun, the God of Compassion (Deu 4:31) places in front of us! Not just to Christians or Messianic Light, Hebrew Roots, Jews, or others who’ve heard the word but we think are wrong! Certainly we should speak with these people at every opportunity. But not at the expense of the unsaved who have never heard, or who heard but never responded.
Hebrews 12:25-28 (ESV) See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
This passage is clearly connected to the book of Revelation where we see several quakes mentioned in both the heavens and in earth. We see the Lake of Fire prepared for His/our enemies. And we see the removal of earth as we know it and the New Jerusalem coming down. But we often look at Revelation as just an end times prophecy. Most, as I was, are surprised to find out the majority of it is not! Revelation was written to real people in a real time and place. The Notsarim of Asia-minor were undergoing severe persecution, and that letter was written to them as encouragement.
They had in this region recently seen earthquakes on a massive scale, fires that made the moon and sun red, and even black. They had witnessed wars and all the ills of the 1st 5 Seals. Now this is not to say they won’t happen in the end times- they will, and they will be even worse. But they had seen all these things in the 1st 5 Seals. The 6th and 7th Seals were for them the promise they will win. It is their hope in the persecution, their reason to stay faithful.
To those in the time Revelation was distributed to them, the end times and the return of Yeshua seemed imminent. I believe today we are seeing the run-up to the end. Others do not. But it is immaterial as concerns our witness, since all men will face the chevleh mavet. All will die, and none know when until their time comes. This is imminent for us all. And this is why our witness to all is so important.
Baruch HaShem!
Par’shah: Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12
Haftara: 2 Samuel 22:1-51
Brit Chadashah: Romans 10:14-21; 12:14-21; Hebrews 12:28-29
Darash: Our
portion tells us in ch. 34 vs. 7 “Moses was 120 years old when he died.” That is a long life. But sooner or later, all our lives come to an end. However many times in our lives, we may think our end has come:
2 Samuel 22:6 (ESV) the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
chords- חבל chebel, kheh'-bel; or חֵבֶל chêbel; a rope (as twisted), especially a measuring line; by implication, a district or inheritance (as measured); or a noose (as of cords); figuratively, a company (as if tied together); a throe (especially of parturition); also ruin:—band, coast, company, cord, country, destruction, line, lot, pain, pang, portion, region, rope, snare, sorrow, tackling.
And in case you missed it:
parturition- par·tu·ri·tion n. The act or process of giving birth
These are the chevleh mavet, the umbilical chords of death Melech Dovid spoke of in Psalm 116:3, “Chevlei mavet [umbillical chords of death, sic] encompassed me, and the metzarei She’ol (confines, straitnesses of She’ol) have caught up with me and found me; tzoros and yagon (sorrow) I found. (Tehillim 116:3 OJB)
We need to be mindful that, no mater how much time a person seems to have left, he will one day face the chevlei mavet, the umbillical chords of death. This is a picture that promises that as our umbilical chord sustained us through the birth process, so too will we be sustained to enter a new life after death, “some to everlasting life, and some to
and everlasting contempt.” (Dan 12.2b ESV) Too often we as Messianics- probably because many of us have come from Christianity and are ourselves focused on throwing off our previous errors- but we focus way too much on convincing Christians they are wrong. We too often forget that friends and relatives, neighbors and others are unsaved. This point was driven home to me a few weeks ago when my neighbor died suddenly at 41. And now the familiar lament, “I could have done more.” But it is too late.
Romans 10:14-21 (ESV) For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to
.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? Our responsibility is to anyone who El Rachun, the God of Compassion (Deu 4:31) places in front of us! Not just to Christians or Messianic Light, Hebrew Roots, Jews, or others who’ve heard the word but we think are wrong! Certainly we should speak with these people at every opportunity. But not at the expense of the unsaved who have never heard, or who heard but never responded.
Hebrews 12:25-28 (ESV) See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
This passage is clearly connected to the book of Revelation where we see several quakes mentioned in both the heavens and in earth. We see the Lake of Fire prepared for His/our enemies. And we see the removal of earth as we know it and the New Jerusalem coming down. But we often look at Revelation as just an end times prophecy. Most, as I was, are surprised to find out the majority of it is not! Revelation was written to real people in a real time and place. The Notsarim of Asia-minor were undergoing severe persecution, and that letter was written to them as encouragement.
They had in this region recently seen earthquakes on a massive scale, fires that made the moon and sun red, and even black. They had witnessed wars and all the ills of the 1st 5 Seals. Now this is not to say they won’t happen in the end times- they will, and they will be even worse. But they had seen all these things in the 1st 5 Seals. The 6th and 7th Seals were for them the promise they will win. It is their hope in the persecution, their reason to stay faithful.
To those in the time Revelation was distributed to them, the end times and the return of Yeshua seemed imminent. I believe today we are seeing the run-up to the end. Others do not. But it is immaterial as concerns our witness, since all men will face the chevleh mavet. All will die, and none know when until their time comes. This is imminent for us all. And this is why our witness to all is so important.
Baruch HaShem!
