This past week we entered the eleventh month on the Hebrew calendar called Shevat. The focus this month is on trees and water. In the Scripture humankind is likened to trees. We, like trees, are called to be life-giving by bearing fruit. In fact, when God created Adam and Eve, He told them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it." (Genesis 1:28)
On the fifteenth of this month there is a celebration called "Tu B’Shevat" or the New Year for Trees. During this celebration new trees will be planted. They, like us, need to be planted where they will be watered, and their roots can take hold in rich soil. Psalm 1:1-3 gives us a key to God's blessings: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." Jeremiah 17:7 and 8 has a similar message to Psalm 1. "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Trust comes from the heart, and our confidence in God is what allows us to touch the living stream of God's presence so that our lives will be fruitful. Zechariah tells us about "The Day of the Lord" when He comes as a warrior to fight for Israel. "On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem..." (Zechariah 14:8) The prophet Isaiah says of God's people, "I will extend peace to her like a river and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream." (Isaiah 66:12) Joel 3:18 also talks about living water that will flow from God's house. "In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord's house and will water the valley of acacias." All who dwell by the living water that God provides are destined to be healthy, happy, and fruit-bearing. It is no coincidence that the constellation that appears in the sky during this month is Aquarius, “the water carrier.” God intends for His river of life to touch us and for our roots to awaken to His ever-flowing stream. We must ask ourselves where we have rooted and how we are being watered. When Jesus stopped at Jacob's well and met the Samaritan woman He explained, "Whoever drinks the water I give to him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water, welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13, 14) Jesus is the source of everything that we need. Let's root ourselves in His living Word and allow His Holy Spirit, the River of Life, to saturate us so that our roots are strengthened, and we bear abundant fruit. For a moment, let us try to imagine what God gave up when He came into our world. Let us ponder the most magnificent, glorious, majestic setting we can envision. Let us remember the three words that describe our Lord: Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent. Now, let us turn our minds to the environment that Jesus first experienced when He came to earth as an embryo planted in the damp, dark womb of a teenage girl named Mary. He was bounced around on a donkey on a trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem where it was ordained that He would be born. The Word would become flesh. He who authored the story entered the story. That is what we celebrate at Christmas time.
What was to greet Jesus after he came down the birth canal? He was greeted by a stable filled with animals, a bed of a stone, animal feeding trough filled with hay, first-time parents who did not know how to raise a child, let alone the Son of God, and a jealous king who tried to kill Him. But these humble circumstances were ordained. Jesus would spend thirty years with His parents and siblings, working with Joseph in a carpenter's shop and then three years ministering to humanity. Jesus came to earth to experience life as a human. He came to mentor twelve disciples who would continue His ministry after His death. He came to "preach the good news, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, and release of the prisoner in darkness." He came "to comfort those who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion." He would "bestow on them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." (Isaiah 61:1-3) Here is how Philippians 2:6 and 7 describes what Jesus did: "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." In agreeing to give up His kingship and crown, every jewel in that headpiece would be removed. But the largest jewel of all was not removed until the end of His life. That jewel represents His life and the sacrifice He made as described in Isaiah 53. "...He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely, He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:3-5) Isaiah goes on to explain that it was Father God's will to crush Jesus so that His life would be a guilt offering for all of us. (Verse 10) On the night that Jesus was born, the angel of the Lord proclaimed the bottom line to the shepherds. It was the real reasons Jesus came to earth. "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-12) The Lord gave up everything for love! That love required a sacrifice for our sins. In return for our belief in what Jesus did, we get to spend an eternity with Him. This is what He wanted. In the traditional French carol, "Angels We Have Heard on High," verse two asks questions of the shepherds: "Shepherds why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong? What the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heavenly song?" I think we can see that these lowly shepherds got a glimpse of heaven and heaven's desire to save them and all of humanity. During this season of celebrating the Lord's gift, should we not rejoice with all of heaven over the magnanimous gift of our Savior? The town we know as Bethlehem, where Jesus the Messiah was born, was originally called Bethlehem Ephrath. The meaning of this name is significant with Bethlehem meaning "House of Bread," and Ephrath meaning "Fruitfulness." Many years before Joseph and Mary were sent to this town, God instructed Jacob to move his family from Bethel to the region of Bethlehem. Before sending Jacob to this new location, he changed Jacob's name to Israel and affirmed His intentions with a declaration for the future: "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you." (Genesis 35:11,12) Indeed, Jacob's beloved wife, Rachel, was pregnant and gave birth to her second son while on the journey to Bethlehem. Because she died in childbirth, Jacob set up camp near Migdal Eder, in the region of Bethlehem, where he mourned the death of Rachel and set up a pillar over her burial place. Genesis 21:35 tells us, "Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder." (Tower of the Flock)
In the prophetic book of Micah there is a reference to the Christ child being born in Bethlehem near Migdal Eder. "As for you, O Watchtower of the flock (Migdal Eder), O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem." (Micah 4:8) Part of the journey that Jacob/Israel and Rachel took as they moved toward Bethlehem was traced by Joseph and Mary some 1800 years later. They took a 90-mile trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem to take part in the census decreed by Caesar Augustus. It is fascinating to note that Mary would give birth in Bethlehem near Migdal Eder to Jesus, a descendant of Jacob and called our "Messiah." We must not miss the significance of the location for the birth of Jesus. Joseph and Mary would have walked by the Tower of the Flock where shepherds, called Levitical Shepherd Priests by the Sadducees, were helping in the birth of lambs destined for Temple sacrifices. Just as the Lord told Moses on the night of the Passover, "The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect..." (Exodus 12:5), the lambs brought to the Temple for sacrifice had to be perfect. The Bethlehem shepherds were experts in animal husbandry and brought the ewes from the field into the Tower when they were ready to give birth. This was done to protect the lambs from being scarred by any defects. Upon their birth, the lambs were wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in stone mangers lined with hay. What a rich context we have for the birth of Jesus who would become the Sacrificial Lamb of God thirty-three years later! Jesus stepped out of eternity as prophesied by Micah. "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me One who will be Ruler of Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times." (Micah 5:2) Micah continues: "He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will live securely, for then His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And He will be their peace." (Micah 5:4, 5) God made a choice to become a humble servant that would redeem the world if the people of the nations chose to believe in His redemption. When we look at the details of His plan, how could we not embrace His love? An unusual synchronization of our month of December with the ninth month on the Hebrew calendar (Kislev) happens this year. Kislev began at sunset on December 1 and runs until December 30. We should also note that both Christmas and the beginning of Chanukah occur on December 25. The messages of both holidays are the same: Light overcomes darkness and good overcomes evil. It is fitting that people from both the Jewish and Christian faiths will be celebrating together this year.
Though we are in the season of increasing darkness, by the time Christmas and Chanukah roll around that cycle will be slowly changing. The winter solstice, which marks the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, occurs on December 21. After this date, the days will slowly get longer, and the nights will get shorter. Also, let us remember that we are celebrating the entrance of Jesus Christ or Yeshua into the world. In John 8:12 He is called "The Light of the World." In the meantime, the Jews are lighting the candles on the Menorah for eight nights and recalling how the Maccabees overtook the evil armies of Antiochus in 164 B.C. after three years of battle. I think the nightly candle lighting of the Menorah is representative of the ever-increasing amount of light that is shed upon the earth. It is significant that the number eight represents new beginnings. The eight candles are lit by the ninth candle, positioned in the middle of the Menorah and named the "Shammas" or "Servant" candle. We can see how God paints a picture through the lighting of the eight candles. Yeshua, Jesus, came to earth as a servant to provide light in the darkness. What a prophetic picture! When Jesus was born the Roman empire had placed King Herod in charge of the region around Jerusalem. Being one who despised those he was to oversee and who was jealous of anyone who might challenge his position, he put in place an evil plot to kill Jesus the Messiah and Light of the World. He had learned from the magi who came to worship the "King of the Jews" about the prophecy that was written in Micah 5:2, 4. "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel." (Also written in Matthew 2:6) Herod was so disturbed by this prophecy that he ordered all the baby boys in the Bethlehem area to be killed. The star that God placed in the sky at the birth of Jesus shed a path of light to the place where He was born. After worshiping Jesus and leaving gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the magi returned to their homeland by a different route from the one they came by. God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. Later, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and warned him of Herod's plans. He was told to flee to Egypt with his family where they would be safe. This is where they would stay until God called His Son out of Egypt, fulfilling the prophecy of Hosea 11:1. God will not be outsmarted or outdone! No matter what kind of darkness tries to overcome the light or evil that tries to prevail over goodness, the Lord is a step ahead and has plans that He will bring to fruition. We would do well to remember these stories in the difficult season we presently live in. There is a divine order to the fall feasts. God planned that repentance would come before celebration because repentance leads to joy. Sin holds us back from God's purposes in our lives. When we have cleansed ourselves through repentance before God, we are freed from the hindrances that stop the Lord's blessings from flowing. When we repent before the Lord a door is opened for times of refreshing to come. Consequently, five days after Yom Kippur the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot takes place.
After getting right with God, the Jews celebrate in fellowship with Him for seven days and nights. Preparation for this feast occurs through the building of a sukkah or tabernacle. This dwelling was frequently constructed of broken branches. The roof of the Sukkah is to be open enough for its occupants to see heaven from earth and pray for the meeting of the two. It is a reminder that God takes us from the wilderness and bring us into the Promised Land. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:12) This is what brings us into intimacy with the Lord. The Feast, as it is often called, is the culmination of the seven yearly feasts. It is the seventh of seven yearly feasts occurring in the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar. The number seven is the one of perfection and completion. There is a greater significance to this Feast. God's great desire has always been to dwell with us, His people. What He planned is described in John 1:14. "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father full of grace and truth." In essence, God came to dwell in a temporary body so that we could get to know Him and He could draw us closer to Himself. When the priests in the temple called their people to join them in the celebration of Sukkot there were two main themes: Light and Living Water. The festival included illumination of the temple by placing four enormous gold candlesticks about 75 feet high in the Court of Women. There were four golden bowls, filled with pure oil, on top of the candlesticks that were lit for all to see. It is reported that when the lights from these candlesticks shown, every court in Jerusalem was lit up. Did Jesus not say, "I am the light of the world?" (John 8:12) He lights up our lives and calls us to be lights to the world. The other part of the celebration was called "The Water Libation Ceremony." The priests drew water from the Pool of Siloam, walked through the Water Gate at the temple, and then poured the water over the altar. This was a significant sacrifice, because Israel would have been without rain for six months. Prayers of thanksgiving to God for the fall rains to come would then be prayed. It was during this portion of The Feast that Jesus declared who He is. John 7:37, 38 says, "On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.'" Why don't we let Jesus light up our lives and quench our thirst for Him in this season of the Feast of Tabernacles? Saturday, October 12, was a Yom Kippur like none other. There was a convergence of events that only God could have put together. Humility was the foundation for them as described in 2 Chronicles 7:14, 15. "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sins and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place." The holiest day on God's calendar is Yom Kippur or The Day of Atonement. It was the only day when the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies to make a blood offering for the sins of Israel. It was and continues to be the one annual day that God summons His people to repentance and renewal. Today we understand that God removed ungodliness and poured out redemption through the blood of His son, Jesus. His sacrifice removed our sin and shame for all time. The sacred Day of Atonement is to be one of fasting and prayer in acknowledgement of who God is and what He has done.
Joel 2:12-16 expresses God's heart for HIs people. "'Even now,' declares the Lord, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning.’ Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity...Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly..." In 2017 God set into motion another event that He wanted to happen on the Washington, D.C. Mall on the Day of Atonement. He gave His servant, Lou Engle, a dream of one million women coming to the Mall to pray for the next generation and our nation. At the time, Lou did not realize this would be The Day of Atonement. All he had was a date and an understanding that "the Lord was opening a door of opportunity for the saving of our nation." He was encouraged by his friend, Pastor Francis Frangipane, who had studied the history of revival. Francis learned that an organized prayer movement preceded every revival except one—The Jesus Movement of the late sixties. He spoke with God about this mystery and was told: "I answered the prayers of a million mothers." Those prayers broke the chains of evil that tried to capture our youth. Remembering how Queen Esther, along with Mordecai and the Jews in Persia, had fasted and prayed for their nation, Lou knew that another Esther moment was before America. He was greatly encouraged when he realized that the target date was The Day of Atonement. Lou set up a web site to explain what God was up to. The site explains that the "public battle for the revival and reformation of America" would occur at the seat of the US government. It was Esther's intercession before the king that saved the Jews from genocide. “Now, her story has become the divine template and inspiration for every generation who lives under the shadow of anti-Christ legislation, persecution, and anti-family ideologies which threaten to destroy the very social fabric and foundation that a nation was built upon, was preserved by, and by which it prospered." The God-given, "holy prescription" to heal our land is still Joel 2:12-16. This prescription was followed yesterday at the D.C. Mall on Yom Kippur. The assembly of about 250,000 people consecrated themselves in what was called a "Global Esther Moment." In a posture of humility, sins were confessed, repentance took place, and the spirit of Ishtar (one of rebellion, sexual immorality, and perversion that is trying to possess our nation) was broken. Decrees were made to agree with the Kingdom of Heaven. The ten-hour gathering concluded with communion where we were reminded that we are a Covenant people, led by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is time for us to take back our nation! Who knows if we were not put into our positions for "such a time as this?" It happened on October 7, 2023, a special Sabbath day called Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in Torah), the eighth and last day added to the Feast of Tabernacles. In Israel, this day is celebrated with dancing in the streets and the synagogues with Torah scrolls. It marks the end of the annual cycle of public reading of Torah. The end of Deuteronomy is read, the scrolls are rewound to begin a new cycle of reading, and the beginning of Genesis is read. There is great joy and excitement on this day.
I imagine that Simchat Torah will never be the same in Israel because last year the Israelis were attacked by Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip in an unprovoked assault at the beginning of this day. At the end of the day twelve hundred Israelis were murdered, and two hundred, fifty victims were kidnapped. The brutality of the terrorists from Gaza is difficult to comprehend as many were raped, tortured, and terrorized. The outcome of the Sabbath attack on October 7 was the beginning of a war that still rages. Other players have come into the fray including Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels from Yemen. All these terror groups are encouraged and supplied with weapons and ammunition from Iran. Whenever there are conflicts of this nature innocent people get caught in the battle and suffer from injury, loss of life, and displacement from their homes. Even last week, Iran upped the ante by sending about two hundred missiles into Israel. The threat of a regional war is very real. Those who are living in the aftermath of October 7 have been traumatized and bear the scars and injuries from their losses, both internally and externally. Add to this situation the fact that antisemitism has been on the rise. This mindset is global! Chosen People Ministries published a report that confirms that antisemitism has tripled in the last twelve months against Jews living outside of Israel. It is my opinion that the growing display of antisemitism is demonically inspired. With the one-year anniversary of the attack on Israel being upon us, how should Christians respond? Scripture must be the foundation of our commitment to the Jewish people. Our Messiah handpicked Jews as His chosen people. However, "...His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross by which He put to death their hostility." (Ephesians 2:15,16) According to Genesis 15:18, God's first covenant with Abram declared that His descendants would have the land of Israel. However, years of lies and prejudice have fueled hate against the Jews and Christians. We are in a spiritual battle led by Satan himself. History shows how he has attempted to irradicate the Jews in every generation because God chose His people to be His instrument of redemption and blessings for all nations. He also ordained that our Messiah would come through His covenant people. As Isaiah 62:1 says, "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch." We must stand for the Jewish people and pray for them along with others who need to know the love of Jesus. The Jewish New Year, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles are upon us. Let us pray for the tender-loving mercies of God to be poured out upon all people, but especially those hurting families in the Middle East. The Biblical feasts are called God's appointed times. The Hebrew word for a God appointment of a feast is "Moed." When Moses had appointments with God, he would meet Him at the "tent of meeting" or the "Ohel Moed." Thus, Rabbi Jason Sobel calls the Biblical feasts "a tent in time." On Wednesday night at sundown a new Hebrew year will be upon us, the year 5785, and this is a time to go to our “tents of meeting” to connect with God.
I believe that the Old Testament feasts have much to reveal to the Christian Church and that it would be to our benefit to study them. In doing so, we would see that the Jewish New Year is a significant time to meet with God. Here is what it says in Leviticus 23:24, 25. "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei) you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the Lord by fire.'" The Jewish people believe that the world was created on this day and call it by the names Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year) or Yom Teruah (The Day of Blowing). The blowing of the shofar at the beginning of the year is a call to intimacy for God's people. It is time for those who love God to encounter Him and to prepare for the next sacred festival called Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. There are ten days in which to do this. These ten days are called "The Days of Awe." It is significant that on the two days of the New Year the shofar is blown 100 times on each day. This is a call for God's people to prepare for the year to come to remind us that God has made an everlasting covenant with us. One hundred is a significant number in that it stands for fullness in terms of a measure, reward, and recompense. There is also a connection between the number 100 and Abraham and Isaac. On Rosh Hashanah the story of Abraham being called to sacrifice Isaac on Mt. Moriah is read. It is called the "Akedah" or the "binding" in Hebrew. Abraham was 100-years old when he climbed up the mountain with Isaac. His righteousness with God stands as an example to all of us. We should ask ourselves, "Do our human failures merit atonement?" The story of Abraham and Isaac points us to a deeper understanding of God's infinite mercy and grace. He sent us Jesus as our "ram in the thicket." The blowing of the shofar is meant to be a reminder of the ram caught in the thicket as a sacrificial substitute. The horn of a ram is what is blown to herald the new year. God promised Abraham a blessing of abundance because of his obedience. That blessing was passed down through the generations. God said, "I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities or their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." (Genesis 22:17, 18) In Genesis 26:12 we see how Isaac benefited from this promise. "Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him." Today we are still reaping the benefit of this promise because we are Abraham’s descendants and have faith in the Lord. The mercy or grace of God should hit home for us as we go into the new year 5785. Five is the number of grace and redemption, and this year we get a double portion. As we enter the new year, let us consider blessing God by worshiping Him for sending us a Savior. It is said that during the month of Elul (sixth on the Hebrew calendar) God draws closer to us to help in our daily walk. The 40 days from Elul 1 to Tishrei 10 (Yom Kippur) is meant to be one of repentance so that we can return to God. The Jews blow the shofar daily as a warning to return to God in repentance. This period of time is called Teshuvah. The root word of this is "shoov" which means to return.
Sunday morning at our church, The Crossing, we had a demonstration of Teshuvah. Worship time was particularly beautiful and led us to the tender heart of God. He whispered into the heart of our Senior Pastor, George, who decided to forego preaching so that we could spend the rest of our time together in worship and repentance. One by one people from the congregation came forward to confess their sins for all of us to hear. The sweet presence of the Holy Spirit was palpable. Wanting to be sensitive to The Spirit's leading, it was decided that we would meet every night for a week to focus on worship and repentance. Stories of past revivals reveal that they mostly start with repentance. The first night Pastor George read from Joel 2. "Blow the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm on My holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble for the day of the Lord is coming...'Even now,' declares the Lord, 'return (Teshuvah) to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your heart and not your garments. Return (Teshuvah) to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and He relents from sending calamity." (Joel 2:1, 12, 13) This is our heart’s cry for ourselves and our nation. We are aware that as we turn to walk on the path of repentance so that we can come closer to the Lord, our enemy wants to put a monkey wrench into our plans. God gave me a parable about how he sabotages our movement forward on Tuesday morning. I got into my car to drive to work. As I put the car into drive and applied the gas, a horrendous screeching and scraping noise was produced. I put the car into reverse and was able to move without any problems. However, the minute I tried to go forward the awful sound returned, and it was difficult to move towards my destination. My husband kindly returned home to give his assessment of the situation. He decided we would have to get the car towed to be repaired. After calling AAA, a tow truck arrived. As the driver got into my car to move it forward there was no sound or difficulty. He left without my car. My husband discovered the reason for our problems afterward. On the blacktop under the car was a large black walnut that had been stashed up inside the car by a local squirrel. I actually saw the squirrel go under my car but never imagined what havoc he would create. The rubbing of the metal against the walnut was so intense that one side of the nut was flat and smooth. This is how the enemy works in our lives. He attacks our souls and makes it difficult for us to move forward but easy to move backward. To stop his interference in our lives we must repent for allowing ungodly behaviors in our lives, declare Isaiah 54:17, "No weapon forged against us will prevail..." and "worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness." (1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 29:2, and 96:9) This is what will give us victory in our season of Teshuvah. One of the traditions of the Jewish community during the holiday of Shavuot is to read the book of Ruth from the Bible. The story takes place during a difficult time in Israel. A famine in the land caused many families to leave their homeland in search of a place that had food. A man named Elimelech, from Bethlehem, took his family (his wife, Naomi, and sons Mahlon and Kilion) to Moab. While there Elimelech died. His sons had taken Moabite women (Ruth and Orpah) as their wives, but they too died within the tenth year of their sojourn. After these events, Naomi heard that God had come to the aid of her people, so she made plans to return to Bethlehem. She instructed her daughters-in-law to return to their families, but Ruth insisted on caring for Naomi and made her a promise: "...Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried..." (Ruth 1:16) This was indeed a sacrificial vow!
When Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem, "The House of Bread," it was the beginning of barley harvest and the season of Shavuot where the Israelites would renew their commitment and dedication to God and celebrate His provision. The laws of Israel allowed widows and poor people to glean the crops missed by the reapers. It was an opportune time for Ruth to come to Bethlehem. Not only was she able to collect food for Naomi and herself, but she was in the field belonging to Boaz, a relative of Elimelech. Through the events of harvest, we see that God had a plan of restoration. As Ruth faithfully cared for her mother-in-law, she was noticed by Boaz who willingly watched over her. He encouraged her with his words. "May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." (Ruth 2:12) Two Psalms remind us of what Boaz said. Psalm 57:1b, written by King David, says, "I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed." Psalm 91:4 declares, "He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge..." For Ruth, gleaning in Boaz's field was so productive that Naomi questioned Ruth about its location. It was then that she realized that Boaz was a kinsman-redeemer for her family. This man could volunteer to care for the extended family. The transaction did take place on the threshing floor where the grain or inner kernel of the crop is separated from the chaff or outer shell. The barley or wheat would be thrown into the air so that the lighter chaff was blown away in a processp called winnowing. It seems to me that what was taking place at the threshing floor was also taking place in Ruth's life. She had been separated from everything she knew—her family, her homeland, and any security. In the spiritual realm, God was winnowing Ruth to prepare her for a life with God-ordained purposes. She was completely unaware that she was stepping into a family whose line would play a part in the birth of the Messiah of Israel. After Boaz arranged to marry Ruth, she conceived a son, Obed, who is David's grandfather. This story of self-sacrifice and sorrow turned to joy happened because seeds of love were planted by two desperate women in an extremely difficult situation. By following the God of Israel, they were able to play a part in God's plans for redemption and restoration. Like Ruth, sometimes we feel like our lives are on the rock-hard threshing floor. It is during these times that we must remember that the Lord is lifting us up to reveal the kernel of our hearts. He removes the outer shell to expose the core gifts He placed within us so that He can bring us into an expanded inheritance where He can use us to partner with Him in the growth of His Kingdom. God still restores and redeems so that "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them." (Psalm 126:5) |
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