Month: March 2024

Who Can Hear a Whisper Anymore?

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn Applied Theology, InspirationLeave a comment

Elijah hid, fearful and distraught, in a cave. The battle of Ba’al was behind him, as was a vengeful queen. As Elijah hid, the Lord produced loud, awesome, cataclysmic displays, but He was not in them (1 Kgs. 19:9-12).

The “god” Ba’al was associated with thunders, lightenings, earthquakes: natural phenomena. This was the silence that stumped the priests of Ba’al. They cried out, but there was silence. In the silence they found only despair. They cried more, they cut deeper, but still nothingness stood in contrast to their noise.

The Lord purposely displayed His power in nature, but then He showed His power in presence. As He said to Elijah, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kgs. 19:13). The Lord asked this question before the thunders, lightenings and earthquakes, and after, but in the קוֹל דְּמָמָה דַקָּה, the “voice/sound of sheer silence” He spoke to Elijah’s heart.

The same sheer silence that stood in contrast to the loud voicings of the priests of Ba’al, now speaks to His prophet Elijah. In hearing His voice, the voice of comfort and presence, Elijah returns to the mission.

Noise. We live in a noisy generation. From the noise of civilization, to the noise in our pocket. We believed that technological advancement would provide the opportunity for a quality of life unknown to previous generations, and in a way yes, but who has time for quality of life when the noise of ba’al reigns supreme?

Who can hear a whisper anymore?

It always amazes me when the sound of “worship” music stops, and the silence takes over. There, like Elijah, we find ourselves hearing the voice of sheer silence. The holy hush as it is called. Without fail you will hear people catch their breath in that moment, when the noise gives way to silence, and the presence of the Living God is palpable.

Now, Scripture does say to make a joyful noise – a sound breaking the silence- unto the Lord (Ps. 98:4; 100:1), but we mustn’t forget the power of silence in an age saturated with noise.

Who can hear a whisper anymore?

What are the ba’alim (gods) ever present in your life that invades the quiet where the Lord will meet with you? Notifications, beep and boops, rings and tweets, all remind us of something out there, somewhere that is desperate for our attention. But, how often is the Lord in those notifications, or the deeps, boops and tweets? Can we still hear the sacred in the midst of the profanity?

Who can hear a whisper anymore?

Those who dare to let the gods of this age take a backseat to the presence of the Living God. Friends, this is not a rebuke of our technically enabled lives, but a reminder that when the noise stops, the Lord will be there to speak into the silence, and redirect your life from the cave of fear, to a life of victorious meaning in Him.

Messiah Yeshua/Jesus taught us, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).

Be well. Shalom.

Vayakhel: Torah 22

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn podcast, Torah AudioLeave a comment
Tap pic for link!

When the Lord gives us sacred work, does the immediacy of the new sacred work set aside His call for us to rest? The children of Israel were deep into the fabrication of the Tabernacle when they receive a reminder: rest. What do we learn from this? What do we learn from a dramatic linguistic parallel to the account of creation and the account of the Tabernacle? What of the language of work and service, and its connection to sacred purpose? So much to consider, yet it all still points us to the mission of the Great Commission. How does this all knit us together? Give a listen. 

Come Together

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn Applied Theology, InspirationLeave a comment

The Torah portion of Vayakhel, “and he assembled,” begins:

וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת־כָּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יְהוָה לַעֲשֹׂת אֹתָם

“And Moses gather together all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said to them, “These are the words that the Lord has commanded, that you do them.”

Moses, in the midst of the assembling of the components of the Tabernacle, קָהַל, calls together the assembly of Israel. Why?

Simple: TOGETHER.

The people of Israel, the individuals of the covenant community, were busy. Can you relate to busy? Scurrying about making, connecting, realizing the vision Moses revealed to them beginning in Exodus 25. They were on a mission.

Yet here, Moses “calls together,” in the same way that ἐκκλησία/ekklēsia (called out ones) is used in the Apostolic Scriptures, the people: “come here, together.”

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of this industrious camp, Moses assembles them and slows them down. He begins: “These are the words that the Lord has commanded, that you do them.” Hasn’t he already said these words time and again? One way or another, yes. Yet, he then turns to a completely new subject concerning what God has commanded:

שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תֵּעָשֶׂה מְלָאכָה וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי יִהְיֶה לָכֶם קֹדֶשׁ שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן לַיהוָה

“Six days work is done, but the seventh day will be holy, a sabbath of rest unto the Lord.”

Busy. We are busy, running hither and yon, busy about our business, even that which may be called, holy work. Moses says, we are to do what the Lord has commanded, but we must also rest, an act of holy temporal worship resting our bodies. When we are consumed and distracted with “busy,” rest becomes a revelation.

Shabbat, or sabbath, is a break in time when we cease from doing, and experience life, family and community as the gift from the Lord that it is. The spiritual brakes applied, we rest, even from the holy labor of constructing the Tabernacle, in order to be His tabernacle, not alone but together.

Obviously, the command for Shabbat/Sabbath is not a new command in Exodus 35:2. It is, rather, a reminder. Even in the busyness of life, as important as the work is, we must pause, hear the call of our shepherd, and come together.

Sabbath, as revealed in Scripture, reminds us that even in our absence from the assembly that we are still part of the family. Our people, whether near or far, as still gathering, praying, singing, rejoicing, and fellowshipping together. This thought stayed the feeling of homesickness when on the mission field in different places in the world. Even alone, I was part of a together community connected by the Spirit of God.

As I walked across the empty, quiet parking lot at our congregational building this past Shabbat, the holy praise, testimonies, and joyous fellowship was still vivid in my mind. A building full of saints, young and old, stepping out of the busy flow of life to share the precious commodity of time. Even those not present, were present, as His Spirit is not limited by space, place or time. The silence was a sharp contrast to the sound present only moments before; yet both the sound of human presence and absence is necessary, as one anticipates the other.

In the Gospels, we find scenes of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus sitting at the mount to teach, seating the masses to receive food, sitting with His disciples to sing, dip, and recline. Yeshua knew that He was heading toward the holiest work of redemption, but as He made His way there over the weeks, months and years, He still stopped, rested and enjoyed the company of those He loved, even those He challenged. He even went off to the quiet, lonely places to pray.

Dear reader, you may think you have been caught up in the busyness of life for too long to answer the call of the shepherd to assembly, nevertheless, He is still calling. You are still welcome, and there remains a place that He has set just for you. The command of Shabbat in Exodus 35:2 is that invitation in the midst of the busy assembly, it is the shepherds call to you and me to assemble with those we love, and those who challenge us. It is a call to the presence of the Living God Himself.

Be well. Shalom.