Tag: faith

That You Remember

On By Bp. Justin ElwellIn Applied Theology, Inspiration1 Comment

In Numbers 15:37-41 we read, “The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the Lord your God.”

There are many remembrances found in the Bible that we might consider unusual. Among these we could certainly place the command for צִיצִת/tzitzit or “fringes.” These are nothing more than threads affixed to the four corners of garments (צִיצִת עַל־כַּנְפֵי בִגְדֵיהֶם) in order לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ, “that you may remember.”

This command is recorded following the episode of the ten spies who were sent into the Promised Land to report on the condition of what God had promised. Ten of those spies return with a bad report causing a rebellion against the Lord. Following this incident the Lord institutes a visual reminder, fringes affixed to the front and back of garments, which remind not only the wearer, but also those who see, about the promises of the Lord, as it was His promise and His commandments that the spies failed to remember. As He said, “that you may remember and do all My commandments,” concluding, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” This statement, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,” is found throughout the Hebrew Bible. It serves as a reminder of freedom, responsibility, and remembrance.

Today in the United States of America is a national holiday: Memorial Day. This holiday remembers all those who died in military service to this nation. In the Torah, we find not only reminders of the Lord’s faithfulness affixed to clothing, but He there are also reminders affixed to time, the biblical feasts. The traditional blessings for the appointed times remind us of our deliverance from Egypt, and our redeeming covenant Lord, lest Israel forget. The same is true for Memorial Day. In our day-to-day life we often neglect to remember that the freedom we so freely enjoy was purchased with someone else’s service and life.

We need remembrances in this country of short attention spans. We need antidotes to an ever-increasing self-centeredness. We need to be reminded that the freedom we enjoy, bought by another, is not ours to give away. It must be defended. The defense of freedom is not to be left solely to those in government, but also you and I. We must protect the freedom given to us by Almighty God, or we begin to trample on the very graves of those who gave their lives for it.

Freedom has come to us, but not without enormous sacrifice.  Fathers, sons, mothers, daughters, and friends have given their lives as a testament that man has been endowed by his Creator with unalienable rights, not bestowed by a benevolent government, but by God. Freedom secured by brave men and women from the dawn of our history to the present day, so that liberty might be proclaimed throughout the land (Lev. 25:10).

Dear reader, Memorial Day should cause our children to ask, “What is this day for?”  When they see the flags, the ribbons, and the parades, they should ask, “Why?” Our answer should honor not only the sacrifice that has been given but remind our posterity and us that freedom demands sacrifice, and a continual boldness to defend it.  While we now anticipate the summer that is to come, let us not cease to remember those who gave their everything for us, lest we forget.

A grateful nation remembers, honors, and never forgets. We say, this day, thank you.

Maranatha. Shalom.

Behar: Torah 32

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

Before speaking of the Year of Release (Shemittah) and the Year of Jubilee, the Torah records that the Lord spoke these words to him upon Mt. Sinai, why? Is there a connection between the point of revelation and command, and their fulfillment? What can we learn from these two patterns of years in messianic faith? What is the heart of what the Lord is revealing? Give a listen. 

Counting the Years When it Hurts

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

In the portion of Emor (say), the Torah commands us to count the days between Passover and Pentecost, in a pattern of seven weeks of seven days plus one = 50 days. As we read in Leviticus 23:15-16:

“You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord.”

The command for counting the Omer/sheaf was written in the plural, as a command to everyone in the community. As individuals we count the days. This we can easily note in our own lives, as we count the days leading to something special or important: birthdays, anniversaries, vacation, etc.

In the portion called בְּהַר/Behar, “on the mountain,” once again we open with the command to count. This time, not once but twice. First, in Leviticus 25:1-7, we find another pattern of seven. For six years there is sowing and reaping in the Promised Land, but in the seventh year, הַשְּׁמִטָּה/šᵊmiṭṭâ, there is the year of release (Deut. 15:9), the year when the fruit of the field is allowed to drop and is rendered ownerless. Second, in Leviticus 25:8-10 (cf. 11-34) we find yet another cycle of seven, this time leading to the יוֹבֵל/yôḇēl, Jubilee, the year of restoration. While the language of counting the Omer is in the plural, the language of the Jubilee is in the singular. It is the duty of the people vested in the office of their leaders, specifically in Jewish history, the Beit Din, or the house of judgment (Sanhedrin) to count. Why?

As individuals we are often caught up with our days, and the counting of the days of direct importance to us. This is not a judgment, only an observation, as these days are also matters of great concern. However, leaders must give attention to the years, and the long-term welfare of the people they are leading. As individuals, we consider how today’s decision impacts tomorrow in most cases.

Leaders must consider the impact of today’s decision fifty years from now. Leaders build, not for themselves, but for the community of today, tomorrow, and the future generations. The challenge in the portion of Emor/say was for the individual to count the days. The challenge of Behar/on the mountain is to count the years.  

Counting forward, either the days or the years, in biblical faith is anchored to the past in the form of testimony.

If you are reading this, you are probably a leader of some sort. Those born-again in Messiah Yeshua/Jesus have been given a responsibility as servant leaders, the responsibility to make disciples, learners who will continue in the faith. In Matthew 28:18-20 Messiah said,

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

How do we have future generations of messianic disciples? The working of the Holy Spirit, and the continuation of discipleship in the Body of Messiah. Making disciples links the next generation of the faithful to the past as we teach God’s Word and share our testimony.

Counting the days and the years ensures that we are attentive to the presence of the Lord in our home, as well as our community. Counting the years reminds us that He has promised the endurance of His community by our continued faithfulness to His Word, and our invested involvement in the lives of others in the world around us.

Will we raise the offering of our days before Him (Pentecost)? Will we then give witness to His faithfulness to forgive and restore by walking in forgiveness (release) and restoration (freedom)? This is the challenge before us, to walk as our Messiah walked, especially when His example hurts.  

Maranatha. Shalom.