“He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”  (Psalm 91:4)

A storm passes through the night.  A mother hen fluffs up her wings, and calls out to her young chicks, “Come to me!  I’ll keep you warm.  I’ll protect and comfort you.”

No wonder God has used this kind of scene many times in Scripture to describe His own desires to keep us near Him, under His own protective wings.

Let’s take a closer look at what His wings can do and what it really means for each of us to come under them.

Wings of Majesty, Splendor, and Light

The Hebrew word for the wings of a bird or angel is kanaph.

This word also means the corners of a garment, which might flap in the wind, giving the appearance of a wing.

We see this use of the word when God told the Israelites in the wilderness:

“Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels [tzitzit] on the [four] corners [kanaph] of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel.” (Numbers 15:38; Deuteronomy 22:12)

The tassels or tzitzit were meant to continually remind the Jewish people of the commandments in the Word of God.

During Biblical times, Jewish men wore a full tallit [gown or cloak], which was rectangular with tzitzit and looked somewhat like a blanket.

After the exile in AD 70, the Jews lived with their Gentile neighbors in foreign lands, adopting their clothing.  As we see today, around the world, Jewish men wear pants and shirts.

So, under their shirt, orthodox Jewish men wear a rectangular undershirt, called a mini-tallit that has tzitzit (tassels or fringes) representing God’s commandments.

During prayers, men cover themselves with a prayer shawl, which have tzitzit.

But there’s more spiritual significance to wearing this garment than just remembering the mitzvot (commandments).

For many Jewish men who wrap themselves under the covering of the prayer shawl, it’s as if they are wrapping themselves under the wings of God’s splendor and glory.

While some inspect their tzitzit as they prepare to cover themselves with their tallit (prayer shawl), they recite a blessing that reminds them of how God wraps Himself in His own majesty and splendor.

From Psalm 104:1-2, they pray:

“My soul, bless the Lord! Lord my God, You are greatly exalted; You have clothed Yourself with majesty and splendor. You wrap yourself with light as with a garment; You stretch out the heavens like a curtain.”

As each Jewish man wraps himself in the light and glory of God’s garment, he symbolically comes under God’s supernatural force field, a spiritual and physical place of refuge.

Under His Wings We Find Refuge

When the prayer shawl covers the man’s whole being, it forms a special kind of prayer closet where he can focus his prayers, praise, and worship on the Lord God of Israel.  It also reminds him of the covering God provides to those who stay near Him.

As the shawl is first placed over the head, this blessing is recited:

“How precious is Your kindness, O God! The children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings [kanaph],”  (See Psalm 36:7-11 for the full blessing).

God’s refuge is for everyone, no matter how meek or powerful.

King David was undoubtedly the most powerful man in Israel, and yet he often wrote of his need to flee to God as his refuge.  When it seemed to David as though he were “at the end of the earth,” he wrote in Psalm 61:

“I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.” (verse 4)

When we are feeling far from God, we can imagine wrapping ourselves with His light, His glory, His splendor as though we were dwelling with Him in His sanctuary under His warm, protective wings.

The psalmist says that those who take refuge in God are “blessed” (Psalm 2:12), receive His “great goodness” (Psalm 31:19) and are “saved” from their foes (Psalm 17:7).   And they will “rejoice” (Psalm 5:11). 

The Prophet Isaiah even says they “will inherit the land”  (Isaiah 57:13).

These blessings were certainly bestowed on a foreign widow named Ruth, who left the gods of her homeland in Moab and went to Bethlehem with her Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi.

There she met a wealthy man named Boaz who saw her loyalty, love and dedication to the Lord of Israel as well as to her mother-in-law Naomi.

“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,” Boaz told her.  (Ruth 2:12)

As time progressed, she went to meet Boaz to spread the wing of his garment over her, symbolically asking him to cover her with his protection and authority as a husband (Ruth 3:9–10).

It’s a beautiful scene that God Himself used to describe His covenant relationship as a Husband to Israel:

“‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner (wing) of my garment over you and covered your naked body.  I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine.”  (Ezekiel 16:8)

Upon marrying Ruth, Boaz entered into a covenant with her in which he provided for and protected her.  Moreover, they both became the great-grandparents of King David, from whose lineage the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) would be born.  

God’s garment is so expansive it covers the earth, and He is inviting us to come under it as His Bride.  When we do, we come under His love, protection and authority.

Under His Wings We Come Under His Authority

El Shaddai, Almighty God, is the One whose great wings carried His people out of Egypt.

“You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.”  (Exodus 19:4)

After carrying His People to safety, God then gathered them to Mount Sinai and put them under His wings of authority, which is His Torah (instructions) and His reign as their King.

But it wasn’t a one-sided arrangement.  The Lord protected, provided, and nurtured the Israelites because He had great plans for them:

He said to the Israelites:

“Now if you obey Me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.  Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’”  (Exodus 19:5–6)

Coming under the authority of God meant obeying His laws so that they would become spokespeople for His kingdom.  By showing the pagan nations how God wants people to live, the Israelites would become priests of His holy nation.

Through these Jewish people came forth the Word of God (First and Second Covenants) as well as the Messiah Jesus (Yeshua), instructing and blessing the whole world.

Today, all people who come under the authority of God, both Jew and Gentile, are His spokespeople, His priests.  As the apostle Peter said,

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”  (1 Peter 2:9)

Under the Healing Wings of Messiah

We find a beautiful Messianic prophecy in the very last chapter of the Tanakh about “the sun of righteousness rising with healing in its wings [kanaph].”  (Malachi 4:2)

By completely covering us with His healing “wings,” Yeshua (which means “Salvation”) provides healing of our souls by forgiving our sins, which places us under His wings for eternity.

As a sign of His divine authority as Messiah, He healed multitudes of people, including some who reached out for the corner [kanaph] of His garment.

In Matthew chapter 9, we read of a woman who after twelve years of bleeding diligently sought after Yeshua in a crowd.  She leaned into the crowd of people around him and touched the fringes on the kanaph of His garment and was instantly healed.

She was not alone.

“When Yeshua crossed the Sea of Galilee to a town on the western shore called Gennesaret, the people sent word throughout the region and brought all who were sick to Him.

“They begged Him that they might touch even the corner (fringes) of His garment; and all who touched it were healed.” (Matthew 14:35-36)

Though the crowds were willing to be healed physically by Yeshua, not all of them wanted to hear His message about the Kingdom of Heaven.

Yeshua wept as He looked toward the city that God called His very own, and said:

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.”  (Luke 13:34)

Sadly, many were not willing to accept Yeshua as their Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Because they did not choose Yeshua as their Messiah and their salvation, some say that God has folded His wings to the Jewish People and opened them to the Gentiles, but that is not true.

On the contrary, God’s wings are forever open to everyone (Jew and Gentile), who come seeking Him.

God has been revealing Himself as Yeshua the Messiah to Jewish people for the past 2,000 years through the Scriptures (specifically the Messianic Prophecies) as well as through His Spirit in dreams and visions and by Christians witnessing to them.

Today, there are an estimated 350,000 Jews worldwide who believe in Yeshua (Jesus).

“Listen!  I am standing at the door, knocking,” Yeshua says.

“If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.”  (Revelation 3:20)

 

The post Finding Refuge Under His Wings appeared first on Messianic Bible.

Nitzavim (You are Standing) / Vayelech (And He Went)
Deuteronomy 29:9(10)–31:30, Isaiah 61:10–63:9, Luke 24:1–12 / Luke 24:13–43

“You are standing [nitzavim] today in the presence of the Lord your God…. You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 29:10, 12)

Last week, in Parasha Ki Tavo (When You Enter), God instructed the Israelites to bring the first-ripened fruits (bikkurim) to the Temple in Jerusalem once they have finally entered the Land He promised to them.

This week, in Nitzavim-Vayelech, the Jewish People stand before the God of Israel about to enter into the covenant, a solemn oath with Him.

The Parasha opens with a declaration of the unity of Israel.

Why were the Israelites collectively standing before God? It was for one reason alone: to enter into a covenant with Him.

The expression you are standing (atem nitzavim) is used almost 300 times in the Bible and always to enter into some kind of contract, pact or agreement.

All were invited to enter into the brit (covenant) with Adonai—from the least to the greatest. Everyone, from the leaders, elders and officers of tribes, to their wives and children had equal opportunity to receive a place in the Kingdom of God.

Even the ger (stranger or foreigner) was offered an equal place in the covenant with Elohim, in order “that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God (Elohim) to you.”  (Deuteronomy 29:13)

This covenant was unique in that it transcended any limitation of time or place. It was made with “those standing there as well as with those who were not present at that time.” (Deuteronomy 29:15)

After Israel broke this covenant, God promised through the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah a “New Covenant” (Brit Chadashah) for the people of Israel and Judah:

“‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant (Brit Chadashah) with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke My covenant, though I was a husband to them,’ declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31:31–32)

Once again, this covenant is extended to everyone—from the least to the greatest:

“No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD.”  (Jeremiah 31:34)

So if this New Covenant has been promised to the House of Israel and the house of Judah, how do the Gentile followers of Yeshua the Messiah enter into God’s Kingdom?

We are told in the book of Ephesians that it is through the blood of Yeshua that those who were far away have been brought near and granted an equal place in the covenants of promise.

“Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ (which is done in the body by human hands)—remember that at that time you were separate from Messiah, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Messiah Yeshua you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Messiah.” (Ephesians 2:11–13)

The Hebrew Scriptures from Parasha Nitzavim-Vayelech are always recited on the Sabbath preceding the evening Selichot (prayers for forgiveness) service, which takes place on Motzei Shabbat, the night after the Sabbath ends; that is, after nightfall on Saturday (around midnight).

These special tefillah (prayers) are recited before the normal shacharit service (morning prayer) from the Sunday before Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) until Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).  They add an extra 45 minutes of prayer.

Thus, the mood of repentance becomes more urgent as the month of Elul draws to a close, as we prepare for a special period called the Yamin Noraim or the Ten Days of Awe, a time designated for repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

In English, this period is often referred to as the High Holy Days.  It is a time for deep introspection, reflection, and an honest examination of one’s spiritual state.

In this Parasha, Moses asks the people to examine themselves.

He warns them, in a dire prediction, that because of their obstinacy, idolatry and sin, they would be forced to endure a nightmare of tragedies including siege, famine, poverty, war, forced exile, and desolation: however, Israel would survive as a nation and would return to the Holy Land.

This prophecy was fulfilled in May 1948 with the rebirth of the state of Israel.

This rebirth of an independent Jewish state stands in contrast to so many great empires which have come and gone.

God has faithfully kept His covenant with Israel.

The Haftarah (Prophetic Portion)

“Comfort, comfort My people, says your God.” (Isaiah 40:1)

For the past seven weeks since Tisha B’av—the remembrance of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temples—all the prophetic messages in the Haftarot have focused on comfort and consolation.

The Hebrew prophet, Isaiah, comforts the exiles of Israel with the assurance that God has forgiven their sins and, in His mercy, will bring them back to their Land. Haftarah Nitzavim is the climax of these seven messages of comfort.

The prophetic portion of Scripture studied this Shabbat passes over the first portion of Isaiah 61, which is an important Messianic prophecy. Whether or not this is a deliberate omission to keep the knowledge of Yeshua from the common people is debatable.

However, it is important that we read and study the entire Bible and not rely only upon the traditional Haftarah portions that may leave out these crucial Messianic prophecies.

This omitted prophecy of Isaiah 61 is the passage that Yeshua read in the synagogue on the Sabbath (Shabbat) to proclaim Himself Messiah, as well as proclaim “The Year of the LORD’s Favor.”  (Luke 4:16–19)

“… The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.”  (Isaiah 61:1–2)

The rest of the verse, which Yeshua apparently did not read, is for future fulfillment: “… and the day of vengeance of our God” looks forward to the day of Yeshua’s return, when He will take vengeance on the enemies of Israel.

In this Haftarah portion, God appears dressed as a warrior in that day of vengeance; His clothes stained in the blood of Israel’s enemies.

“Who is this coming from Edom [descendants of Esau—terrorist faction of radical Islam], from Bozrah, with His garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of His strength? ‘It is I, proclaiming victory, mighty to save.’” (Isaiah 63:1)

Israel stands as a sign and beacon to all peoples everywhere of the wonderful grace and mercy of God.

Its glorious restoration reveals that He can replant, rebuild, re-establish His people from the worst destruction in each one of our lives.  If we will give Him our ashes and mourning, He will give us beauty and the oil of joy.

“The Lord has anointed Me to … provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Isaiah 61:1, 3)

New Beginnings in the Haftarah

This week’s Haftarah (prophetic portion) provides three powerful images of new beginnings:

1. New Clothes:

“For God has clothed me in garments of triumph, wrapped me in a robe of victory, like a bridegroom adorned with a turban, like a bride bedecked in her finery.” (Isaiah 61:10)

God is going to give us a whole new look, and whether we are male or female, we’re going to look gorgeous!

He will be giving us a new beautiful wardrobe, fixing up our hair, placing the necklace of precious jewels around our neck, fussing with our appearance to make us look our best, a perfect Bride without spot or wrinkle.

This is the ultimate makeover.

God’s Bride, Israel and the foreigners who all abide in Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah), is being prepared to meet her Beloved.  Instead of defeat and despair, we are going to be clothed in triumph and victory!

2. A New Name (Identity):

In the Bible, a name change is a sign of a major life change or transformation.

God changed Abram and Sarai’s names to Abraham and Sarah by adding the Hebrew letter hey (ה). This Hebrew letter occurs in two out of the four letters of God’s name YHVH. With a part of God’s identity meshed into their own, they were able to be fertile and fulfill their God-given destiny.

Jacob’s name was also changed from Yaacov (which can mean heel, but also deceiver) into Yisrael—triumphant with God.  Or it may be derived from the verb yashar, meaning straight / honest with God.

Likewise, the Bible promises that God will give Israel a new name.

“You will be called by a new name… No longer will you be called Forsaken [Azuva], neither shall your land any more be called Desolate [Sh’mamah]; but you shall be called, ‘My delight is in her [Heftzi-bah] and your land, Married [Be’ulah]; for the Lord delights in you and your land shall be married.” (Isaiah 62:2, 4)

In Revelation 2, a chapter emphasizing repentance, God once again promises a new name:

“To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.” (Revelation 2:17)

God wants to change our name so we can know our true identity in the Messiah: righteous, holy, redeemed, forgiven, free, friend of God.

Once we truly know who we are in Him, we will begin to act differently, like true children of God.  Others will see us and relate to us differently, and our whole lives will be transformed.

“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”  (Proverbs 23:7)

3. New Love and Intimacy

The third image is that of new love and intimacy.

The Hebrew root word Baal, which occurs several times in Isaiah 62:4–5, means marry. God loves Israel and He loves us as a Bridegroom loves His Bride.

We are the beautiful Bride of the Messiah, a “crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord—a royal diadem [precious gem]”—and He  rejoices over us:  “As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.”  (Isaiah 62:3, 5)

God is so intimate with us that He Himself dresses us with new garments, like a mother with a little child; He names us with a new name, as the parent of a new baby; and He rejoices over us, as a lover with His Bride.

On our journey of transformation, as we at times go through the fires and floods of affliction, we can find comfort in the knowledge that God is with us and He cares for us.  He will never leave us nor forsake us.  He is so intimately involved with us that in all of our affliction, He is afflicted.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons that Isaiah states that Messiah is a “man of sorrows and well acquainted with grief.” (Isaiah 53:3)

One of the names of God is YHVH Shamah, which means God is There. Sometimes that’s all we need—to know that He is “there for us.”  He is God with us—Emanu-El.

Yes, God wants to restore, rebuild, renew, and even avenge, but as we reflect on this past year, if we see pain and anguish, let us remember that God can do much more than just meet our needs:  He is the parent who dresses and provides for us, the counselor who guides us into all we can be, and the lover who adores us.

This may not take away the hurt. God doesn’t always instantly fix every broken thing in our lives, but He is always there for us to provide, comfort, and encourage.

Perhaps this is all we need to find the courage to begin again—to walk into the new thing that God has prepared for His Beloved.

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“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will.”  (Romans 12:2)

Has God ever tried to get your attention or teach you a lesson about something?

Well, He certainly did with Peter!

He and the other Jewish Apostles in Jerusalem had an issue sharing the Good News of Yeshua with anyone who wasn’t Jewish (Gentiles) — that is,  until God personally got involved to teach Peter a lesson.

Tensions Tighten Between Jews and Gentiles

To better understand the lesson that God wants to teach Peter, we need to know something about the social tensions that existed at the time of Yeshua between the Jews and the Gentiles.

The word most often used to refer to Gentiles in the Hebrew Scriptures is Goy.  In the plural it is Goyim, which simply means Nations or People.

It was rarely used to refer to the Nation of Israel, as in Exodus 19:6.

“You shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation (goy).  These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”

The Hebrew word Goyim as a term progressed to mean people whose parents were not Jewish.  In English we translate the word Goyim as Gentiles.

To the Jews, these were the “other people” in the world — the people who practiced pagan worship.  Many of the Jews believed they were to be entirely separated from Gentiles.  This added to animosities and prejudice on both sides.

The Canaanite woman who begged Yeshua to heal her child, seemed to understand the social tension between the Jews and Gentiles.

Here is the story in Matthew 15: 21-28

“Leaving that place, Yeshua withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to Him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!  My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.’”

“Yeshua did not answer a word.  So His disciples came to Him and urged Him,

‘Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.’”

He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

The woman came and knelt before Him.  “Lord, help me!” she said.

He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

“Yes it is, Lord,” she said.  “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

Then Yeshua said to her, “Woman, you have great faith!  Your request is granted.”  And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Yeshua showed His disciples that He was a light to the Gentiles and that God’s love was for everyone.

We also see this distinction between Jew and Gentile when the guards took Yeshua into the headquarters of Pilate, the Roman governor.  Peter and other Jews stayed outside in the cold.

If they went inside, they could become ritually defiled and unfit to eat the Passover meal.  (John 18:28)

When it came to protecting the purity of the Temple and its priests, warning signs were placed outside the walls of the inner court of the Temple.

The one below reads:  “no foreigner is to go beyond the balustrade and the plaza of the temple zone — whoever is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his death which will follow.”

However, non-Jews were welcome in the Gentiles’ Courtyard, a large open area where Jews and non-Jews, circumcised or not circumcised could shop in the bazaar, exchange currency, and socialize in the porticos that lined the edges of the courtyard in the Temple area.

Here, rabbis (teachers) of Jewish law would discuss matters of God and oral tradition with the “unclean” in hopes of winning some converts into their “religious” understanding of Scripture.

Yeshua also spent time in the porticos, courtyard, and on the Temple steps teaching Jew and Gentile that those Scriptures point to Him as the Messiah.

But Yeshua went beyond the courtyard.

He spoke to a Samaritan woman at a well as well as a Roman Centurion, even healing his servant.

Yeshua Demonstrates God’s Heart for Gentiles

In Matthew 8:5-13, a Gentile Roman centurion came to Yeshua pleading that He visit his home to heal his paralyzed Gentile servant.

(The religious culture dictated that a Jewish person was not allowed to visit the home of a Gentile because they would become defiled).

Yeshua was amazed at the faith of the Gentile Centurion, and He said in front of all of His Jewish disciples that the Jews did not have the amount of faith that this Gentile had.  Not only that, Yeshua said that He would visit his home!

He went on further to say that many Gentiles (non-Jews) from all the nations of the world will sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, while many Jews will never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

As Yeshua was speaking, the servant was healed!

Why did Yeshua offend the religious leaders of the day by interacting with Gentiles and breaking Jewish Tradition?

In His beautiful beatitudes (blessings) on a mount by the Sea of Galilee, He seemed to answer that question by saying:

“If you love those who love you, what reward do you have?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others?

“Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect [mature, complete in your faith], therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  (Matthew 5:47-48)

Yeshua demonstrated how to be fully mature when He talked to Gentiles, healed Gentiles, and died for the sins of both Jew and Gentile alike.

After all, Abraham was a Gentile.  King David’s great-grandmother Ruth was also Gentile.

But this didn’t fit the apostles’ Jewish understanding of how God’s kingdom worked.  So, if they were going to become the shepherds, teachers, apostles, and evangelists that God called them to be, their biases and racial prejudices had to be dealt with.

Though Yeshua already demonstrated to them God’s heart for the Gentiles, God needed to do something more persuasive.

God Supernaturally Connects a Gentile and a Jew through Visions

During the time of Yeshua, the second largest city in Israel was Caesarea, just up the coast from Joppa (also known today as Jaffa, which is part of Tel Aviv).

In Caesarea lived a Roman Centurion names Cornelius, a devout God-fearing man who prayed continually and helped poor Jewish people by giving them alms.  He was seeking the Lord, and God answered him through a vision.  In the vision, Cornelius the Italian Gentile, saw an angel who said,

“Your prayers and alms have been recognized as a memorial before God, now send some men to Joppa to find a man named Simon who is also called Peter, who is staying in a tanners house by the sea.”  (Acts 10:5–6)

Here we come back to Peter, the one who denied Yeshua three times.  The one who lacked faith while walking towards Yeshua on the water.

He was also the one of whom Yeshua said,  “On this Rock I will build My Church!”

And it was Peter, whom God chose to have the vision that Yeshua’s blood atonement was not only for Jews, but also for the Gentiles.

So the day after Cornelius had a vision to find a man named Peter, his men were traveling to find this man.

On a rooftop in Joppa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, Peter was praying and began to get hungry.   While his meal was being prepared for him downstairs, God gave him a vision in which he saw the sky open and a large sheet was lowered by four corners to the ground.

He saw “all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air.”

“Get up, Peter; kill and eat,”  said a voice.

But Peter replied,  “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is unholy or unclean.”

But a voice from heaven responded a second time,  “What God has made clean, you must not call unholy.”

This happened three times before the sheet and everything in it was lifted back up to heaven.

Why three times?  It could have been God’s way of telling Peter,  “Hey, It’s really Me.  Remember when you denied Me three times and three times you said you loved Me?  Well, here’s another three times.  It really is Me, so take this seriously!”

Still on the roof, trying to understand the vision and what the voice of God told him, three Gentiles arrived at the house where he was staying.

At that very moment, the Spirit of God said to Peter,  “Look, three men are searching for you.  Now get up, go down, and go with them without hesitation; for I have sent them.”  (Acts 10:18–20)

You see, God had already planned to save this prominent Italian Gentile, the Roman Centurion Cornelius and his household!  And God chose Peter to bring him the Good News.

After experiencing the vision, the visitors, and the voice of God, Peter did something no “righteous” Jewish person would ever do.

He went to Caesarea (a Roman Gentile city at the time) and entered the home of a Gentile — Cornelius’ house.

Peter Steps into His Role as Evangelist to Gentiles

In front of many people gathered in the home, Peter explained God’s heart for them and for all Gentiles:

You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile;  but God has shown me that I should not call anyone unholy or unclean.  So when I was sent for, I came without objection.”

“I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.

“You know the message He sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Messiah Yeshua — He is Lord of all.”   (Acts 10:34-37)

Peter also shared how he personally ate with Yeshua after His death and resurrection, telling them that  “everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”  (verse 43)

As Peter was talking, the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius and the others just as it fell on Peter and the other disciples on Pentecost (Shavuot), and they began speaking in other tongues.

The Minds of the Jewish Believers are Renewed

Before Peter’s eyes, God presented irrefutable evidence to counter his lifelong misunderstanding that Jews were better than non-Jews (Gentiles).

That evidence along with the testimony of six witnesses who were with Peter (Acts 11:12) changed the mindset of other Jewish Believers as well.

Peter shared his entire experience with the Jewish Believers and Apostles in Jerusalem, saying:

“If then God gave them the same gift that He gave us when we believed in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah who was I that I could hinder God?

“When they heard this, they were silenced.  And they praised God, saying,

“Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”  (Acts 11:17-18)

So why did God arrange this extravagant event with Peter, Cornelius and the Jewish Believers in Jerusalem?

It was to fulfill His plan that the whole world hear the Good News!

GO into ALL the nations making disciples.  (Mathew 28:19)

Here at Bibles For Israel, for each Jewish person who receives our Messianic Prophecy Bible, 100 or more Gentiles who will probably also read it.

Just as God used Peter, He can use you today to help us fulfill God’s plan to reach both Jew and Gentile in these Last Days before Yeshua returns!

The post Renewing the Mind of Peter and the Apostles appeared first on Messianic Bible.

“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.”  (Matthew 24:12)

Yeshua (Jesus) prophesied that in the last days lawlessness and wickedness would increase and because of that people’s hearts would grow cold.

We live in a time that sets legal precedents for legitimizing sin, turning whole nations and cultures away from God’s most basic teachings.

Sadly, in many cases today, the concept of justice has been perverted in an attempt to defend the so-called rights of all groups against God’s commandments as set down in His Torah.

This is certainly a time in which the love of many is growing cold.

The Hebrew prophet Amos, whose writings are included in the Tanakh’s (Old Testament) Trei Asar (The Twelve / minor prophets), also lived in such an age.

His warnings to Israel and the surrounding nations still ring true and carry the same urgency in our time.

Just as Israel, Judah and the surrounding nations were not able to escape the judgment that their actions brought against them, so the actions of Israel and the nations today are weighed in the balance.

Although Israel today is a sign and a wonder, even this tiny nation, which is such a blessing to the world, has also fallen into the trap of accepting “modern” values that deny the basic tenets set down by the Creator of the Universe.

Prosperity and Decadence in the Holy Land

The Bible states that Amos prophesied “two years before the earthquake,” which was roughly halfway through the eighth century BC.

Amos lived at the same time as the prophet Hosea.  Both were active during the reign of Jeroboam II, king of the 10 northern tribes of Israel, and Uzziah, king of Judah.

During the first half of the 8th century BC, Jeroboam was able to extend the borders of his nation, and his government prospered, receiving much tribute from his conquered territories.  Uzziah’s reign was marked by peace and prosperity as well.

But despite the success and material prosperity of the Northern Kingdom, moral decay ran rampant, and the hearts of many were cold.  The affluent of Israel were focused on themselves and not on caring for one another.  They were more concerned with acquiring wealth than with living righteously.

The Book of Amos describes an arrogant, hypocritical, immoral people who sold the needy, oppressed the poor, took advantage of the helpless, charged exorbitant rents, and gained profits dishonestly.  Even the prophets prophesied for money.

Israel had become a nation in which the life of the poor was considered cheap while the rich lounged about eating the best food, listening to music and getting drunk.  They thought only of themselves with little concern for the nation as a whole.

Although they kept the festivals and the Sabbath, they did so grudgingly and out of obligation.

Amos chastised the people who brought sacrifices and worshiped God without repenting:

“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me.  Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them.  Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them.  Away with the noise of your songs!  I will not listen to the music of your harps.”  (Amos 5:21–23)

God is unmoved by our holy feasts and celebrations when they are practiced without turning to Him.

Each of us can examine ourselves in light of these verses; we need to check our hearts to make sure that our actions have not become routine repetitions of well-known praise songs and dances and our holy days just holidays.

The age of Amos was a time of corruption and the degeneration of moral values.

In the North, temples were built on high places containing every form of idol, including the Golden Calves that the first King Jeroboam had set up to draw the people away from the Beit HaMikdash, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

As these practices grew, the teachings of the Torah were increasingly treated with contempt.

One might see a parallel situation in the way that people today, both in Israel and abroad, have come to worship material pleasures, cultural icons and false religions, which largely disregard the morals and beliefs set down in the Torah.

God continually attempted to combat this trend by sending His prophets to the people with admonitions.  But their warnings, for the most part, went unheeded.

The Prophet Amos Values the Poor and Needy

“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”  (Amos 5:24)

To turn Israel back to Himself, Adonai uproots a shepherd-farmer from Judah and sends him to Israel.

Amos is a quiet and humble man who does not want to be associated with the professional prophets who served the kings at that time.

“Amos answered Amaziah, ‘I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.’”  (Amos 7:14)

Amos warns the northern tribes of Israel that they will be judged for their disregard of God’s Word and His laws, as well as for their sexual offenses and indifference to the needs of the poor — the evyonim (those in need).

We see this word used elsewhere in Scripture:

• In Exodus 23:11, this same word refers to those who lack food.
• In Isaiah 41:17, it refers to those who lack water.
• In Job 31:19, it refers to those who are in need of clothing.

Amos tells Israel that the evyonim are being “crushed” (4:1) and over-taxed (5:11).

Amos also uses other terms for the poor and needy.  He speaks of the anavim (lowly ones) (8:4) — those who are afflicted and vulnerable. Isaiah (61:1) describes them as meek or humble.

Amos rails against the exploitation of the dallim (poor, have nots).

In his description of the gap between the rich and the poor in the Northern Kingdom, this word is used.  They are forced into debt through borrowing at exorbitant rates to hold on to their land, leading to debt slavery.

Those who prosper are said to have done so through the use of crooked, deceitful scales (ul’avet mozenei mirma) (8:5).  Bribes are used to subvert justice (5:12).

Amos encourages mishpat (correct judgment or being judged for one’s acts) and tzedakah (righteousness), emphasizing the requirement to act rightly and in accordance with God’s Word.

He warns the rich that they would not be able to enjoy their riches for much longer because judgment is coming upon Israel:

“Seek good, not evil, that you may live.  Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say He is.  Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts.  Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.”  (5:14–15) 

Amos appears before the people as they are sacrificing to their Golden Calf at the special temple set up by King Jeroboam I and announces God’s intention to punish Israel.

This angers the crowd and Amaziah, the priest, incites the people against him.  But Jeroboam protects him.

Amaziah ridicules Amos, telling him to go to Judah where he would be more accepted as a prophet.  Amos replies that he is neither a prophet nor the son of one but a simple man sent by God to warn the people (7:10–15).

Nevertheless, Amos is forced to leave the Northern Kingdom and return to his home in Tekoa in the Southern Kingdom of Judah.

This expulsion prompts Amos to write down his message, the first of the prophets to do so.  (Jewish Encyclopedia)

God’s Judgment and Mercy for All

Amos predicts that God will ultimately sift the people of Israel “among all the nations, as grain is shaken in a sieve” (9:9) and only the righteous will survive.

Note that this sifting is not restricted to those living in Israel but also those “among all the nations.”

Amos also warns those who long for the Day of the Lord: “Why do you long for the day of the Lord?  That day will be darkness, not light.  It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear.”  (5:18–19)

While the Book of Amos is primarily a book of judgment, it ends with God’s mercy and the promise that the Jewish People will be returned to their land never to be rooted out again:

“‘They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.  They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.  I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,’ says the Lord your God.”  (9:14–15)

So, on the one hand, we have Amos’ promise of the restoration of the Land of Israel, but on the other hand we have his warnings which are still relevant today — both for those living abroad as well as for those living in the Land.

Those days of prosperity, at least in the Northern Kingdom, made it possible for some to live extravagant lives while ignoring many of the great concepts and commandments of the Jewish Law that taught the people to practice justice and loving kindness.

We see the same situation in many nations today, and they are not immune to judgment.

Amos’ warnings extend beyond the borders of the Holy Land.

We know this is true because the Book of Amos describes God as having concern for the nations: “‘Are not you Israelites the same to me as the Cushites?’ declares the Lord.  ‘Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?’”  (9:7)

God is not only the God of Israel; He is also the God of the entire universe.

He cares for all people everywhere, and He sees the oppressed and needy wherever they are, not just in Israel.

Amos reveals that there are dire consequence for failing to care for the poor, orphans, and widows.

When we ignore those in need, our pious displays become meaningless.

We cannot turn a blind eye to the needs of others, placing a priority on prayer services over serving Him in practical ways.  Both are essential.

If we are truly in relationship with Him, it will be expressed also in our relationships with each other and our attitudes toward those who have less than ourselves.

God desires justice and yet, today, despite humankind’s knowledge and advancements, injustice is everywhere.  So as Believers we have much to do.

In a world in which one child dies of malnutrition every six seconds, and refugees are fleeing for their safety, Amos’ prophecies have special relevance.

This Hebrew prophet points us to the place where worshiping Adonai and the formation of a caring, loving community intersect and result in appropriate outreach to the needy and the oppressed wherever they are found.

The post The Hebrew Prophet Amos: Prophetic Warnings for Our Time‏ appeared first on Messianic Bible.

Ki Tavo (When You Enter)
Deuteronomy 26:1–29:9 (8); Isaiah 60:1–22; Luke 23:26–56

“When you have entered [ki tavo] the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance … take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket.  Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for His name.”  (Deuteronomy 26:1–2)

Last week, in Parasha Ki Tetze, God gave to the Israelites 74 of the 613 commandments found in the Torah—far more than any other Torah portion.

These laws mostly seem to be concerned with protecting the weaker members of society and include the laws of the beautiful captive, paying workers in a timely fashion, and leaving a portion of the harvest in the field for the widow, the fatherless and the stranger.

This week, in Parasha Ki Tavo (When You Enter), God instructs Israel to bring the first-ripened fruits (bikkurim) to the Temple in Jerusalem once the Israelites have finally entered the Land He promised to them.

It must have been a relief for the children of Israel to hear that their prolonged, 40-year journey through the terrible wilderness would finally be coming to an end.  They were about to cross over into the Promised Land.

In fact, the word in Hebrew for a Hebrew, Ivri, comes from the root I-V-R, which means to cross over.  In a spiritual sense, anyone who has crossed over into the Kingdom of God is an Ivri.

For that reason, perhaps, Paul said that being a Jew is a matter of having a circumcised heart more than circumcised flesh.  He wasn’t negating circumcision by any means; he was emphasizing that to cross over into the Kingdom of God, there must be an inward change.  Those who worship God, worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

“But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.”  (Romans 2:29)

The wilderness experience was so challenging and defining that future rabbinic texts consider any physical or spiritual desert as an enemy to be overcome.  Our challenge is to walk through the times of wilderness in our lives and be transformed so that we can enter the Promised Land.

Ki Tavo opens with the promise that obedience to God will be rewarded.  These rewards include Divine protection, prosperity and blessings on families and future generations.

Disobedience and rebellion against God, however, result in punishment, and the Word of God lists 98 chilling admonitions that take up half of the Parasha.  These include diseases and plagues, poverty and famine, slavery, and defeat by enemies.

For this reason, Parasha Ki Tavo has been called “the warning chapter,” and the Torah reader, who traditionally chants the Torah portion according to a sing-song pattern, instead rushes through the recital of dreaded curses in a hushed, fearful tone.

We don’t need to look far to see that the Jewish people have been blessed by the Almighty God as He promised; but they have also done more than their fair share of suffering over the centuries due to the curses of the law that come into play because of sin (Deuteronomy 28:15–68).

Teviah, the father in the movie Fiddler on the Roof, expressed this sentiment so humorously when talking to God after his horse became lame just before the Sabbath: “God, I know that we are Your chosen people, but … couldn’t You choose someone else for a change?”

There are some who follow Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah), but believe that it is our lot in life to suffer from these curses along with the rest of the world; however, the Word of God tells us differently.

As covenant children of God, we are to enjoy His blessings on our lives if we are walking in obedience to His commandments.

“But Messiah has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law.  When He was hung on the cross, He took upon Himself the curse for our wrongdoing.”  (Galatians 3:13) 

Being a Blessing

One of the first acts of obedience that the Lord asks of His people is to remove the firstfruits of our increase, our tithe, the sacred portion—and to give it to those who serve the Lord, as well as to the poor.

“Then say to the LORD your God: ‘I have removed from My house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all You commanded.’”  (Deuteronomy 26:13)

If we are not obeying this command, then we have little Biblical basis on which to expect God’s blessings on our finances.

God promises that if we obey Him in giving our tithe, He will rebuke the devourer for our sakes and bless our finances.

“Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes, says the LORD of hosts.”  (Malachi 3:10)

But the reverse holds true as well: if we fail to give to God the “hallowed portion” of our income, then we are breaking covenant by “robbing God.”  When we fail to tithe, we come under a curse and give the devourer free rein to work havoc and destroy our finances.

While Yeshua has removed from us the curse of the law, He has not removed from us the obligation to follow His example by living a holy life.  When we understand that we are walking in sin in some area, we are to repent and return to Him.

By giving our tithe—the holy (kadosh) portion of our income—removing it from our possession, we return to God in so many ways and He returns to us.

“Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty.  “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’  Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.  But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’  In tithes and offerings.  You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing Me.”  (Malachi 3:7–9)

In Judaism, the giving of tzedakah (charity) is considered such an important mitzvah (commandment) that if someone does not fulfill this law, their lineage actually becomes suspect.

Giving to the poor is an obligation in Judaism, a duty that cannot be forsaken even by those who themselves are in need.  Some sages have said that tzedakah is the highest of all commandments, equal to all of them combined and that a person who does not perform tzedakah is equivalent to an idol worshiper.

This principle is affirmed also in the Brit Chadashah (New Testament), which emphasizes that if we don’t give when we see a brother in material need, it is doubtful that the love of God truly dwells within us.

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”  (1 John 3:17)

Of course, the Lord rewards compassion and generosity.  He promises that when we give to the poor and needy, the widows and orphans, He will pay us back for what we have given.

“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his deed.”  (Proverbs 19:17)

A Treasured Possession

“And the LORD has declared this day that you are His people, His treasured possession as He promised, and that you are to keep all His commands.  He has declared that He will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations He has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as He promised.”  (Deuteronomy 26:18–19)

The Lord promises Israel in this Parasha that if they keep His commandments, they will be “His treasured possession.”  This promise is also found in Exodus:

“Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession.  Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation [mamlechet cohanim v’am kadosh].”  (Exodus 19:5–6)

And although they have experienced many curses over the generations, in the Haftarah (Prophetic Portion), the prophet Isaiah tells Israel that God in His favor and mercy will one day exalt them even in the midst of much persecution and hatred against them:

“Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you majestic forever, a joy from age to age.”  (Isaiah 60:15)

In the Brit Chadashah, all followers of Yeshua are called God’s special people.  Because of our covenant with the Almighty God through the blood of Yeshua, both Jew and Gentile together can know that they are God’s most treasured possession.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”  (1 Peter 2:9)

In Hebrew, the word for special treasure is segulah (סגולה).  The color purple in Hebrew is sagol (סגול), a word that comes from the same root letters.  Why?  Purple is the color of royalty!

As the Lord’s segulah, we are clothed in sagol—the color of royalty.  We are children of the King and He is our Father.  He values and treasures us.  There is no need to search for external or superficial qualifications.  This is simply our identity in the Messiah! 

We might look at ourselves and say, I don’t look much like a treasure; I’m too short or too tall, too fat or too thin, not pretty or smart enough to be a treasure.

We might check in with our emotions and say, I don’t feel that I qualify to be called a treasure of God; I have so many faults and weaknesses—I need to work on keeping my temper; I’m not yet disciplined enough; I don’t witness enough—whatever we perceive to be our weakness.

But as the apostle Paul says, we are to put no confidence in the attributes of our flesh (Philippians 3:3).  Certainly, if anyone could have qualified as a treasure by the certificates on his wall and trophies on his desk, it would have been the apostle Paul, who described himself in this way:

“… circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.”  (Philippians 3:5–6)

He considered himself without fault in the flesh and in his keeping of the Torah, and yet he put no value on all of these external qualifications.  Instead, he put his trust in the person of the Messiah:

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Messiah.  What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Messiah Yeshua Adonai (my Lord), for whose sake I have lost all things …

“I consider them garbage, that I may gain Messiah and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Messiah—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”  (Philippians 3:7–9)

Although Paul continued to keep the law perfectly, he understood that his faultless performance was not to be compared to the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

And while our own performance may not be as flawless as Paul’s, we must accept by faith that if we are empowered to walk in His ways by His Spirit, and are obedient, then we are in truth, His special treasure.

Despite our faults, weaknesses and imperfections, the Lord loves and values us, and we can say, “I am royalty—a child of the King of Kings—the segulah of the Lord—a precious treasure!”

He values us because we are His covenant children and are each created in His image and likeness.  A spark of His divine Shechinah glory is within us.

If we have a $100 bill and it accidentally drops on the ground, getting soiled, stepped on, crumpled and bent—is it worth any less than $100?  No, it retains its value.

So too is it with us.  Many of us, however, do not understand our value.

Some of us have not always been treated like a treasure.  Perhaps parents, schoolmates, spouses, or fellow Believers have not treated us with honor and respect.  We may have even been abused or mistreated terribly by people, as if we are someone inconsequential.

But God does not see us this way.  Even if we have been broken; even if our heart has been torn in two or our whole life shattered, we are still a beautiful treasure to the Lord—“a crown of beauty and a royal diadem in the hand of our God.”  (Isaiah 62:3)

How do we treat treasures?  We put them in special places and guard them jealously, keeping them in a safe, secure place.  Can we even fathom the grief and wrath that God feels when someone messes with His segulah?

We need to leave these injustices and hurts in the hands of the Lord who says He will vindicate us.  Our only choice is to forgive those who have hurt and mistreated us.

If we don’t see ourselves as valuable and worthy of respect, then we will project this to others and they will often treat us as such.  Or our perception of how others treat us can prevent us from moving forward in God’s promises.  For instance, when the Israelites saw themselves as grasshoppers, they thought that the giants in Canaan did as well!

But when we begin to value and respect ourselves, (in a balanced and Godly way), we will find more and more that the people in our lives also begin to value and esteem us as well.

Part of our healing and recovery is the transformation in the way we see ourselves—knowing our identity in the Messiah as righteous, whole, precious, valuable.  We receive these precious attributes only through His Divine Covenant.

Let us enter into everything that God has for us—our freedom from condemnation, the freedom from the curses, the joy unspeakable, and the peace that passes all understanding.

All these and more have been given to us through the New Covenant, bought with the precious blood of the sinless Lamb of God, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah)!

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