Off to the Races on Christmas Day

CHANUKAH

e    Chanukah Celebration We will be celebrating Chanukah slightly early this year, this Friday night the 20th of December. Our final meeting for 2019. We will remember what God has done. Please invite your friends. “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12) Shalom Friends, As we will be celebrating Chanukah soon, I thought it would be good to do a little study on this festival. We first read about Chanukah in John 10:22-39, where we see that Yeshua celebrated Chanukah. The feast is not mentioned in the Older Testament, for it, was instituted by Judah Maccabee in 164 B.C.E. It marks the rededication (chanukah) of the temple, after it had been defiled by Antiochus Epiphanes, when pigs were sacrificed on the temple’s altar. We note that this feast celebrates the deliverance from evil and a dedication to God. John 10:22-24 “At that time the Feast of Dedication (Chanukah) took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Yeshua was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.” I find the way that John records this rather interesting, for Chanukah is always in winter and Solomon’s colonnade was a part of the temple which was only in Jerusalem. Why does John emphasise the fact that it is winter and that Yeshua is in the temple, and specifically in Solomon’s colonnade? I believe he highlights that it is winter in order to emphasize that Yeshua is the Light of the world (John 1:9; John 8:12; John 9:5). This feast is also called the Festival of Lights for in each Jewish home, then and now, candles are lit. Today we use a special 9-branched menorah on each of the eight nights of Chanukah. Light and darkness are recurring themes in John’s Gospel, as he compares Yeshua as the Light, in contrast to the darkness of unbelief. This comes out plainly in John 10:24 “So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Yeshua had demonstrated that He was the Messiah and had told them plainly time and time again, yet most of the Jews,(John means the Jewish leadership), did not believe Him. Sadly this is still true today. The majority of Jewish people do not believe. And that is why we pray that God may open their eyes and that they may turn to the Light. We, like John the baptist, need to be witnesses to the true light, Yeshua, who can gives light to everyone who believes. Now the location comes into play. It is interesting that they are in Solomon’s Colonnade, given the name Solomon means “peace” or “man of peace.” And here is the Prince of Peace before them. After the Maccabees had cleansed the Temple they removed the defiled altar. While the story recorded in 1 Maccabees 4 is not part of the Biblical story, it does tell us about the history. In 1 Maccabees 4:43-47 we see that “they cleansed the sanctuary and removed the defiled stones to an unclean place. They deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt offering, which had been profaned. And they thought it best to tear it down, lest it bring reproach upon them, for the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar, and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple mount until there should come a prophet to tell what to do with them. Then they took unhewn stones, as the law directs, and built a new altar like the former one.” They were waiting for a prophet to tell them what to do with the defiled stones and now walking amongst them was Yeshua, the Prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-18). We who are in Messiah are compared to living stones. 1 Peter 2:5 says “you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua.” You and I are now dedicated by Yeshua to serve in holiness in His Temple because He has cleansed and purified us. In Acts 3:1-11 we read that Peter and Paul healed a lame man while walking in Solomon’s colonnade. Also, the early believers met in Solomon's colonnade (Acts 5:12). This is where they started to spread the True Light to the world. Similarly, we should let our light shine before men, and that is a serious challenge. The Jewish leaders asked Yeshua if He was the Messiah. Will you help in sharing the Gospel to the Jewish people? Please pray that we are walking in the Light of the Lord, so that the things we plan, and that we may have His seal of approval. Shalom & Blessings in Messiah Yeshua, the True Light Paul   Previous sermons recorded at Brit Chadashah Next Meeting:  Paul will be teaching on Chanukah this Friday the 20th of December We will be meeting at our venue at 32 Horace Street St Ives at 7:30 pm. Please don't bring something to eat for after the discussion. We are being blessed with catering for the evening! Thank you again to all who support our ministry in prayer and financially, electronically or directly at our meetings. May the LORD bless you all for your generosity.     Donate Looking forward to seeing you all. Blessings Harry and Paul  www.BritChadashah.com.au www.celebratemessiah.com.au m +61 423967184 e  Harry@celebratemessiah.com.au

SILENCES

Shalom Valentin We praise God We praise the Lord for an excellent fund raising dinner for the new Messianic Centre in Melbourne on Friday evening. This wonderful opportunity to reach out to His people will be finished well before the end of next year. Prayer Requests A special request for comfort and prayer for Rita Ivenskis family and friends and for Celebrate Messiah’s whole Russian Ministry. Rita was talking in front of 200 people at the Melbourne Simcha on Saturday when she said “I feel like the Holy Spirit is upon me … I feel like I am going to fall”. She then collapsed and literally went to be with the Lord.   Upcoming Events: Chanukah Celebration We will be celebrating Chanukah slightly early this year, on Friday night the 20th of December our final meeting we will remember what God has done. Please invite your friends.   Silences Three extraordinary silences are recorded in this week’s parashah. They start right after the binding of Isaac (his near sacrifice), which is one of the most significant passages in Torah. Abraham was asked to sacrifice the promised and long awaited son, the son of the covenant. Because of that event we must ask ourselves what happened to Isaac after the near sacrifice? Please read the text Genesis 22-25 and you will see that as soon as the Angel of the LORD stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son, Isaac drops out of the picture completely. In Genesis 22:19 we read that “Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and they went together to Beer-Sheva; and Abraham dwelt at Beer- Sheva.” Abraham returned to the two servants without the son of promise, Isaac. From that moment on they walked apart. This is the first silence in our text. A second silence in connection with Isaac is after the death of his mother Sarah. In Judaism the mourning is traditionally led by the oldest son, however in Genesis 23 it is not Isaac but Abraham who makes all the arrangements for the burial. Isaac does not appear once in the chapter indicating that he was not there. In one Jewish tradition it is the near sacrifice that brings about the death of Sarah, as if to say that these two stories are intertwined and one caused the other. A third silence comes in chapter 24 where Abraham instructed his chief servant to find a wife for his son. Did Isaac know what Abraham had organised and did he even agree to have an arranged marriage? Since his brother Ishmael had taken a wife (s) from the local women, why would he not do the same? There is no verse indicating that Abraham checked in with his son or asked for his opinion. There is not even a hint in any verse that Abraham informed Isaac of the plan. These silences ‘speak loudly.’ It is only after the chief servant brings the woman, Rebecca,that we read about Isaac. Genesis 24:63 states that ‘he meditated’ שׂוח (shuach). The precise meaning of the word is unclear. Rashi says the word means ‘prayer,’ while Strack and Billerbeck think it means to ‘to wail’ or ‘lament.’ The same word is used twice in Psalm 55 in verses 2 and 17 where it means to ‘moan,’ while in Psalm 142:2 it is translated as ‘complain.’ These differences help us understand that the meditation was a prayer of lament. With this understanding Genesis 24:67 makes more sense, for there we read that Rebecca “became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” The pain caused by his near death experience, the death of his mother and the separation from his father now start to ease because his wife comforted him. These three silences help us frame the story. The near sacrifice, the death of his mother and the choice of a wife for him, all suggest a great separation between Isaac and his father, but once Isaac had Rebecca by his side a restoration took place. The biblical text also tells us that both Isaac and Ishmael stood together at Abraham’s grave (Genesis 25:9). This restoration foreshadows what is happening today between Jews and Arabs. Just as the near death of Isaac foreshadowed the death of Messiah, so too their reconciliation was not only foreshadowed but also accomplished by Messiah (2 Corinthians 5:18). One lesson I draw from all this is that silences are ok. Let the comforter (John 14:26) comfort us and let us be like Isaac. Let us meditate and pour out a lament before the Lord about those things in our life that seem to have died so that He might restore all things. Shalom in Yeshua’s grace Paul   Recordings of Previous Sermons

Psalm 19

Psalm 19: The Psalm Declaration 1.                For the choir director, a Psalm of David. The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the works[1] of His hands. 2                 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3                 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4                 Their voices[2] have gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, 5                 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6                 Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. 7                 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8                 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9                 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. 10               They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11               Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. 12               Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13               Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. 14               Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. Introduction In this Psalm, we note two distinct movements, verses 1-6 focus on the glory of God as seen in His creation of the Heavens. In the second movement David changes and reveals the blessings of understanding God’s Torah. We can see these two movements also by observing that the Name of ‘God’ is not used in the first poem (verses 1-6) while and in the second (verses 7-14) the Name of God “LORD” is used seven times, the two movements are almost two distinct Psalms smashed together. In this Psalm, David goes from the creation (Heavens) the ‘general revelation’ given to all mankind to the ‘specific revelation’ i.e. God’s Word which is followed by his response. As a song it was sung in the Tabernacle / Temple and even throughout history many hymns have been written with this psalm as it foundation, amongst the more famous is “The heavens declare thy glory, Lord” by Isaac Watts. The famous author C. S. Lewis in his “Reflections on the Psalms” (1958 page 63), wrote: “Psalm 19 is the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.” As such it is right that we too should sing this, make a melody to the Lord and sing these words. Outline This psalm has a three-fold division, The Heavens Declare in (verses 1-6) The Words of the Lord Reveal (verses 7-10) David’s Response (verses 11-14) Psalm (verse 1 or the superscript) As indicated in a previous study on the Psalms the superscripts in the book of Psalms are part of scripture, and so here we have a מִזְמ֥וֹר (mitzmor) Song which was to be accompanied by musical instruments from king David, who passed it on to the ‘choir director’ other translations have overseer or superintendent this person would look after the liturgical worship in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple(s) and ensure it was sung in the right way. The Heavens Declare (verses 1-6) Hebrew poetry In Biblical Hebrew poetry we do not see rhyme and rhythm but ideas that are expressed in a new or different way. For example in this psalm we see 1. Heavens declare 2. Firmament shows                                       3. Tabernacle for the sun And 1. Day to Day brings forth speech                    2. Night to night shows knowledge This style of poetry helps us in remembering the central ideas that David is trying to communicate with us. Insights to the Hebrew text The heavens tell or declare God’s glory, ‘to tell’ here is the Hebrew: סֵפֶר (sepher) to record as if it is written on a scroll, an inscription from God to mankind (Psalm 75:1; Job 12:8). The expanse (firmament) ‘declares’ His handiwork in creation from the Hebrew: מַגִּ֥יד (magid), to tell as a story (Psalm 111:6; Micah 6:8). Day after day they pour they utter speech אֹ֑מֶר (omer) (Psalm 78:2; 145:7) and Night after night it is they that reveal or show יְחַוֶּה (ye’chaveh) to make known the declaration (Job 15:17; 32:6, 10, 17; 36:2) as if to say This is my work, this is my creation, in the hope that mankind might respond to Him. He draws our attention from the Heavens to the sun in verse 4 which is compared first to the bridegroom exiting the wedding chamber and then to a mighty man of valour גִבּ֗וֹר (gibor). In both these images, there is a sense of youthful energy and strength. David says I hear and see the evidence of God’s revelation in the heavens there is abundant evidence for Him. Like Psalm 8:3 “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers….”, we too see the evidence and pondering the heavens, their size, motion, complexity and beauty we ought to be able to see that there is a Creator, knowing there is a Creator should lead us to seek the specific revelation He gives. The Words of the Lord Reveal (verses 7-10) The Six Descriptions of Torah Here David uses six words in connection with God’s special revelation and with each he gives a single description and then a short reflection: The Torah  תּ֘וֹרַ֤ת (torat) of the Lord is perfect, knowing and applying it can bring restoration to the soul. The Testimony עֵד֥וּת (edut) of God is sure, knowing and applying them will make one wise even if one is simple. The Precepts פִּקּ֘וּדֵ֤י (pikkudei) of the Lord are right, knowing and applying them will cause our heart to rejoice. The Commandments מִצְוַ֥ת (mitzvot) of God, are pure, knowing and applying them will bring enlightenment to our eyes. The Fear יִרְאַ֤ת (ye-rat), will bring clean living which should be enduring forever. The Judgements מִֽשְׁפְּטֵי־ (mish’pe’te) of God are true; they are righteous altogether. The word ‘Torah’ and the other five terms here in this Psalm and many other Psalms should be seen as ‘God’s teaching and instruction’. They should not be limited to the legal requirements of God’s Levitical laws and commandments. An additional thought to remember is that at the time when David wrote this, only the Torah (and perhaps Job) was revealed, today we have the entire revelation, the Word of God: from Genesis to Revelation. These are here for us, that we may apply them, they are an encouragement that we may obey and be trained in doing what is right. As a teacher of Scripture looking at this section I see an outline for a mini-sermon, Six Key-words, plus for each a thought, and with their application. Verse 10 is a summary statement that the Torah in all its aspects is a great prize; obeying it brings that sweet enjoyment, (Psalms 119:72, 103, 127). The droppings of the honeycomb is considered the purest virgin honey and so parallels the fine gold metaphor. David reflects on the Words of the Lord that have been revealed and acknowledges that they are a warning to him, and this is true for us also. And keeping the instructions and teachings of God will bring reward; note this is a general principle. Many believers in Messiah have and are suffering greatly, they have gone hungry and are being martyred many of the saints in the past and today have not received a great physical reward; here on earth during their life even though they kept the Laws, Statutes and Commandments of the LORD. What I do believe is that in the age to come; in the Messianic Kingdom, we all will receive our just reward from God.   David’s Response (verses 11-14) Knowing the Torah has not only benefits but also consequences, one of the purposes for the Torah is to expose sins in the life of the believer (Romans 7:7 see also Romans 5:20). Three words are used to describe sins: “errors”, “hidden faults” and “presumptuous sins”. This reflection by David on Torah leads David to acknowledge his great sinfulness and as such he prays for God’s guidance. Not only does David pray: LORD cleanse me from all my errors, from things that I have kept secret from You, and from my arrogant boastful iniquities but be my Help, so that they will not have dominion over me (Psalm 119:133) restrain my life and I can be without fault. Careful reading here reveals it is not in Keeping Torah, but in his request for the Lord to hold him back from sin that David will be found blameless, and innocent of great transgression. The phrase ‘hidden faults’ is in contrast to the heat from the sun, (verse 6) from which nothing can be hidden, how much more so with God, for nothing is hidden from His sight (Hebrews 4:13). David prays even from my hidden faults, my unintentional and unknown sins of which I am not aware declare me innocent. David now uses the highest accolade a person can receive “servant”, the servant of God or the Servant of the Lord is a title we should all strive for, this title was used for Messiah (Isaiah 53), Abraham (Genesis 26:24), Moses (Numbers 12:8) and Joshua (Judges 2:8) and David (2 Samuel 7:5-8) and a few others. David now concludes in verse 14 let my prayer and my ponderings be acceptable with you Lord, to be acceptable is an expression borrowed from the laws of sacrifice (Leviticus 1:3-4 compared to Leviticus 22:20). It seemed not just today but even back then prayers were likened to a ‘spiritual’ offering (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 5:8 & 8:3-4). This is followed by the description of God as Rock צוּרִ֥י (tzuri) and my Redeemer גֹאֲלִֽי (go’ali), the KJV has my strength instead of my Rock, this interpretive reflection applies one meaning of the rock. David acknowledges the LORD as the Rock in the previous Psalm (Psalm 18:2, 31, 46) it not only reflects God as the strong one, but this title reflects God as the mighty Saviour (2 Samuel 22:32 and Psalm 18:31) and in true Hebrew poetry a second title the Redeemer גֹאֲלִֽ (goel) clarifies the first. This title was applied to Messiah (Job 19:25 and Isaiah 41:14) this was a person who had to be a (close) relative; he had to be able to redeem; was willing to redeem and was able to pay the price for the redemption. Summary: The Psalm Declaration What we saw is that God gave two revelations, one general the heavens and the sun and one specific revelation the Word of the Lord, both help us to know there is a God and both ought to be examined so that together with David we can make the response: O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Selah. Paul Cohen [1]  Some Hebrew manuscripts and the Targum indicate a plural construction form, ‘works’. [2] The Hebrew word in the Masoretic Text is the word קַוָּ֗ם; (kavam)‘line’, by contrast the Septuagint and the Vulgate as well as the modern translation of Robert Alter have ‘voices’ קוֹלָֽם (kolam) believing that a ל lamed was lost, in light of this verse and the previous verse this would appear to be so, as such I have used  voices, see the footnote in the ‘Word Biblical Commentary’, Vol. 19, Psalms 1-50, by Peter C. Craigie (1983) p. 178.