Reading and awesome book published by Zondervan. I highly recommend it: INTRODUCTION TO MESSIANIC JUDAISM
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Matthew 6:33
Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. There are two main ways the Father uses our finances to teach us: He either withholds them, or punishes us with abundance. On the second month of their exodus the children of Israel complained about their manna diet. They wanted fresh meat. Our fathers‘ desire for meat made them complain about their blessed situation and look back at Egypt with nostalgia (Exodus 16:3). A year later they did it again (Numbers 11:4) and this time the Father from whom all blessings flow did not take too kindly to it and he addressed the issue by punishing them with abundance. Abundance is not always a sign of God‘s blessing and approval. Abundance has a tendency to steal our hearts from God. In abundance we spend foolishly, become preoccupied with the things of the world, and find it difficult to dedicate to God in the same proportions as we did before. Avarice and greed are quick to follow and a society that has too much usually becomes fat, lazy, selfish, and insensitive to the needs of others. It seems easier to emanate godliness when things are lean. Maybe that is why many of God‘s children are blessed with leanness. Whether we live in leanness or abundance, we should never complain. The apostle Paul was a good example of this. When addressing his own situation he said, "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content" (Philippians 4:11). He also taught his disciples to be content with the basics of food and raiment (1Timothy 1:6); housing is not even in the deal. James, the brother of the Master did not hold too much respect for wealth either (James 5:1–6) and the Master himself encouraged us to not worry about our food and raiment but to busy ourselves with the affairs of the Kingdom (Matthew 6:31–34). May we learn from this lesson from our fathers in the desert and realize that abundance can be a punishment as much as poverty. Poverty usually drives us to desperation and to Hashem; abundance steals our hearts away from he who is the Fountain of everlasting life. May we not grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer, but remember that these things happened to them as an example, that they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come (1 Corinthians 10:10–11) . May we pray the wise prayer from King Solomon, Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, "Who is ADONAI?" or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:8–9). P. Gabriel Lumbroso 1 Corinthians 10:11 Sivan12/ בסיבן יב
These things happened to them as an example . . . were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. It seems that few things exacerbate the Father more than his people griping and complaining. He can freely set before us the best food ever concocted in the kitchens of heaven, but we will still complain and would rather have the dainties brought by slavery. And why do we complain? There is really nothing wrong with the food Hashem gives us except that, it is not what we want. Woe unto us and to our evil inclination! This tendency to complain and always wanting more was the basic lusting nature behind the sin in the Garden of Eden. We always seem to want what Hashem in his goodness and wisdom withholds from us, and like today’s manufacturers of goods, the devil is always happy to oblige. The worst of it is that today’s worldly merchants know about our natural bend to whine and gripe and they constantly play on it in order to make a profit. They constantly tell people, “Aren’t you tired of this or that, behold I have the solution that will help you not to have work so hard, be more comfortable, or here is the food that will delight your palate, all for only $ . . . ! How can you live without it?” They make a profit and feed on our complaining nature. It is so easy to look at the children of Israel in the desert and wonder how they could complain so much, but in reality, we complain as much as they do and about the same things. Food, hard work, leadership, and the sometimes-monotonous daily grind of life seem to be our main areas of complaint. We feel that the way God does things is not good enough. We must improve on his plan for us and make every decision in our lives from the color and consistency of our hair to whether or not to have children. We even want to decide the day of our death and call it Death with Dignity as if Hashem was not able to do that for us. We always think that we deserve more than the simple life our Father would have us live according to his will, so we enslave ourselves to another master: the Master Card! But Yeshua told us that we cannot serve two masters, that we cannot serve God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24, KJV). The area of complaint that seems the most destructive in the congregational body of Messiah seems to be each other. Whereas we complain about having to put up with others, we seem to forget that also others have to put up with us. We always feel that people should have learned certain lessons by now so we show ourselves intolerant and impatient. We forget that in the Father’s eyes, we probably should be a bit more advanced ourselves in our spiritual growth and that we only exist by the mercy of his great compassion. May we learn from the lessons of the children of Israel in the desert and realize that these things happened to them as an example. They were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come (1 Corinthians 10:11). P. Gabriel Lumbroso Matthew 18:21–22
Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? . . . Yeshua said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. As they were leaving Egypt, God gave Israel commands concerning their lives in their Land. One of them was to celebrate the Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:19). If this command was already given in Exodus and in Leviticus 23, why is it repeated in Numbers (Numbers 9:1–5)? The distance from Mt. Horeb to the borders of Israel is not great and at the times of Numbers, the children of Israel should already have been in the Land. The problem was that they were delayed at least three months by the golden calf incident. The Torah allows second chances. We may orchestrate the most elaborate fail-safe plan against sin, but life has a habit of throwing curve balls at us. In spite of our loftier dreams and ideals, at the end of the day, we have to deal with the reality on the ground, and it seems that Hashem is fully aware of it. In Numbers 9 we also have the case of a family who would miss the precious Passover celebration because of a death. In this case, Hashem again gives them the chance to celebrate Passover on the following month. This case foreshadowed Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. The two men cared for the Master’s body on the night of Passover 2,000 years ago so being ritually contaminated, they could not eat of the Passover lamb that year. It was a traditional belief with the early Jerusalem believers that the two men reclined at the Passover table on the second month of the year for what is called: Pesach Sheni: The Second Passover. It takes maturity and godliness to not be frustrated at the way things are compared to the way they should be. I know someone who when things do not work out the way he has dreamed he says, “It is what it is.” I think sometimes that Hashem looks at us with empathy and says, “It is what it is,” and then, he tries to give us a second chance. He tells us that we can celebrate the Passover in the desert instead of in the Land, or that we can celebrate it on the second month if reality kept us from doing it on the first. The whole idea of redemption and atonement is in fact about second chances. Again we stand in awe at the perfect Almighty God, creator of the universe, as he seems to be able to bend to the bare facts of our lives on earth. He proposes and offers us the great ideals of his Torah with the full knowledge of our imperfectness towards it and seems to say, "It is what it is." How much more then should we be able to bear with each other’s imperfection? How much patience and forgiveness and bending ability the Father has for each one of us should be the standard of ours towards others? The novice forgets about his own imperfections and looks at others condescendingly wondering how come they don’t toe the line better. The seasoned mature leader and disciple of the Master knows life, that “It is what it is,” and deals with it not according to his lofty dreams but according to the realities on the ground. May we learn from Hashem, the great Father who loves us so much that he gave us a second chance in his Messiah. May we also have the maturity to accord that second chance to those we meet in this life's journey. P. Gabriel Lumbroso Revelation 5:6
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. As we read into Moses’ Tabernacle assignments, we must never forget that what he was told to make was an earthly replica of what he saw on the Mount (Exodus 26:30). Looking at the tabernacle tells us what God’s throne room looks like. It actually does correspond to the throne room vision of all the prophets including that of John in the Book of Revelation. We read in the text of Aaron being in charge of the seven lights shining before the Almighty (Numbers 8:2; Exodus 25:37; 37:18–19, 23; 40:25). We are not directly told very much about the function and property of these lights, but studying the Torah in a thematic manner sheds some light (pun unintended) on the matter. These lamps are to burn continually before God (Leviticus 24:1–2) so In the Tabernacle, they are placed in the anteroom before the Holy of Holies. The apocryphal Book of Tobit tells us of the seven holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One (Tobit 12:15). In Enoch, another apocryphal book early believers were familiar with, we are given the names and functions of these angels (Enoch 20:1–8). These go in and go out Tobit says, just like the seven eyes in Zechariah’s vision that run to and fro through the whole earth (Zechariah 4:10). In the Book of Hebrews, it is revealed to us that he (Hashem) makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire (Hebrews 1:7). Finally, Zechariah tells us that these were like seven eyes in a stone (Zechariah 3:9). The stone is Yeshua (Psalms 118:22), the heavenly high priest who tends to the light, a function foreshadowed by Aaron in the Book of Leviticus (Hebrews 8–9; Leviticus 8:2). These angels/spirits/lights roam the earth and bring our prayers to God. An ancient tradition tells us that on Friday evenings, angels enter the home of God’s people and see how much priority they have given to the Sabbath. That is why we sing the famous Sabbath angel welcoming song, Shalom Aleichem . Whether that really happens or not, I do not know, but I do know that Hashem's looks at how we remember and set-aside his Sabbath. I also know that these seven angels go in and out before the glory of the Holy One roaming the earth. They are like God’s little spies. They come and look upon us and tell God what they saw, how we react to each other, how we carry our responsibilities as members of his Kingdom, as husbands, as wives, and as parents. They also report to him on the priority that we give to Torah study. Does this scare you? It shouldn’t unless you know in your heart that you have failed to prioritize your life according to Hashem’s commandments. Maybe it is time to take stock of things and start living a life Hashem can brag about even to the devil like he did Job (Job 1:8). We all could be older than we think; anyone of us could die tomorrow and miss a good chance at repentance in this realm. 1 Peter 1:14
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance. One of the laws of holiness, of the laws that set us apart from the world is, “Every one of you shall revere your mother and your father” (Leviticus 19:3). Reverence towards our parents sets us aside from the world so we should be seen honoring and revering our parents. This was the first commandment given with a conditional promise, that your days might be long in the land that Adonai your God is giving you (Exodus 20:12). There are two commandments with a longevity conditional clause, and they are both related to parenthood (Deuteronomy 22:7–8). Yes, to honor and reverence our parents is an integral law of the Kingdom of God; it will also be the rule of law in the world to come under the iron rule of Messiah when he reigns on earth. It is easy to direct such a commandment towards our Western generation of teenagers. The society we have created around them seems to teach them very little respect for their parents. Could it be though that we need to direct this command towards ourselves? How much honor and reverence do we have for our parents? To honor our parents in the terms of the Torah means to support them. Exodus 20:12 basically says, (my suggested interpretation) "you shall support your parents in their old age, not send them to a government institution to be taken care of by strangers whose sole interest is to get paid for the job." If caring for them and helping to feed and assist them cramps our style, we must remember that they allowed their style to be cramped in order to care for us in the same manner that they now need us. We must also remember that one day we shall be in a similar situation. Revering parents speaks of respect. It is understandable that some of us may have had abusive parents who seem unworthy of respect or even of the title but these are different situations that are outside of this commandment. Whereas our parents may not be respectable, our children should not hear negative feelings towards them out of our mouths. If they do, these same words will most certainly come back to us in their mouths because we are not perfect parents either. Forgiveness is not an option; it’s a commandment from the Master who himself followed Hashem’s commands to forgive by forgiving the abuse of his persecutors (Luke 19:18; Mark 11:25–26; Luke 23:24). Sad to say, in too many homes children hear their parents speak negatively, disparagingly, disrespectfully, or even mockingly about their older parents. We often think of teaching as speaking, and of learning as listening, and as a result many of us try to teach others by telling them how to live. This was not the way of the Master. Like the rabbis of the day, the Master taught by exemplifying the Torah, by living it and encouraging his disciples to follow his example. Paul was cradled in the same pedagogy and taught it (1 Corinthians 11:1). Teaching is by doing, and learning is by emulating. The way we react towards our parents is closely tied to the way we react to God. If we know how to trust our wiser parents, we will know how to trust the wiser leadership of the Master. P. Gabriel Lumbroso www.thelumbrosos.com For P. Gabriel Lumbroso's devotional UNDER THE FIG TREE in Kindle edition click here. John 3:14
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. When Jacob blessed his twelve sons, he told them each what would happen in the future. When it came to Dan, the old patriarch said, Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels so that his rider falls backward. For your salvation I wait for your salvation, Adonai. (Genesis 49:16–18) The text of the prophecy seems to be disjointed. The sages of Judaism commented on this and said, "Our forefather Jacob foresaw Samson and thought that he was the Messiah. But when he saw his death he exclaimed, ' For your salvation I wait for your salvation, Adonai.'" Samson was a descendant from the tribe of Dan and a Nazirite by birth. He is the fruit of a miraculous birth announced to his parents by an angel (Judges 13:3); his ways left his people wondering about him; he even lived outside of Israel with the Gentile Philistines for a while. He was a Nazirite but seemed to carelessly come in contact with what should be considered unclean to him. In the end, Samson vanquished the Philistines, the powerful enemy of Israel, by giving his life. Jacob was not out of his mind when he thought he saw Messiah in Samson. As iconoclastic as he was, Samson foreshadowed David's victory over Goliath. David did not die in battle giving his life, but he did spend some time living with the Philistines when he was in disfavor with Saul. Further down the messianic genealogies, Samson does foreshadow Messiah, Messiah whose miraculous birth was announced to his parents by an angel, who spent some time ministering outside of Israel, who took a nazirite vow before he died, and who gave his life defeating the enemy of our souls forever. What about the snake in the prophecy? Jacob may have seen how through Jeroboam, the tribe of Dan led the Northern Kingdom to idolatry and heresy. They even used the brazen snake Moses was asked to make in the desert (Numbers 21:9). Come to think of it, Yeshua also compared himself to that snake. As we look up to him raised on the wooden pole, we live (John 3:14). P. Gabriel Lumbroso www.thelumbrosos.com For P. Gabriel Lumbroso's devotional UNDER THE FIG TREE in Kindle edition click here. Act 2:3
And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. I would like you to stand with me now at Mt. Horeb. It has been fifty days now that Israel left Egypt. They have learned to trust Hashem for their deliverance from oppression, for their food, for their water, for their military might, and also to make a way for them though the wilderness and even through the sea if necessary. Now they are getting ready to meet the mighty one who did all this for them. For two days the children of Israel have been getting ready. They have obeyed everything Hashem asked them to do. They washed their clothes, immersed themselves regularly, and refrained from intimacy with their spouses. The camp is becoming completely ritually sanctified. The spirits are high, the anticipation is great, and everybody is wondering what will happen next. Hashem did tell them to, Be ready for the third day. For on the third day Adonai will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, 'Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death (Exodus 19:11–12). All of a sudden it happens. Hashem reveals himself. How does he reveal himself? With words. He starts speaking and everybody listens. Not only do the people hear the words but they see them, each one in his own language in flames of fire amidst the sound of the loud trumpet, of the wind, and of the quaking earth. The Torah tells us that the people could not bear it so they ask Moses to hear for them. When all the people saw the flashes of lightning and the mountain smoking and heard the thunder and the sound of the trumpet, they were afraid and trembled. They stood far off and said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die" (Exodus 20:18–21). Let us time travel now 1,400 years later to another sixth of Sivan. This time we are in Jerusalem. Because of the persecution against the followers of Yeshua, the Nazarene rabbi, Jerusalem is a dangerous place for the disciples. They are only staying in Jerusalem because ten days before, when the Master ascended in front of them, he commanded them Not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ (Acts 1:4–5). For several days the disciples of the Master witnessed the throngs of people coming for the festival of Shavuot/Pentecost. Caravans of people and goods already came from all around Israel and from countries. The city was buzzing with activity but the disciples were quiet in their houses. They had spent the whole previous night studying and reading the Torah, especially the texts about the giving of the Torah at Mt. Horeb on that day 1,400 years before. Suddenly, a wind blew inside their house. It was blowing in the house but not outside. It got even more exciting when flames of fire appeared on their heads. People from all around heard the commotion so they came to see what was happening. Peter then took the lead and told them not to worry, that it was only the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy (Acts 2:17–21). And what more, as they started speaking, the disciples realized that they could share what they had to say in all the languages of the many people present. The day went on in festivities and joy as is usual on this festival day and in the evening the disciples retired and shared notes about the events of the day. It is then that, as they thought about the tongues of fire, the wind, the earthquake, the speaking in many languages, that they realized that they experienced a repeat of what happened at Mt. Horeb 1,400 years before. As they realized their new boldness and abilities to share their message, they also realized that the promise of the Father had come. P. Gabriel Lumbroso www.thelumbrosos.com For P. Gabriel Lumbroso's devotional UNDER THE FIG TREE in Kindle edition click here. James 5: 16 Confess your sins to one another. It doesn't seem to be something very practiced today especially in Protestant circles, but the Torah encourages us towards the art of confession. It is a very good humility exercise, and it helps us to be nicer to those whom we feel are not as good as we are. It certainly challenges our own natural arrogance. In the fifth chapter of the Book of Numbers, we find the following text, Speak to the people of Israel, when a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with Adonai, and that person realizes his guilt, he shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong. (Numbers 5:6–7). On Yom Kippur also the sins of Israel are to be confessed upon the goat that is to be sent in the wilderness (Leviticus 16:21). It could be that modern Protestantism has distanced itself from the idea of confession because of its negative Catholic connotation, but the difference between that and what the Torah teaches, is that confession is to be made before Hashem, not before men. King David was great at confessing his sins before Hashem. He said, "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment" (Psalm 51:4), and "I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to Adonai,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah" (Psalm 32:5). James, the brother of the Master, actually connected the principles of healing and confession together. He said, Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of Adonai. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and Adonai will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:14–16) Maybe when someone asks for healing prayer, they should also confess and acknowledge their sins. Finally, John the beloved disciple teaches us to use confession in order to keep the reality of our sinful nature in front of us. He says, If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1: 8–10) Happy confessing! P. Gabriel Lumbroso For P. Gabriel Lumbroso's devotional UNDER THE FIG TREE in Kindle edition click here. |
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