GALILEE DIARY
Seasons greetings
by Marc J. Rosenstein
Discuss on Our BlogYou shall make no covenant with them and their gods. They shall not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me; for you will serve their gods – and it will prove a snare to you.
-Exodus 23:32-33
For years, the mixed neighborhood of Wadi Nisnas in Haifa has held a popular and colorful street festival with art exhibits, tours and cultural events during December, a "festival of festivals" celebrating Jewish, Christian, and Muslim holidays; recently, the custom has spread elsewhere. Christmas and Chanukah, of course, always fall reasonably close together. The Muslim combination can be a bit of a stretch, as the two major Muslim holidays, Id El Fitr (the end of Ramadan), and Id El Adha (the festival of the sacrifice of Ishmael/Isaac), which are 40 days apart, migrate through the solar year. There is a period of about 8 years out of every 32 when one of them will fall somewhere in the vicinity of December. Nevertheless, the idea is stronger than the astronomy, so the events are held every year and the Muslims are included even if their festivals have receded to another season entirely.
This year, the Galilee Circus (the Jewish-Arab youth circus that my education center operates) was invited to perform at the "festival of festivals" program at the Galilee School in our neck of the Galilee, a bilingual Jewish-Arab public elementary school founded by the Hand in Hand Foundation, that has been in existence since the late 1990s (it is one of several alternative public schools in the area, that parents can choose). I had some Jewish visitors from Mexico interested in seeing the show, so we dropped in on the festival. There were all kinds of activities for parents and kids – arts, study sessions, food. There were Maccabees and Santa Clauses wandering around. The Muslim holidays, besides their disconnection from the seasons, are essentially family feasts, lacking any particular symbols or historical figures, so it is difficult to give them equal play. The one distinctive symbol is the sheep that is slaughtered and eaten, but that doesn't go over so well with young children.
Before the circus came on, there was a whole series of performances of songs by various classes, and the choir, and the orchestra. Mostly Chanukah songs in Hebrew, and Christmas songs in Arabic. One class lined up on the stage, all except one in Santa Claus hats. My Mexican guests were a bit freaked out by the whole experience – somehow this is not what they had imagined they would find in the Jewish state, and weren't sure how they felt about it – indeed, I know people who say that one of the factors that motivated them to move to Israel was the desire to escape the Christmas season in North America.
I encountered many friends and acquaintances at the event, and during the performance found myself standing with a local Conservative rabbi. "See the kid without the hat?" he said; "That's my son. I told the teacher that that was our limit." Interesting. I wonder what I would have done. When I was in fourth grade I was Santa Claus in the school play, and when the teacher called my parents to ask permission, they were thrilled that I was the star. But the Mexicans' wonderment is actually in place – there is something surprising and ironic in this festival. We have gone to a lot of trouble over the past century to create a place that, finally, would be "just Jewish," where our culture would be the culture of the land, where we wouldn't have to wonder if our kids should be singing Christmas carols. And here we are, wearing (or not) Santa Claus hats in the Jewish state, trying to work out just what should be our relationship to the other cultures around us.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Devotion
Devotion
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. (Revelation 2:1-5)
In the opening letter to the church of Ephesus, Christ is pictured as walking among the seven lampstands, which represent the seven churches. This should tell us that He is the leader of the church and is its Savior. As leader and Savior, He has a right to charge the church with sin. The sin Christ charged this church with, is, not the having left and forsaken the object of love, but having lost the enthusiastic level of it that at first appeared. Christ is displeased with his people, when he sees them grow negligent and cold toward him. This mention in Scripture, of Christians forsaking their first love, admonishes those who speak of it with carelessness, and try to excuse indifference and laziness in themselves and others; our Savior considers this indifference as sinful. He says: repent: become grieved and ashamed for your sinful declining, and humbly confess it in the sight of God.
Have you ever fallen in love? When you first fall in love, he/she is all you think about. He/she is your mind all day long. They are the first person you talk to in the morning…you fall asleep on the phone with them at night…you wake up in the middle of the night with the phone right next to you, and you can hear them still breathing on the phone. When you are with him/her in a car, you both sit so close together that people think there is a person with two heads driving the car. You have fallen in love! But then as time passes, you find yourself back over in the passenger seat, looking at him and asking him, “how come we don’t sit together anymore.” He turns in looks at you and says: “I am still in the driver’s seat you are the one that moved!” This is the same thing that I believe Christ says to us! He is not the one that changed, we left…not lost, Him!
Like this church, some of us have also lost our enthusiastic intensity that we had when we first came to know Christ. We are now in a place of indifference. We have now become sluggish! What should we do? Again, we must repent? Just being on the usher board or the deacon’s board is serving, not devotion to Christ. Working in the church or helping the pastor is not devotion to Christ. We must make an effort to recover our first passion, compassion, and sincerity and must pray as earnestly, and watch as diligently, as when we first set out in the ways of God. When these things return…we will get back to our devotion
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. (Revelation 2:1-5)
In the opening letter to the church of Ephesus, Christ is pictured as walking among the seven lampstands, which represent the seven churches. This should tell us that He is the leader of the church and is its Savior. As leader and Savior, He has a right to charge the church with sin. The sin Christ charged this church with, is, not the having left and forsaken the object of love, but having lost the enthusiastic level of it that at first appeared. Christ is displeased with his people, when he sees them grow negligent and cold toward him. This mention in Scripture, of Christians forsaking their first love, admonishes those who speak of it with carelessness, and try to excuse indifference and laziness in themselves and others; our Savior considers this indifference as sinful. He says: repent: become grieved and ashamed for your sinful declining, and humbly confess it in the sight of God.
Have you ever fallen in love? When you first fall in love, he/she is all you think about. He/she is your mind all day long. They are the first person you talk to in the morning…you fall asleep on the phone with them at night…you wake up in the middle of the night with the phone right next to you, and you can hear them still breathing on the phone. When you are with him/her in a car, you both sit so close together that people think there is a person with two heads driving the car. You have fallen in love! But then as time passes, you find yourself back over in the passenger seat, looking at him and asking him, “how come we don’t sit together anymore.” He turns in looks at you and says: “I am still in the driver’s seat you are the one that moved!” This is the same thing that I believe Christ says to us! He is not the one that changed, we left…not lost, Him!
Like this church, some of us have also lost our enthusiastic intensity that we had when we first came to know Christ. We are now in a place of indifference. We have now become sluggish! What should we do? Again, we must repent? Just being on the usher board or the deacon’s board is serving, not devotion to Christ. Working in the church or helping the pastor is not devotion to Christ. We must make an effort to recover our first passion, compassion, and sincerity and must pray as earnestly, and watch as diligently, as when we first set out in the ways of God. When these things return…we will get back to our devotion
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Moses is reassured by God.
Exodus 6
Moses is reassured by God.
INSIGHT
Throughout the Bible, God becomes more and more intimate with His people. By His official title, El Shaddai, God made Himself known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But now He tells Moses His name: Jehovah. Then in the Gospels, God becomes even more personal-as Jesus becomes incarnate. And in Acts and the Epistles, we discover that God comes to live in our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit. The final act of intimacy will be when God brings us home. Then we can fellowship with Him face to face and forever.
PRAYER
Let us praise our intimate God with the words of the psalmist:
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord (Psalm 104:33-34).
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light (Psalm 36:9).
Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled (Psalm 6:1-3).
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
(Romans 8:1-2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
A stronger desire for Christ to live through you
Churches across the nation
The concerns of your heart
Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve us from all evil;
He shall preserve our souls.
The Lord shall preserve our going out and our coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (based on Psalm 121:7-8).
Moses is reassured by God.
INSIGHT
Throughout the Bible, God becomes more and more intimate with His people. By His official title, El Shaddai, God made Himself known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But now He tells Moses His name: Jehovah. Then in the Gospels, God becomes even more personal-as Jesus becomes incarnate. And in Acts and the Epistles, we discover that God comes to live in our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit. The final act of intimacy will be when God brings us home. Then we can fellowship with Him face to face and forever.
PRAYER
Let us praise our intimate God with the words of the psalmist:
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord (Psalm 104:33-34).
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light (Psalm 36:9).
Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled (Psalm 6:1-3).
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
(Romans 8:1-2)
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
A stronger desire for Christ to live through you
Churches across the nation
The concerns of your heart
Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
The Lord shall preserve us from all evil;
He shall preserve our souls.
The Lord shall preserve our going out and our coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore (based on Psalm 121:7-8).
Where We Let God In
Where We Let God In
Dan Levin
There is a well-known story of the great Chasidic master Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk. He asked some learned men who were visiting him, “Where is the dwelling place of God?” Laughing, they responded, “What a thing to ask! Is not the whole earth full of God’s glory?”
Menachem Mendel then answered his own question: “God dwells wherever we let God in.”1
This week’s parashah is all about building a dwelling place for God. We learn in significant detail how the Tabernacle is to be constructed, right down to the furnishings and how they are to be fashioned. “ ‘V’asu li mikdash, v’shachanti b’tocham—And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among [within] them’ “ (Exodus 25:8).
Why does God ask the Israelites to build a tabernacle? If God is everywhere, then why build a solitary or central place where God’s Presence is said to rest? The Rabbis and commentators are in general agreement that despite the placement of this week’s portion here, the command to build the Tabernacle must have taken place after the incident of the Golden Calf.2 Having lost sight of Moses and God, the Israelites require a visible token of God’s Presence. The Tabernacle becomes an accommodation to the Israelites, so they should never fear an absence of God’s Presence.
But in finding this passage before the narration of the Golden Calf, the Rabbis glean a famous principle of interpretation: “Said Rabbi Judah ben Shalom, ‘Ayn Mukdam V’Ayn M’Uchar BaTorah—There is no early or late in the Torah.’”3 Torah is timeless, not to be constrained by the apparent chronology of the text.
This is a complicated paradox: The Tabernacle may be fixed in a particular time and place, but God’s Presence transcends both time and space. The words of Torah seem limited by the bounds of language and sequence, fixed in language and narrative, but the spirit and wisdom of Torah transcends text and context. How can God, and Torah, be both bounded and unbounded?
A clue to resolving the paradox is found in how God asks for the Tabernacle to be built. The parashah begins, “ ‘Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart is so moved’ ” (Exodus 25:2).
Now, the Tabernacle is an immensely expensive undertaking. For example, the instructions are to make the Ark of acacia wood, nearly four feet long, two and a half feet wide, and two and a half feet deep, and overlaid inside and out with pure gold (Exodus 25:10–11). Rashi says it was even more elaborate—that there were actually three arks—two made of gold and one of wood. The wooden one was placed inside an outer golden ark and a golden inner ark was placed inside the wooden one. Ibn Ezra disagrees, saying that it was just a wooden structure covered in a thin layer of gold (see Mikraot G’dolot on Exodus 25:10–11). But either way, think about how much gold was required just to build the base of the Ark, not including the poles and its cover!
But God does not require the Israelites to bring gifts, nor does God ask that a tax be imposed on the Israelites to ensure that everyone brought their fair share. God asks for gifts only from those whose hearts were so moved.
In order for the Tabernacle to be built, the Israelites had to open their hearts up to God. They had to transcend their own time and place, their own needs and wants. When the Israelites built the Golden Calf, they thought only of their personal cares and concerns. Here, God asks them to open their hearts to something greater than what they can see and touch.
God tells the Israelites that if they build God a sanctuary, then God will dwell within them (Exodus 25:8). It is interesting that God says literally “within them” rather than “within it.” We would think that God was referring to the Tabernacle as God’s dwelling place. But that would be incorrect. If the Israelites are willing to build a Mikdash—a holy place, a sanctuary—then God will dwell within them. The holy place is not simply the Tent of Meeting. The holy place is within a heart that is moved to be open. God’s Presence may be found in the Tabernacle, but God’s dwelling place will be in their open and willing hearts.
In choosing to open their hearts in willing service, the Israelites were able to become transcendent themselves, and thus to draw the Presence of the Transcendent into their community, into their homes, and into their hearts. It is the open and willing heart that creates a portal through which the Eternal and Boundless God can be felt in our bounded and limited midst.
Dan Levin
There is a well-known story of the great Chasidic master Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk. He asked some learned men who were visiting him, “Where is the dwelling place of God?” Laughing, they responded, “What a thing to ask! Is not the whole earth full of God’s glory?”
Menachem Mendel then answered his own question: “God dwells wherever we let God in.”1
This week’s parashah is all about building a dwelling place for God. We learn in significant detail how the Tabernacle is to be constructed, right down to the furnishings and how they are to be fashioned. “ ‘V’asu li mikdash, v’shachanti b’tocham—And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among [within] them’ “ (Exodus 25:8).
Why does God ask the Israelites to build a tabernacle? If God is everywhere, then why build a solitary or central place where God’s Presence is said to rest? The Rabbis and commentators are in general agreement that despite the placement of this week’s portion here, the command to build the Tabernacle must have taken place after the incident of the Golden Calf.2 Having lost sight of Moses and God, the Israelites require a visible token of God’s Presence. The Tabernacle becomes an accommodation to the Israelites, so they should never fear an absence of God’s Presence.
But in finding this passage before the narration of the Golden Calf, the Rabbis glean a famous principle of interpretation: “Said Rabbi Judah ben Shalom, ‘Ayn Mukdam V’Ayn M’Uchar BaTorah—There is no early or late in the Torah.’”3 Torah is timeless, not to be constrained by the apparent chronology of the text.
This is a complicated paradox: The Tabernacle may be fixed in a particular time and place, but God’s Presence transcends both time and space. The words of Torah seem limited by the bounds of language and sequence, fixed in language and narrative, but the spirit and wisdom of Torah transcends text and context. How can God, and Torah, be both bounded and unbounded?
A clue to resolving the paradox is found in how God asks for the Tabernacle to be built. The parashah begins, “ ‘Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart is so moved’ ” (Exodus 25:2).
Now, the Tabernacle is an immensely expensive undertaking. For example, the instructions are to make the Ark of acacia wood, nearly four feet long, two and a half feet wide, and two and a half feet deep, and overlaid inside and out with pure gold (Exodus 25:10–11). Rashi says it was even more elaborate—that there were actually three arks—two made of gold and one of wood. The wooden one was placed inside an outer golden ark and a golden inner ark was placed inside the wooden one. Ibn Ezra disagrees, saying that it was just a wooden structure covered in a thin layer of gold (see Mikraot G’dolot on Exodus 25:10–11). But either way, think about how much gold was required just to build the base of the Ark, not including the poles and its cover!
But God does not require the Israelites to bring gifts, nor does God ask that a tax be imposed on the Israelites to ensure that everyone brought their fair share. God asks for gifts only from those whose hearts were so moved.
In order for the Tabernacle to be built, the Israelites had to open their hearts up to God. They had to transcend their own time and place, their own needs and wants. When the Israelites built the Golden Calf, they thought only of their personal cares and concerns. Here, God asks them to open their hearts to something greater than what they can see and touch.
God tells the Israelites that if they build God a sanctuary, then God will dwell within them (Exodus 25:8). It is interesting that God says literally “within them” rather than “within it.” We would think that God was referring to the Tabernacle as God’s dwelling place. But that would be incorrect. If the Israelites are willing to build a Mikdash—a holy place, a sanctuary—then God will dwell within them. The holy place is not simply the Tent of Meeting. The holy place is within a heart that is moved to be open. God’s Presence may be found in the Tabernacle, but God’s dwelling place will be in their open and willing hearts.
In choosing to open their hearts in willing service, the Israelites were able to become transcendent themselves, and thus to draw the Presence of the Transcendent into their community, into their homes, and into their hearts. It is the open and willing heart that creates a portal through which the Eternal and Boundless God can be felt in our bounded and limited midst.
The plagues against Pharaoh and Egypt begin.
The plagues against Pharaoh and Egypt begin.
INSIGHT
In this chapter, as the Lord speaks to Moses, we read the remarkable words, "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh" (Exodus 7:1). To the world, God's children often stand in the place of God. We are the only Bible they will read-all of Jesus they will see. It is vital that we represent the Lord accurately. Of course, no mortal man can do so in any complete sense, but in a representative sense we must. It does not mean we must be perfect, but it does mean we are to give those around us a glimpse of who Jesus really is. Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Commit yourself to Christlikeness and believe that the Lord will multiply your life as others see Him in you.
PRAYER
As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of humble praise:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
And because of Your truth.
Why should the Gentiles say,
"Where now is their God?" (Psalm 115:1).
Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word by reflecting on Jesus' words:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;
neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
Others to see Christ in you
The Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest
Your prayer list
Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works (Psalm 73:28).
INSIGHT
In this chapter, as the Lord speaks to Moses, we read the remarkable words, "See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh" (Exodus 7:1). To the world, God's children often stand in the place of God. We are the only Bible they will read-all of Jesus they will see. It is vital that we represent the Lord accurately. Of course, no mortal man can do so in any complete sense, but in a representative sense we must. It does not mean we must be perfect, but it does mean we are to give those around us a glimpse of who Jesus really is. Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Commit yourself to Christlikeness and believe that the Lord will multiply your life as others see Him in you.
PRAYER
As you continue your time with the Lord, offer to Him this psalm of humble praise:
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
And because of Your truth.
Why should the Gentiles say,
"Where now is their God?" (Psalm 115:1).
Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life in fellowship with Him:
O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord-how long? (Psalm 6:1-3).
As you confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, voice your affirmation of God's Word by reflecting on Jesus' words:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;
neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
Others to see Christ in you
The Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest
Your prayer list
Now offer this prayer of worship to the Lord:
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works (Psalm 73:28).
A Debt Paid in Full
A Debt Paid in Full
Colossians 2:13-14
Mankind has a debt problem. In the physical world, our desire for a higher standard of living and more "stuff" has led to burdensome credit card balances and unwieldy mortgage payments. The weight of what we owe can cause restless nights and the feeling that we're trapped. We long for someone to rescue us from the mess we have made.
However, material indebtedness isn't our biggest problem. Our sin-debt is. All of us were born with a "flesh" nature that prompts us to rebel against the Lord. Our rebelliousness is an affront to His holy nature, incurring a debt that we owe to Him. Until this penalty is paid, we are under God's righteous judgment and remain spiritually separated from Him (Eph. 2:1-2). The trouble is, we are unable to pay what's due. No amount of good works, self-sacrifice, or religious devotion will lessen what we owe.
So God, in His great mercy, sent His Son to rescue us. Jesus Christ left heaven and all of its glory so He could come to earth to live and die for us (Phil. 2:6-7). Although the cost to our Savior was enormous, He willingly paid the price we owed. He took our sins upon Himself, bore them to the cross, and discharged our debt in full. Hallelujah!
When we receive Jesus as our Savior, His atoning work is credited to our account. We become children of God and co-heirs with Christ—we're changed from debtors to inheritors (1 Peter 1:3-4). Let the knowledge of His sacrifice on the cross permeate your thinking, attitude, and choices.
Colossians 2:13-14
Mankind has a debt problem. In the physical world, our desire for a higher standard of living and more "stuff" has led to burdensome credit card balances and unwieldy mortgage payments. The weight of what we owe can cause restless nights and the feeling that we're trapped. We long for someone to rescue us from the mess we have made.
However, material indebtedness isn't our biggest problem. Our sin-debt is. All of us were born with a "flesh" nature that prompts us to rebel against the Lord. Our rebelliousness is an affront to His holy nature, incurring a debt that we owe to Him. Until this penalty is paid, we are under God's righteous judgment and remain spiritually separated from Him (Eph. 2:1-2). The trouble is, we are unable to pay what's due. No amount of good works, self-sacrifice, or religious devotion will lessen what we owe.
So God, in His great mercy, sent His Son to rescue us. Jesus Christ left heaven and all of its glory so He could come to earth to live and die for us (Phil. 2:6-7). Although the cost to our Savior was enormous, He willingly paid the price we owed. He took our sins upon Himself, bore them to the cross, and discharged our debt in full. Hallelujah!
When we receive Jesus as our Savior, His atoning work is credited to our account. We become children of God and co-heirs with Christ—we're changed from debtors to inheritors (1 Peter 1:3-4). Let the knowledge of His sacrifice on the cross permeate your thinking, attitude, and choices.
The Term Is Up!
The Term Is Up!
For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighted in thee, and thy land shall be called married. (Isaiah 62:1-4)
The prophet’s desire to see the work of salvation completed was so strong that it caused him to pray without resting. It was this zeal that caused him to declare to the people that other nations would see their righteousness, and all kings their glory. The prophet declared that they would be called by a new name…a name which the Lord shall bestow upon them. He was declaring that the people would change so radically until righteousness and salvation would burst forth as a light upon the Gentiles and that the Gentiles would not just observe this light, but will receive it. Zion would also become a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, and a royal diadem in the hand of her God. No longer will she be termed “Forsaken” (Deserted, Rejected), and no longer will her land be termed “Desolate” (Ruin). She will now be called Hephzibah (God’s delight), and her land Beulah (married).
In November of 2008, Barach H. Obama was elected by the people to become president. He was inaugurated in January of 2009, thus he began a four year term as the 44th President of the United States. He would now carry every responsibility, every perk, every problem, every concern, and every word of criticism and/or praise that would come under his term. A term is simply a time period of which something is done, or is allowed to happen. It is for this time period only, that he (the president) is allowed to make decisions for the United States. Once his presidency term is up, he no longer has a right to speak for the United States.
In verse 4 we read: “Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighted in thee, and thy land shall be called married.
I learned in school that all proper names are capitalized. “Forsaken” and “Desolate” are both capitalized, meaning that it is someone’s proper name, or name by which they are called. But the scripture also says that your term for being “Forsaken” is up, and that the proper name for your land is no longer “Desolate”. This means that the period of time or term that we were (seemingly) deserted and rejected by God is up. Now we are a delight to Him, and our land is now married. Salvation has come to you, The term is up…we now have a new name!
For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighted in thee, and thy land shall be called married. (Isaiah 62:1-4)
The prophet’s desire to see the work of salvation completed was so strong that it caused him to pray without resting. It was this zeal that caused him to declare to the people that other nations would see their righteousness, and all kings their glory. The prophet declared that they would be called by a new name…a name which the Lord shall bestow upon them. He was declaring that the people would change so radically until righteousness and salvation would burst forth as a light upon the Gentiles and that the Gentiles would not just observe this light, but will receive it. Zion would also become a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, and a royal diadem in the hand of her God. No longer will she be termed “Forsaken” (Deserted, Rejected), and no longer will her land be termed “Desolate” (Ruin). She will now be called Hephzibah (God’s delight), and her land Beulah (married).
In November of 2008, Barach H. Obama was elected by the people to become president. He was inaugurated in January of 2009, thus he began a four year term as the 44th President of the United States. He would now carry every responsibility, every perk, every problem, every concern, and every word of criticism and/or praise that would come under his term. A term is simply a time period of which something is done, or is allowed to happen. It is for this time period only, that he (the president) is allowed to make decisions for the United States. Once his presidency term is up, he no longer has a right to speak for the United States.
In verse 4 we read: “Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighted in thee, and thy land shall be called married.
I learned in school that all proper names are capitalized. “Forsaken” and “Desolate” are both capitalized, meaning that it is someone’s proper name, or name by which they are called. But the scripture also says that your term for being “Forsaken” is up, and that the proper name for your land is no longer “Desolate”. This means that the period of time or term that we were (seemingly) deserted and rejected by God is up. Now we are a delight to Him, and our land is now married. Salvation has come to you, The term is up…we now have a new name!
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