Shabbat Word
19/09/2020
Shabbat Shalom!
Psalm 91:1-16
91:1) He who dwells in the secret place of Ha`Elyon,
Will rest in the shadow of Shaddai.
91:2) I will say of Yahuah,
“He is my refuge and my fortress; My `Elohiym, in whom I trust.”
91:3) For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler,
And from the deadly pestilence.
91:4) He will cover you with His feathers.
Under His wings you will take refuge.
His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.
91:5) You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day;
91:6) Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.
91:7) A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it will not come near you.
91:8) You will only look with your eyes,
And see the recompense of the wicked.
91:9) Because you have made Yahuah your refuge,
And Ha`Elyon your dwelling place,
91:10) No evil shall happen to you,
Neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
91:11) For He will give His angels charge over you,
To guard you in all your ways.
91:12) They will bear you up in their hands,
So that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
91:13) You will tread on the lion and cobra.
You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot.
91:14) “Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him.
I will set him on high, because he has known my name.
91:15) He will call on me, and I will answer him.
I will be with him in trouble.
I will deliver him, and honour him.
91:16) I will satisfy him with long life,
And show him my salvation (yeshu`ah).”
A Word
Shofar, So Good
The shofar is a bugle made from the horn of a ram. When it is blown, it is quite a mournful sound, unlike the more joyful sound of a trumpet (myjewishlearning.com).
Rabbi Abbahu said: Why does one sound a blast with a shofar made from a ram’s horn on Rosh HaShana? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Sound a blast before Me with a shofar made from a ram’s horn, so that I will remember for you the binding of Isaac, son of Abraham, in whose stead a ram was sacrificed, and I will ascribe it to you as if you had bound yourselves before Me (sefaria.org).
This alludes to the account in Scripture of Avraham being tested by Yahuah whereby Avraham was called to sacrifice his son Yitzchak (Gen. 22:1-19), known as HaAkedah or the Binding. When the young man Yitzchak, who was maybe twenty-five years of age, went with his father to offer up a sacrifice to Yahuah, he asked his father where was the sacrificial animal.
Avraham’s reply was of the greatest significance. “Avraham said, ‘Yahuah will provide Himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son…’” (Gen. 22:8). The magnitude of this statement cannot be over-emphasised. Yahuah was not giving an animal for Himself. Neither was He giving an animal for Avraham and Yitzchak: He was giving Himself as the Sacrifice, foreshadowed by the ram. The ram was caught up in the thicket by its horns so that it would not injure its body and so be a sacrifice “…a male without defect…” (Exod. 12:5; Lev. 1:1-4).
Yitzchak was a type for Mankind. He was about to die at the hand of his father but was not ‘without defect’ and was unsuitable for sacrifice. Therefore an innocent flawless animal had to become a substitute. Sinful Man was deserving of death; judgement has been passed and sentence to be carried out in type. Nevertheless, a flawless substitute is found in the Lamb of Yahuah, Yeshua HaMashiach.
The blowing of the shofar, therefore is a memorial of the sacrifice of Yahuah (in the Son, Yeshua). “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and Yahuah has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, yet when He was afflicted He did not open His mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so He did not open His mouth.” (Isa. 53:6, 7).
“Sacrifice and offering you did not really desire. You have opened my ears: Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come. It is written about me in the book in the scroll. I delight to do your will, my `Elohiym. Yes, your law is within my heart.”… I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart. I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation [Yeshua].” (Psa. 40: 7-11/6-10). When King David wrote this Psalm referring to the Messiah, he heard from Yahuah that Yahuah never wanted any sacrifices in the first place. It would have been infinitely better if Man had never fallen into sin: yet he did. Therefore, because there was no other way back for Man except the perfect sacrifice of the Son of Yahuah, the Messiah Yeshua, it was vital that He laid down His life to take upon Himself the punishment due sinful Mankind.
Rabbi Abbahu’s quote above has Yahuah stating that each time the shofar is blown we are to remember Yitzchak’s death sentence being taken upon the ram and by type, the Messiah Yeshua. It was the willingness to be offered Himself for the sacrifice and that Yahuah will accredit us as though we were bound on the altar, “Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of Yahuah, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, set apart, acceptable to Yahuah, which is your spiritual service (Rom 12:1). In doing so, we are accepting the substitutional Sacrifice of the Messiah Yeshua on our behalf.
Can this statement be supported by Scripture?
The first mention of the shofar in scripture is associated with Yahuah giving His Torah on Mount Sinai. “When the shofar sounds long, they shall come up to the mountain. (Exod. 19:13). The shofar blast was used to gather together the Yisra`elites to Mount Sinai in order to receive the Torah.
The bad news is that the Torah was given to show Mankind that sin was disobedience to the Torah and that every person is guilty of turning their backs on Yahuah. “For through the law comes the knowledge of sin… for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;” (Rom. 3:20, 23b) and thus are condemned to an eternity of torment in Hell.
Nevertheless, the Good News is that although all the Torah points to our fallen state and moral bankruptcy incapable of doing anything to escape our due punishment, it also shows us that the Messiah Yeshua took upon Himself that punishment when He willingly offered Himself as our substitutional Sacrifice.
“Do not think that I (the Messiah Yeshua) came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” (Matt. 5:18). “Pilipos found Natan’el, and said to him, ‘We have found Him, of whom Moshe in the law, and the prophets, wrote: Yeshua of Natzeret, the son of Yosef.’” (John 1:45). “Walk in love, even as the Messiah also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to Yahuah for a sweet-smelling fragrance.” (Eph. 5:2). “And He (the Messiah Yeshua) is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.”1 John 2:2)..
Therefore, the shofar blast is to remind Mankind of the results of turning away from Yahuah, the punishment due and that the Messiah Yeshua took that punishment upon Himself when He died at Golgotha and His blood was shed for the forgiveness of sin. “for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matt. 26:28).
We are commanded to “Blow the shofar at the New Moon, At the Full moon, on our feast day. For it is a statute for Yisra’el, An ordinance of the `Elohiym of Ya`akov. (Psa. 81:3, 4).
Again, this is used to remind Mankind of our disobedience and the sacrifice of the Messiah Yeshua on our behalf.
The night before the New (Renewed) Moon is the darkest time. This time of blackness is to remind us of the horror of sin and the punishment awaiting all who die in sin. “Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,” (Heb. 9:27).
Is there anything that a person can do to dispel this darkness?
No, of course there is not. Likewise, there is nothing a person can do about sin. A person may decide to be obedient to Yahuah but the damage has been done. Punishment is due to the sinner.
We are called to blow the shofar on the New Moon, that is on sighting of the first sliver of the renewed light. This tiny light is the guarantee that the darkness is being chased away and that the darkness of She`ol (Hell) could not hold the Light of the World. This is a type foreshadowing the resurrection of the Messiah Yeshua. When He was raised up by Yahuah, this was the guarantee that the sacrifice of the Messiah Yeshua has been accepted by Yahuah for the forgiveness of everyone’s sin (Matt. 26:28).
“But now the Messiah has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by Man. For as in Adam all die, so also in the Messiah all will be made alive. But each in his own order: the Messiah the first fruits, then those who are the Messiah’s, at His coming” (1 Cor. 15:20-23). Not only is it the guarantee that the Messiah’s sacrifice has been accepted, but Yahuah has also accepted it on the behalf of each and every person who also accepts His sacrifice on our behalf.
Again, we are told of another reason to blow the shofar. “if, when the watchman sees the sword come on the land, he blows the shofar, and warns the people…So you, son of man, I have set you a watchman to the house of Yisra’el; therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me…Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he does not turn from his way; he shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul. (Eze. 33:3, 7, 9). The shofar was used by the watchman to sound the alarm when the city was being attacked by the forces of the enemy. If the watchman failed to raise the alarm, then any subsequent deaths would be due to his negligence. However, if the watchman blew the shofar but the people failed to respond to the alarm, then the deaths would be upon their own heads.
Likewise, throughout history, sin has attacked every single person and Yahuah has raised up many people, like Yechezk`el (Ezekiel), to give warning that death is approaching. Sin wants to drag everybody down into She`ol (Hell) with it. The shofar is a wake-up call for all who are asleep to the danger in their lives of disobedience to Yahuah (1 Peter 5:8). Nevertheless, no amount of wake up calls can keep us safe.
We are commanded to blow the shofar on the first day of the seventh month (Lev.23:23-25) known as Rosh HaShanah or Yom Teruah (Day of the Shofar Blasts). This is to wake us up from the Seven Weeks of Consolation (Slumber?) leading up to Rosh HaShanah. We have been so comforted that we have relaxed our vigilance regarding sin and are in need of shaking out of our lethargy.
She`ol (Hell) is a real place; it exists but it was never meant to be a place of eternal punishment for Mankind (1 Tim. 2:3, 4). It was prepared for HaSatan and its demons (Matt. 25:41). Scripture tells us of a place of utter darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 25:30), torment (Luke 16:23) and with worm and unquenchable fire (Mark 9:44).
“How much worse punishment, do you think, will he be judged worthy of, who has trodden under foot the Son of Yahuah, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified a common thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Heb.10:29). People have often wondered why a loving God would condemn people to such horrific and everlasting torment. It cost Yahuah everything when He made a way back to Him not only through the death of His beloved Son, but He had to abandon His Son. He turned His back on the Son who loved Him so that those who having turned their backs and hated Him may be reconciled to Him. For those who have heard the Good News of Yahuah’s salvation through His Son, but reject Him, all the Son’s humiliation, suffering and death was to no avail.
“The horse is prepared for the day of battle; But victory is with Yahuah.” (Prov. 21:31). We may go to church, synagogue, attend bible study or give to charity. However, none of this can do anything about our disobedience, our enmity to Yahuah and the resultant punishment. This battle has already been won by Yeshua HaMashiach at Golgotha, if only it is accepted.
“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last shofar. For the shofar will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.” (1 Cor. 15:50). “For the Master Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the chief angel, and with Yahuah’s shofar. The dead in the Messiah will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, will be snatched up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Master in the air. So we will be with the Master forever” (1 Thess. 4:16, 17). There will be a time, and now not too far in the future, when the shofar sounds and the Messiah will return. He will not then set foot on earth, but gather all Believers to Himself in the clouds. All Unbelievers can only watch and wonder. Although they have missed this event, there will be seven years in which to repent and believe.
There will be one final event at which the shofar will sound. “Then shall you send abroad the loud shofar on the tenth day of the seventh month; in Yom Kippur shall you send abroad the shofar throughout all your land. You shall set apart the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants of it: it shall be a Yovel to you; and you shall return every man to his possession, and you shall return every man to his family” (Lev. 25:8, 9).
When the Messiah finally returns to earth, “As a hired servant, and as a foreigner, he shall be with you; he shall serve with you to the year of Yovel” (Lev. 25:40). All servants and slaves are set free on the Yovel. Those who have been held in bondage to HaSatan will be released because its power has been destroyed, but this will have come too late for any to Unbelievers to receive salvation.
The final act of the Yovel will concern the land. “In the year of Yovel the earth shall return to Him of whom it was bought, even to Him to whom the possession of the land belongs” (Lev. 27:24). There shall be no compensation paid to the land user or tenant by the recognised true owner of the land. “The devil, leading Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The devil said to Him, ‘I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want” (Luke 4:5, 6). When the Master was tempted by HaSatan, He never contested the fact that the earth belonged to it, and if it had not been so, the temptation would not have been valid. Nevertheless, at the final Yovel, the earth that Yahuah `Elohiym had given to Adam as steward but handed over control to HaSatan at the Fall, would revert back to its rightful owner, King Messiah. “I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Yeshua, and for the word of Yahuah…They lived, and reigned with the Messiah for the thousand years” (Rev. 20:4).
HalleluYah
Ameyn
Father, we thank you for the power of your Word and that Word was made flesh in the Messiah Yeshua so that in believing in His life, death and resurrection we may have eternal life with you.
If you want to accept Father’s offer of salvation through the Messiah Yeshua, you need to ask Him in prayer along these lines. You may use these or your own words but they must be genuine as Father knows our very hearts and nothing is hidden from Him.
“Father, I am a sinner who needs forgiveness of my sins through your Son, the Messiah Yeshua. Please forgive me of all my past sins as I accept that, Messiah Yeshua my Saviour, has taken upon Himself my punishment. By your Spirit, help me to live a life worthy of His sacrifice. Thank you, Father, for making the perfect way back to you.”
Remember, the Judge looks into your heart, mind and future.
If you have honestly said such a prayer as this, and truly renounced the sin in your life and accepted Father’s salvation through the Messiah Yeshua, then please drop us an e-mail or call us at FGA to let us know. This helps build up our faith and offers an opportunity to prayerfully support you. Even if you have Believing friends or family, we at FGA would be privileged to pray for you. Please contact us at ezra710@firstgenerationassembly.com. Having believed and prayed, now please find a local faith-based church to attend. Drop FGA an e-mail or call us so that we can rejoice with you and pray and support you over the coming weeks.
If you have sincerely called out to Father for forgiveness, then eternal life is assured. Salvation does not take away the day-to-day questions of life, nor is it a short-cut away from trials or tribulations. Nevertheless, knowing your eternal life is secure, any temporary trial can be overcome by looking at the completed work of Messiah Yeshua.
All blessings to you.
“Whoever walks blamelessly is kept safe;
But one with perverse ways will fall suddenly” (Prov. 28:18).
Breaking Matzah
Our Saviour welcomes all His Family to join in this memorial. If you have accepted Messiah Yeshua as your Master and Saviour please take the next few moments to seek Father and to ensure that all is right between Him and you and between you and your Brothers and Sisters. If not, please put this right before continuing.
If you have not yet accepted Him into your life, then we encourage you to seek Him while it is still possible, as time is running out. When He returns or if you pass away then it will be too late. Please do not partake of the matzah and wine as in doing so, it gives thanks for the broken body (matzah) and shed blood (wine) for and a witness of salvation.
On the night of the Master’s betrayal, He took the matzah, blessed it and broke it saying ‘This is my Body broken for you; take and eat it as a memorial to Me.’
Bless the matzah saying: Blessed are you, O Yahuah our `Elohiym, King of the Universe, who brings forth matzah from the earth.
Break and eat the matzah (sharing it if within a group setting):
After the meal He took the Cup, blessed it saying ‘This is my Blood poured out for you for the remission of sins; take and drink it as a memorial to me.’
Bless the wine saying: Blessed are you, O Yahuah our `Elohiym, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Drink the wine (sharing it if within a group setting):
Thanksgiving prayer: Blessed are you, O Yahuah our `Elohiym, King of the universe, who gives us, in Yeshua, all that we will ever need. In your lovingkindness and mercy, you rebuild broken lives. You bless us, in Yeshua, with a perfect blessing. Ameyn.
Please note the up-and-coming special days.
26/09/2020 – weekly shabbat
28/09/2020 – Yom Kippur
03/10/2020 – Sukkot (End of Tabernacles)
11/10/2020 – Shemini Atzeret (Eighth Day)
Father willing, we will meet again next Shabbat.
“Y’varekh’kha Yahuah v’yishmerekha,
Ya’er Yahuah panav eleikha vichunekka,
Yissa Yahuah panav eleikha v’yasem l’kha shalom.”
(May Yahuah bless you and keep you)
(May Yahuah make His face to shine upon you and show you His favour)
(May Yahuah lift up His face toward you and give you peace.).
First Generation Assembly 