Thoughts on the Torah Portion ... by Sarah

Shalom Y'all,

This is Sarah.  I hope that you all had good Passover and week of Unleavened Bread.  Our week was wonderful and we were truly blessed.  OK, now lets get on with this week's portion.

Torah: Exodus 33:12 - 34:26
Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:1-14
Brit Chadasha: Acts 10:1-48

In Exodus Chapter 33:12-23, it is talking about Moses praying for YHWH's presence. As I was reading though it I was thinking, "This is a prayer we all should pray".

 

"... Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people ..."  Exodus 33:13

And then, what did YHWH say? 

 

"... And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest ..."

May it be so with us as well.  May we walk and talk with Him and listen to Him and grow in Him.  May He be our life and our strength and may we never ever walk away from Him.

In chapter 34, verses 1 though 9, it is talking about YHWH re-writing the 10 commandments of the tablets. Anyway, that has always been interesting to me how He wrote them with His finger.  I watched a movie one time of Him writing the 10 commandments and even though that may not have been the exact way it happened ... it was really neat to think about.  I wonder what Moses thought when it was happening?!?

The last part of chapter 34 (verses 18 though 26) are talking about the feast that we just went through.

Now, the Haftarah is the portion about the dry bones.  My father has said that he is thinking about writing a song on that portion and calling it "Shake, Rattle and Roll" :)  Seriously, I think one of the most important verses for me and my family (and hopefully for you) is in verse 11 where it says that these are the bones for the whole house of Israel  ... not for the Jewsih people only, but for those of us who have been brought in to the Commonwelath of Israel, as it says in Ephesians 2:11-13.  We no longer refer to ourselves as "gentiles" because the Scriptures say we were "once gentiles" ... meaning that in the past we were gentiles, but now we are no longer gentiles.  Now, through the blood of the Messiah, we are part of the "Whole House of Israel".  Halleluyah!

 

The passage in Acts, gives us an example of this when we see Cornelius, a gentile, being filled with the Spirit.  In light of all these Scriptures, I have to see him ... and us ... as being one is is "from the gentiles", but he, and we are gentiles no longer.

 

I hope you all seek to find things for yourself in these portions and let YHWH show you His wonders.

Shabbat Shalom, ~Sarah