Blessing for the Torah:
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-O’lam, asher
bachar banu m’kol ha-amim,
v’natan lanu eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn
ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim , King of the Universe,
(Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim , King of the Universe,
you have selected us from among all the peoples,
and have given us your Torah. Blessed are you, YHVH,
giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)
Several years ago an old Chinese missionary who had
suffered much as a believer in his own country was invited to visit several
American churches. He was asked after his tour to these churches what it was
that impressed him the most about American Christians. He responded by saying
that he was deeply impressed about what these believers had accomplished
without the help of YHVH.
This Torah portion helps us realize that in our flesh
dwells no good thing - Rom 7:18 - “For I know
that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good”.
We as believers struggle to come to terms with this fact in our lives.
We simply cannot produce in ourselves what is desired to make us good and
acceptable to YHVH.
Rom 5:12 For this reason, even as through one man sin
did enter into the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all
men, because all sinned – It is for this reason that we mourn our true condition
before YHVH and live lives of deep repentance and humility before man and our
Creator.
Where
does YHVH dwell?
Yeshayahu/Isa 57:15
For thus declares the high and exalted One who dwells forever, whose
Name is set-apart, “I dwell in the high and set-apart place, with him who has a
bruised and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive
the heart of bruised ones.
Gen 21:1 And יהוה visited Sarah as He had said, and יהוה did for Sarah as He had spoken.
We see a pattern in scripture that whenever YHVH “visits”
us or a people, something happens (Heb –“asah”) this can be good and sometimes
not good.
We see this pattern confirmed in the next verse, YHVH visits
the 90 year old Sarah and she conceives, as a result of this visitation Sarah
gives birth to a son (vs 2)
YHVH still longs to visit His people - Rev
3:20 “See, I stand at the door and
knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I shall come in to him and
dine with him, and he with Me.
We are challenged to discern the “knocking on the door of
lives and situations” and then responding appropriately. This often opens up to
us great opportunities of blessing in our lives that otherwise would not have
been possible.
We see in the above verse in Revelation as well at the
passage of scripture in Matthew 25 about the parable of the 10 virgins that
YHVH often visits when we least expect it.
Tehillim/Psalm 15 gives us some very valuable instruction
concerning visiting and permanently dwelling in His presence.
Psa 15:1 יהוה, who does sojourn(visit as a guest) in Your Tent? Who does
dwell (permanently) in Your set-apart mountain?
Psa 15:2 He who
walks blamelessly, And does righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart.
Psa 15:3 He has
not slandered with his tongue, He has not done evil to his neighbour, Nor
lifted up a reproach against his friend;
Psa 15:4 In whose
eyes a reprobate one is despised, But he esteems those who fear יהוה; He who
swears to his own hurt and does not change;
Psa 15:5 He has
not put out his silver at interest, And has not taken a bribe against the
innocent. He who does these is never moved.
Every time we come to the Torah to embrace its perfection
in its entirety we connect or visit with YHVH.
It may be only those who seek and desire such visitations
that will one day permanently dwell in His Presence on His Mountain - Tzion.
