The Feast of Trumpets and the Binding of Isaac
by Daniah Greenberg
The blast of a shofar awakens your soul and calls the spark of God’s Spirit inside you to attention. If you don’t believe me, try spending a week in a marketplace where they sell ram’s horns and you will soon recognize how agitated you become when people practice using one shofar after another to decide which unique horn to purchase. The human ear never really gets “used to it.” Instead you soon realize quickly – that it becomes actually nauseating, like listening to an ambulance siren for hours instead of mere minutes. Being called to attention – by God – on the Biblical feast of Yom Teruah and Rosh HaShanah is a supernatural call to LISTEN.
In traditional Jewish synagogues around the world, the story of Abram being tested by God is the traditional story to read. Oddly, the only real connection to this story has nothing to do with the normal weekly reading portion. Instead, the ram God uses to rescue Abram from sacrificing his son, Isaac, is the connection to the blowing of the shofar. With all the many shofar soundings in the Bible that herald God’s saving His people – for example with Joshua at Jericho – why would THIS story be chosen to celebrate with?
Among Jewish believers in Messiah Yeshua, Jesus, we always welcome this opportunity to remember the rescue of Isaac because it so CLEARLY makes sense that this story is a direct foreshadowing of how God sent His only Son into the world to become our eternal sacrifice. Abraham’s story – called the “Akedah” in Hebrew – is a proof text for what we actually believe! Jesus followers believe that Messiah gave His life as the final blood atonement for each of us – to save our souls. But, if old world Jewish tradition does not believe Jesus is the Messiah, why is THIS the story they focus on year after year? How does this story have any meaning in today’s world if you bypass faith in Jesus?
Here is my best guess after twenty years of celebrating this Feast of Trumpets as a non-Jewish follower of Messiah. This account is the plumb line for building faith across the generational divide. Living your faith in God, especially in front of your children, makes them eye witnesses of His miraculous saving power in your life every day. God’s promise was not only to Abraham, but to His children, and to mine.
We are compelled to raise children who know God is eternally faithful to His creation, His promise AND His story throughout the ages. Like Isaac, my own children are coming to know that God has rescued us each – time after time – because together is how our faith is grown from one generation to another. And as a mother, I believe truly KNOWING the God of Israel begins with trusting that – no matter what the circumstance – He NEVER asks you to sacrifice your children to satisfy His desire for your heart to be His treasured possession.
The faith of Abram was tested when God asked him to sacrifice the visible fruit of his faith – the living proof that God really did call him and keep His promise. Have you ever considered that you can make a trophy out of anything – including your own children? The minute we forget that God provides in countless ways for all His children – physically, financially and especially relationally – we risk deafening our ears to hear His voice in our lives. And, our faith can turn our children away from God if we do not help them “hear” for themselves. You are God’s living testimony to your own children.
This holiday, when you hear the call of the shofar and turn your ear to God, remember we are – all of us together – Abraham’s seed. This call to attention is for all of us. Abram believed God would give him children and land. Today, Abraham and Sarah’s children outnumber the stars in the sky and thankfully, the Promised Land has become a womb of resurrection for an entire generation of Jewish followers of Messiah Yeshua to grow and prosper under His care. There is much to rejoice about in our day – our God is indeed faithful.
“In that day, the LORD shall be King over all the earth. On that day, the Lord shall be one, and His Name one,” is the way the prophet Zechariah said it thousands of years ago. And Moses said it this way in Deuteronomy over 3500 years ago, “Hear O Israel! The Lord your God is ONE.” Halleluyah!
Praise God for sending His Son into the world to save the world. Tell your children about His miracles! Celebrate the sounding of the shofar! Trim your wicks, fill your lamps, and ready yourselves for the soon return of our coming King. The same God who made the promise to us also provided the sacrifice for us, by becoming the sacrifice Himself. For those who have ears – let them hear!
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So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel.
Joshua 6:23
Rahab and her family were not immediately incorporated into Israel. They were placed outside the camp, at least until Jericho was sorted out. New converts to faith in YHWH should be extensively discipled before being trusted with leadership and ministry roles.
Since COVID is back on everyone's mind...
If you build a parapet on your roof to protect guests, but you built it out of cardboard, then you didn't really fulfill the commandment in Deuteronomy 22:8. In fact, because you created an illusion of security that could cause people to take greater risks with their own safety, you've just compounded your guilt. You "put a stumbling block before the blind", used "unjust weights and measures" to deceive, and you failed to build a parapet on your roof.
Now. Extend this principle to the libraries full of laws and regulations that claim to make people safer but actually do the opposite.
https://www.americantorah.com/....2021/08/19/covid-vac
When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it.
#deuteronomy 22:8 #kiteitzei
The law about building a parapet on your house illustrates a broader principle: resources and accomplishment bring responsibilities. If you are aware of a hazard that is under your authority or control and don't fix it or warn your brother, you might as well have pushed him.
If someone gets hurt through stupidity, it's his own fault. If you made it easier, it's also yours.
EATING DISORDERS
A healing prayer for someone who suffers from eating disorders
(Including anorexia nervosa and bulimia)
References:
1 Samuel 28:22 --- Ecclesiastes 9:7 --- Matthew 6:11 --- Philippians 4:19 --- Matthew 15:11 --- Proverbs 2:11 --- Luke 4:40 --- Psalm 143:8 --- James 1:5 --- Psalm 119:144 --- 2 Timothy 1:12 --- 2 Corinthians 10:4 --- Galatians 5:1 --- Deuteronomy 33:27 --- Psalm 23:4 --- John 16:24
Healing Promise:
“Eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way” (1 Samuel 28:22 NKJV)
Healing Prayer:
Mighty Heavenly Abba, thank You for the gift of food. I pray for Your help in learning how to overcome this eating disorder. I know it is not Your will for me to suffer in this way. I love You and I know You love me. Help me to follow Your admonition to eat properly so that I will have the strength to follow You and serve You at all times. Teach me how to eat my bread with joy, because I know You are always faithful in supplying my daily bread and meeting all my needs. Thank You for Your promise to supply all of my needs according to Your riches in glory, through Yeshua Moshiach. I claim this promise as I ask You to meet my need for healing of my eating disorder of ..................... . Help me to remember it is not what I consume that defiles me. Instead, it is what I speak that does so. Give me clear insights and let Your discretion preserve me. Abba, I ask for Your healing, Your direction, Your wisdom, Your understanding and Your keeping power. Let the power and deception of all eating disorders be removed from my life. Let their strongholds be pulled down now. In Moshiach, I have been set free. Help me to stand fast in the liberty you have provided for me from this eating disorder, so I will never again be entangled with the yoke of bondage to any kind of eating disorder. Thank You for helping and healing me my Adonai and my YHVH. You are my refuge Abba and underneath me are Your everlasting arms. Thrust out the enemy from before me at all times. Keep me from all evil. Thank You for Your healing power that is at work in me now. In the glorious Name of Yeshua I pray, amen.