Day Two of Week 4: Gevurah of Netzach
23rd Day of the Omer
Examine the discipline of your endurance. Endurance must be directed toward productive goals and expressed in a constructive manner. Is my endurance and determination focused to help cultivate good habits and break bad ones? Or is it the other way around? Does my endurance come from strength or weakness? Does it come out of deep conviction or out of defensiveness? Am I ever tenacious out of stubbornness and an unwillingness to acknowledge errors? Am I invested in certain decisions and not prepared to review them? Do I use my endurance against itself by being tenacious in my lack of determination?
Exercise for the day: Break one bad habit today.
"Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen."
De 27
Thought for Today: Monday May 01:
YHVH’s Love is the most powerful, life-changing force on earth – May you allow it to flow freely through you. May your day begin and end with a peaceful sense of Adonai’s Presence… a quiet heart… and a thankful spirit.
SERIES N --- THE EXILE --- LESSON 15
BOOK OF THE LAW FOUND
KING JOSIAH AND THE BOOK OF THE LAW
From 2 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 34:1 -28
After the death of King Amon, his eight-year-old son Josiah became the new king of Judah. His reign in Jerusalem lasted thirty-one years. He tried to follow the ways of his ancestor David, so Adonai was pleased with what he did. Eight years later, at the age of sixteen, Josiah began to seek Adonai, and four years after that he started a campaign to destroy the high places, shameful images, and the other idols. He personally supervised the destruction of the altars of Baal, the incense altars, the shameful images, and the other idols. He ground the idols to dust and scattered that dust over the graves of those who had worshiped them. He also burned the bones of the heathen priests on their own altars, thus cleansing Judah and Jerusalem. From Judah he went throughout the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and even as far away as Naphtali, purging the land of heathen altars and idols. There too he broke down altars and shameful images, beating the images to powder and breaking down the incense altars. When he had completed this work, he returned to Jerusalem. During the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah appointed Shaphan the son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of Jerusalem, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder to repair the temple. Josiah sent them to Hilkiah the high priest with these instructions, [Tell Hilkiah to take charge of the money which the people give to the doorkeepers as they come to worship. This money will be given to the building supervisors, and these in turn will use it to hire carpenters and masons and to buy lumber and cut stones for the project.] The building supervisors did not need to keep a record of their expenses, for they were very honest. A system of collecting money was set up. At the temple gates, the Levites who were on duty as doorkeepers collected the gifts brought by people coming from Manasseh, Ephraim, and throughout Israel, as well as from the people of Jerusalem. The Levites took the money to the high priest Hilkiah who accounted for it and then gave it to the Levites who were the building supervisors. These in turn hired masons and carpenters and bought stone blocks, lumber, and beams which would be used to rebuild the temple which the previous kings had allowed to fall into ruins. The workmen worked conscientiously under the supervision of Jahath and Obadiah, Levites descended from Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam who descended from Kohath. Some Levites who were skilled musicians played their instruments to cheer the men while they worked. Other Levites supervised the workmen, serving as scribes, officials, or gatekeepers. While Hilkiah the high priest was recording the money which had been brought to the temple, he discovered an old scroll, a copy of the Book of the Law which Adonai had given to Moses. Hilkiah brought it to Shaphan the scribe. [I have found a copy of the Book of the Law in the temple,] he said. After Shaphan read the scroll, he took it to King Josiah, along with his progress report on the temple repairs. [Everything is going as you commanded,] Shaphan told the king. [The money collected in Adonai’s house has been given to the supervisors, and they have hired workmen to do the job.] Then he added, [Hilkiah found a scroll, which he gave to me.] And he read from this scroll to the king. When King Josiah heard what the Law said, he was so disturbed that he tore his clothing. Then he gave orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam, Abdon, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s personal official. [Go and ask Adonai what I and the others who are left behind in Israel and Judah should do,] the king commanded them. [Ask Adonai about the words in this scroll, for it is clear that Adonai is very angry because our ancestors have not obeyed Adonai’s instructions.] These men went to see Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum [he was the son of Tokhath and grandson of Hasrah]. Shallum was the keeper of the king’s wardrobe, and he and Huldah lived in the second quarter of Jerusalem. When the men had told Huldah about the king’s distress and his desire to know YHVH’s will, she said to them, [Adonai says you must tell the king that He surely will destroy Jerusalem. The prophecies written in the scroll will come true, for the people of Israel and Judah have turned away from Adonai to worship other gods. Adonai is indeed angry, and He will pour out His wrath upon this place. Tell the king, however, that Adonai has heard his cry and has seen how he has humbled himself when he read the Law. Because he has done this, he will not see all the punishment which Adonai will send, for Adonai will wait until he has died before He sends it.]
COMMENTARY
ANCIENT BOOKS AND WRITING
In ancient times, a [book] was an important document written on a roll of leather or on papyrus, which was made of reeds formed into a paper-like material. These long rolls, or scrolls, were produced by sewing or gluing writing sheets together in strips up to thirty feet long. Decorative handles were often attached to the ends so the scroll could be easily rolled up. Valuable books were sometimes sealed with wax and stored in wide-mouthed pottery jars with lids. Egyptian scribes were writing on both leather and papyrus around 3,000 B.C., and use of these materials gradually became common throughout the rest of the surrounding nations. Writing leather came from the skin of sheep and goats, tanned until it was soft and flexible. The paper-like papyrus came from the papyrus reed that grew along the shores of the Nile River. Writing sheets were made by layering strips of the papyrus stem across each other. A double layer of strips was moistened, beaten flat, then dried in the sun. When rubbed smooth with a shell or piece of ivory, it formed a strong but flexible sheet of paper. Since scrolls were intended to last a long time, they were probably written more carefully than quick notes on pieces of broken clay or on wooden tablets. Scribes were trained to write in neat columns, using a small stick with a frayed end as a writing brush. Black ink was made of soot, resin and olive oil. The scribe put a small amount of ink on a palette and thinned it with water. The addition of red ocher, an iron ore, produced the red ink used to title the piece or to write the salutation.
THIS WEEK
Emor אֱמוֹר
Say
Torah : Leviticus 21:1-24:23
Prophets : Ezekiel 44:15-31
Gospel : Matthew 26:59-66
Portion Outline
Torah
Leviticus 21:1 The Holiness of Priests
Leviticus 22:1 The Use of Holy Offerings
Leviticus 22:17 Acceptable Offerings
Leviticus 23:1 Appointed Festivals
Leviticus 23:3 The Sabbath, Passover, and Unleavened Bread
Leviticus 23:9 The Offering of First Fruits
Leviticus 23:15 The Festival of Weeks
Leviticus 23:23 The Festival of Trumpets
Leviticus 23:26 The Day of Atonement
Leviticus 23:33 The Festival of Booths
Leviticus 24:1 The Lamp
Leviticus 24:5 The Bread for the Tabernacle
Leviticus 24:10 Blasphemy and Its Punishment
Prophets
Eze 44:15 The Levitical Priests
I think we were blessed in the studio today, should have something nice for tomorrow.
Shalom, all! Hope everyone has had a good beginning to the week. I love reading everyones thoughtful posts each morning, and sometimes throughout the day. Its amazing to have a common thread with people from all around the globe! I may not agree with everything everyone says (that would be a personality fault because some posts are somewhat contrary to others), but i do enjoy the critical contemplating each post provokes. I want to see even more posts so this platform can grow. We may be few in our geographic areas, but we are a huge community on here! Please dont be shy, and dont be afraid to share your thoughts. The worst thing that can happen is you dont get a reaction from every single person on here. Yah loves all of us and values our individual thoughts. Fingers dont flex the same way toes are, and they have different jobs. Similarly, we dont flex our brains the same as everyone else, and we all serve Yah in different roles. So come on! Speak up!
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