Think on this: “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘this is what Adoni Yahweh says: It is not for your sake , O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone.” … “I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness.”… “For by grace are you saved through faith and that is not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ezekiel 36:22, 28; Ephesians 2:8-9)
Pray on this: Gracious Father, we see your sovereign sequence of events that will transpire regarding Israel. First you have kicked them out of the land you promised because they have profaned your name and practiced idolatry. Now, by your grace you are bringing them back to the land in unbelief and still in a profaned state. You have yet to bring them to a spiritual renewal and a believing relationship with you. Grant that Christians may see your sovereign hand in all of this and work and pray in alignment with your ultimate goals for Israel and the Jewish people.
Dr. Hutchens Shalom,
Your message this week is right on target with the Torah readings this week. Your words today brought me to tears as I feel in my heart exactly what you are saying. I feel Tamei (impure) and I am also one of those with a heart of stone. But I feel that today, Hashem is sprinkling (Hiza’ah) the purifying waters and making the truth so obvious to me. I get so frustrated and angry at my own people who still hold onto the values of the secular world as if these are holy, but only Hashem is holy and only if we open the opening of a needle will he then open for us an opening of a grand hall. I can’t say that we deserve to have our return to our land, but I hope to be part of this as I take on the commandment to learn and to carry out His will. I appreciate all your support.
“TOV M’OD” (very good), General JIM…
Sober… Caring… Compassion, Brother. (In other words, “COMFORT-speak”.)
And aren’t RABBI Baruch’s iterations strong (…not to mention ‘spot-on’)?
“UN-DESERVED”, indeed! (May such respective ‘discerning learning’ increase – as well as both your tribes.)
Dr. Hutchens;
Kal HaKavod. Hashem has NOT cast off Israel, no will He (Jer. 31:37)! He has clear plans for Israel’s future in these end of days. As we know, the Nevi’im state that He will yet use Israel as “a sharp two-edged threshing instrument, whereby they will thresh the nations.” This theme is repeated in Jer. 51:19-23 and Micah 4:11-13 (amazing!). Israel is the “winnowing fork in His hand” of Matthew 3:11-12. His Word is completely trueand He is completely faithful (El Melech NeEman)!
Israel is forever and is sure in God’s hands:
Jer 31:35-37
35 Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The Lord of hosts is His name):
36 “If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the Lord, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever.”
37 Thus says the Lord: “If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, says the Lord.
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu