Can a sacrifice produce joy?

Can a sacrifice produce joy?

The Eternal wishes that His people learn to go up to the temple and come before Him and bring Him offerings and tithes. He wants that the place of His presence is a place of happiness and enjoyment. That's why there are not only offerings and tithes given completely to the service of the Eternal, but also in part so that the remaining of it may be eaten with the family, rejoicing at the table before the Eternal.

There is fullness of joy in the Eternal's presence (Ps. 16:11). Pleasing sacrifices are those that come from joyful hearts. A sacrifice offered with sadness and grief is not pleasing. The one who can't enjoy giving his offering is not showing his appreciation for the Eternal. The one who doesn't appreciate and love Him feels that tithe and offerings are a burden and cause of sadness. Love is shown by giving. That's why the one who loves gives and the one who doesn't love doesn't like giving either. The one who loves the Eternal gives Him the tithe and offerings and that produces joy because love rejoices.

The one who can't rejoice in giving tithe and offerings needs to check his heart and surrender it to the Eternal, stop living for himself and stop fearing and doubting divine provision. The one who lives for himself can't feel the real happiness found in giving.

There are those who give in order to receive, thinking that the one who sows also reaps. But even if it's true that the one who sows also reaps if done correctly, that attitude is not the best regarding giving to the Eternal. We don't give in order to receive; we give because we want to obey and express our love by giving.

However, if we believe in the promise that the Eternal is not going to abandon us if we give from what we have; and that He is going to bless what remains after the tithes, then we can calmly trust in divine provision regarding our finances. But we don't give in order to receive, that attitude is really childish.

'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' (Acts 20:35 NIV)

Blessings,

Ketriel

What is the relationship between keeping the commandments and rest?

What is the relationship between keeping the commandments and rest?

The stay in the desert was temporary, transitory. There, everyone did as whatever was right in his own eyes. The Torah was given in Sinai, not to be kept in the desert but in the Promised Land. That's why it was impossible to keep many of the commandments in the desert and they had to improvise and do what they could in that transitory situation.

Moshe Rabbenu was preparing the people to step ahead from the forty transitory and preparatory years to a new, totally different situation. This text says that when they were in the desert they had not yet come to the rest and the inheritance. The rest is one thing and the inheritance another. The rest has to do with a state of mind and the inheritance with something physical, the land. Each tribe was to receive a piece of land as inheritance and each family would receive their place for living where they could feel at home and have their souls rest.

Now, since the Torah was written in the first place for the Land of Israel, all the commandments are related to the life of the twelve tribes in it. Without their presence in the Land it's impossible to fulfill the whole Torah, and it's also impossible to achieve complete rest. It's interesting to see the relationship between emotional rest and the fulfillment of the commandments. The lack of commandments creates mental instability which is contrary to rest. They couldn't keep many of the commandments in the desert that's why they didn't rest in their souls. But in the Land they would be able to keep the commandments and thus reach rest.

Anarchy and lack of fixed rules create people with mental and emotional instability. Fixed routines, unchanging rules, clear limits and a well-defined behaviour create a feeling of safety and rest in people's souls. The one who does whatever is right in his own eyes hasn't reached the resting place of the Eternal. Only the one who knows what to do, according to his instruction in the Torah, will have peace in his soul. That's why our Rabbi cites Yirmeyahu, the prophet (Jer. 6:16) and says to those who didn't know how to keep the Torah correctly: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

His yoke symbolises submission to his interpretation of the Torah. The one who knows how to keep it correctly will find rest for his soul. The one who breaks or cancels commandments won't find rest for his soul neither in this world nor in the next.

Shavua tov,

Why so much rebuke?

Consequence

Deuteronomy 9:4-29

Do not say to yourself, "...because of my righteousness." It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land … Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness.. you are a stiff-necked people. Remember this and never forget how you provoked the LORD your God to anger in the desert... At Horeb you aroused the LORD's wrath so that he was angry enough to destroy you... You also made the LORD angry... But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You did not trust him or obey him... You have been rebellious against the LORD ever since I have known you.

(Deut. 9:4a, 5a, 6, 7, 8, 22b, 23b, 24 NIV)

Why so much rebuke?

How is it possible that Moshe Rabbenu keeps saying once and again that the people are rebellious? Shouldn't he have just encouraged them to live a righteous life instead of rebuking them for their past sins?

It's true that most of the time Moshe spoke words of encouragement, hope and faith to the people he so much loved. But in this instance Moshe urges the people three times not to stress their own righteousness but to remember their rebellion. Wouldn't it be better to forget past sins and focus on the good deeds?

The reason why Moshe Rabbenu admonishes the people in this way is in order for them not to commit such sins again. The one who does not repent thinking that he hasn't done any wrong, will keep on doing what's not right. That's why a person that doesn't see his sin or doesn't understand the severity of the sin must be aware of what he has done so he is ashamed and makes the decision of never doing such thing again. Moshe knew, due to his prophetic sight, that many among the people didn't understand the implications of their sin and were taking the matter too lightly. This is the reason why Moshe reprimands them so much.

Deep down, this entire rebuke comes from a great love and a desire to help the people to go well.

It's unfortunate that many without the same feeling as Moshe have used his words to express their despise against the Jewish people and justify their rejection against them. Because even though they say the same words as Moshe Rabbenu did, the motivation and attitude behind those words are the opposite of those of the great Prophet. It's not the same to say: "It's a rebellious people" from inside with love and concern than to say: "It's a rebellious people" from outside with despise and rejection.

Never use the words of Moshe to point and accuse the Jewish people. Stop criticising the Rabbis and their writings. The non-Jew who despises the rabbinical laws is under the influence of an anti-Jewish spirit. The Jew who doesn't want to submit to the rabbinical laws is a rebel.

When you rebuke someone make sure that the only thing you want is that such person is blessed and prospered. Never remind a repented person of his past sins. This can only be done when there is absolute certainty that such person hasn't repented.

If you have repented of something, don't let the memory of past sins make you doubt about the forgiveness and justification you received in Messiah Yeshua. At the same time you should never forget what you've done in order to understand what kind of mercy the Eternal has shown you. If it wasn't for His forgiveness and mercy we would all be lost and destroyed by the Eternal's righteous wrath.

Blessed be Eternal for His great forgiveness in Messiah Yeshua!

Ketriel