Miriam and I have been away in the UK for the last few days, but that doesn't mean that we haven't been keeping up with the reading. How has it been for you so far?
We went to my niece's Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, and I have to say I found the initial part of the service and liturgy really wonderful, being mainly taken from the psalms and the torah. The portion that was read was from Exodus 10-12, dealing with the 9th plague (darkness) and preparations for the last plague.
One interesting point was that the rabbi said that when Pharaoh says the Israelites can go and worship in the desert, Moses replies that Pharaoh will have to provide the animals to be sacrificed. I have never heard that before. Chris, can you shed any light on this?
One other thing that struck me afresh, and was reminded of this morning, was that after the scroll was read, it was covered with a blue cloth. The scroll itself (sefer torah) is covered with a cloth, a metal plate and bells, presumably all of which would have a special significance, other than as a reminder to show reverence to the word of God.
The thing which struck both of us was how for this particular congregation, to be Jewish seemed to be as much about a culture identity, awareness of heritage and the impact that had on your behaviour as it did with meeting with God. This was even more jarring when set against the reading of how God delivered his people and how they were saved to be his special and distinct people by the shedding of blood.
We have whizzed through Leviticus, and I have again been reminded of the enormous rigmarole it would have been to get ceremonially clean, stay that way and make offerings. Yet while we rightly rejoice in how easy Jesus has made it to enter into God's presence, it is all too easy to forget the incredibly host price that Jesus paid in order to make it possible.
Jubilee by Michael Card
The Lord provided for a time
For the slaves to be set free
For the debts to all be cancelled
So His chosen ones could see
His deep desire was for forgiveness
He longed to see their liberty
And His yearning was embodied
In the Year of Jubilee
Jubilee, Jubilee
Jesus is our Jubilee
Debts forgiven
Slaves set free
Jesus is our Jubilee
At the Lord's appointed time
His deep desire became a man
The heart of all true jubilation
And with joy we understand
In his voice we hear a trumpet sound
That tells us we are free
He is the incarnation
Of the year of Jubilee
Jubilee, Jubilee
Jesus is our Jubilee
Debts forgiven
Slaves set free
Jesus is our Jubilee
To be so completely guilty
Given over to despair
To look into your judge's face
And see a Savior there
Jubilee, Jubilee
Jesus is our Jubilee
Debts forgiven
Slaves set free
Jesus is our Jubilee
3 comments:
the lord bless you and keep you - how wonderful to come across that amidst all the other detail in numbers
I am totally amazed at how much Moses actually argues with God!and he lived to tell the tale!
I also love the whole descriptive nature of Numbers and the different tribes who were assigned tasks by God himself. The tabernacle itself must have been so incredibly awesome and terrifying at the same time.
So happy God always knew Jesus was the plan! (maybe plan is not the right word to use but I can't think of another one at the moment!)
i really, really hate the first half of joshua. didn't God know that non-christians would throw this at us constantly as an example of how nasty God is? where is the merciful, compassionate God, slow to anger and who is this God ordering total elimination without mercy to men, women or children and even crippling the horses and impaling people on poles?
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