Simchat Torah was quiet at my place, no dancing or singing, no day off work. I did take the time to read the passage Deuteronomy 33-34 and Genesis 1-2:3. The following are my shallow reflections on a passage so rich with history and promise.
Deuteronomy 33:1-26
Moses spoke a blessing over each tribe of Israel. I'd like to go back to this passage some time and compare it to the blessings Israel spoke over each of his sons at the end of Genesis. Note to self. A couple of things stood out to me about these blessings.
- Moses knew these tribes. He knew their personalities and what they needed from the Lord. It reminds me that God knows who I am and what I need.
- Even after hundreds of years, Benjamin and Joseph still seem to be the favorites in many ways. The others might be strong or numerous, but these tribes whose mother was Rachel still seem to hold a special place in God's heart.
- Some of the tribes got less than top billing, but everyone received a blessing.
Deuteronomy 33:27-34:12
I love how God is described in the last verses of chapter 33 when Moses blesses all of Israel. You can hear in his voice how much God loves these people.
Refuge.
Everlasting arms.
Savior.
Shield.
Helper.
Glorious sword.
In chapter 34, Moses dies (120 but still vital) and God buries him. After a month of mourning, Israel gets a new leader, Joshua. It's not a surprise appointment--he's been prepped for the job. He is filled with a spirit of wisdom. What a great quality in a leader.
He was strong and courageous, wise and godly, but he was no Moses. Moses knew God face to face. Remind me to come back to this some time. It's one of my favorite themes in scripture.
Genesis 1:1-2:3
This is one of the most familiar passages in the whole Bible. After all, every time I dedicate myself to reading through the Bible, I start with Genesis. It's so familiar, I almost don't see the words. This time, though, a few stood out.
And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
I can almost hear the congregation chant the words with me as I read them silently. In a year where I am opening myself to listen for the spiritual rhythms God gave his people, the rhythmic recitation of the beginning and end of each day of creation echoes the pattern set forth from the first evening and morning.
And God said, "Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so.
Did you see the blood moon/lunar eclipse last week? Did you notice it fell on the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles? The Jewish calendar follows the lunar calendar. It's no accident that an important feast started during a major event in the sky. Didn't the sky also tell those who knew to look of Jesus' birth? Won't we see great things in the sky when he comes again?
Circling Back to the Beginning
There's a certain beauty in the fact that when you finish reading the Torah, you don't read The End and close the book. Instead, you flip back to the beginning to start again. At the end, we come to the beginning.
We are never finished.
We are works in progress.
God's word goes on and on and on.
So now, after an extended season of repentance, forgiveness, restoration, atonement, sacrifice, and celebration, we are prepared to face the year. Armed with the knowledge we have gained and the memories of the past weeks, we step into our daily lives armed against whatever challenges may come.
This week's Torah portion:
Genesis 1:1-6:8
Isaiah 42:5-43:10
John 1:1-18 (for Messianic Jews)
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