|
I
would like to focus today on one portion of this wonderful
parashah from Exodus 19: 5-6. "Now
then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant,
then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples,
for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom
of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that
you shall speak to the sons of Israel."
Here
we see that G-d is choosing a people for Him possession
because He said "all the earth is Mine." Only
someone who is the owner of something can be fully in
control of his choices for it. In our society, when a
man says that he is choosing a wife for himself, if the
woman does not also choose him, there will be no wedding.
So really, who is in control? Who is really making the
choice? But with G-d, it is truly His choice.
In
verse 6, G-d said that he will create a kingdom of "cohanim".
In Hebrew, a word can have be polyvalent or have different
meanings dependent upon the context. In this case, G-d
is not going to create a religious order but rather it
is more about position. He is speaking about creating
a people who will be of the royal line, blue blood, aristocracy.
They will be an elite group in the world; one which holds
tremendous responsibility.
The
aristocracy that G-d creates is very different from the
human-created aristocracy of the world. In this world,
people must bow to kings and the royal family who demand
being served by the people. There is the air of superiority
and tremendous snobbery and separation from the people.
However in G-d's kingdom it is the opposite. Yeshua is
known as Messiah King and yet when he walked the earth,
he came to show us the true meaning of royalty. He owned
nothing and washed the feet of his talmidim demonstrating
that we were to serve one another. The position holds
one of tremendous responsibility to the world and is often
very hard to bear.
When
you are called by G-d to fulfill his purpose, it is not
because you are better, greater or that you have more
qualities. In fact it is usually the opposite in order
the G-d's glory would be revealed. It is written that
he uses the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise (1Corinthians 1:20). When He chooses you, your life
no longer belongs to you but to G-d.
In
1Peter 2:9-10, this thought is repeated by Kefa as he
is speaking to the Jewish believers living in the Diaspora.
 But
you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises
of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful
light.  Once
you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;
once you had not received mercy, but now you have received
mercy.
Peter
is also speaking here to the Righteous gentiles, the "ger"
whom G-d has chosen from the beginning to be grafted into
Israel and included in the royal line. Yeshua has gone
beyond the line "Salvation comes from the Jews."
He saying that if you don't come through Israel, there
is no other way in, no other door to have G-d's redemption.
This door has been broadened by Yeshua who broke down
the wall of partition between the Jew and gentile. Even
before Yeshua was revealed, G-d was actively doing the
same with the Righteous gentiles and the Jews all throughout
the Scriptures.
The idea of being grafted in is a very interesting one.
Paul speaks about the wild olive branches being grafted
into the natural olive tree in Romans 11:17-24. This is
contrary to nature. Usually when a tree is not good (not
productive), good branches will be grafted in making the
tree productive producing excellent fruit. Here however,
the opposite is taking place.
 But
if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being
a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker
with them of the rich root of the olive tree,  do
not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant,
remember that it is not you who supports the root, but
the root supports you.  You
will say then, "Branches were broken off so that
I might be grafted in."  Quite
right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you
stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;  for
if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not
spare you, either.  Behold
then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell,
severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue
in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.  And
they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief will
be grafted in for God is able to graft them in again.
 For
if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive
tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated
olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural
branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
Paul is warning the grafted in believer from the wild
olive tree not to be arrogant remembering that the G-d
of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob supports the root and that
the tree is Israel into which the gentile believer is
now grafted. In the same way, the Jew too can be cut off
from the same tree due to their lack of producing fruit.
Being
chosen by G-d does not give us the right to be proud,
arrogant or to boast since we did not choose ourselves.
We all fail on a daily basis to live up to G-d. When Yeshua
came, he made this a universal message and clear to all
nations. He opened the door to all instead of it being
exclusively for the Jews.
Why
are we in such a mess today? All religions in the world
are trying to defend their regional gods. Even Yitro,
Moshe's father-in law after admitting that the G-d who
Moshe described to him was the true G-d; he returned to
his desert gods.
Christians
have the same problem when we try to show them who their
god is. They have accepted man's definition of G-d instead
of accepting G-d for who He is. In comparing him to the
G-d who brought the commandments to Moshe on Mount Sinai,
they immediately fall short. We are told to make no images
of our G-d and we see images throughout the Christian
world. We are told to observe the Sabbath day, yet Christianity
has changed it for the Sunday which is well known to be
the day on which the Sun god was worshipped.
G-d
revealed Himself to Moshe on Mount Sinai. The people accepted
to do and obey all that they were told without even knowing
what was expected of them. They didn't have a choice to
choose G-d. He chose them. If this same G-d didn't come
to you in some way, you would not be following Him today.
His commandments are not suggestions, they are commandments.
We can't choose to obey some and leave other out. Also
it is not about feelings. We don't obey because today
we feel like it and tomorrow we don't. The Scriptures
give us a way of life. This is not religion; this is G-d-Echad
dxa,
The Truth (Emet) tma;
The Life (Chayim) Myyx,
and the Way (Derech) Krd
.
Our
responsibility being in the royal line i.e. a kingdom
of priests, chosen by G-d is to lift each other up in
prayer and to tell each other the Truth in love. As a
people chosen by G-d, now with "blue blood",
it is time to remember that we didn't choose ourselves;
we need to have true humility in the face of G-d's immeasurable
love and mercy for us. He chose us in spite of ourselves.
Doing and obeying G-d's Word is not easy and we need to
stand up for what is right. There is no compromise in
this. G-d watches over us every day of our lives so let
us humble ourselves before Him and be willing to be available
to serve Him.
May
G-d add blessings to His Word!
Rabbi
Percy Johnson
Netanel
ben Yochanan
[nxy
[b lantn
©
2008 Use by Permission
Kehilat
She’ar Yashuv
|
