3.8.25

Good morning!

Have you ever considered the meaning of the 153 fish that were caught by Yeshua's disciples in John 21:4-12? You remember the story, right? It's the story many of us have experienced too often in our journey...we've been 'fishing' all night long and NOTHING. Then, with a listening ear, we grab our nets one more time, and with a mighty heave we throw the net in a different direction over the boat, and...my oh my, the boat's about to sink because there are so many fish in the net; yet the nets don't break. What a story! What a miracle! What 'fish finding vision Yeshua had'! What obedience; especially after doing it for so long 'my way'. What an enigma that Yeshua already had fish cooking on the shore when the boys arrived! What wisdom he displayed in His instructions to the boys! Am I listening, acting, and throwing in the right direction? Are my nets empty (Matt. 4:19)?

Have you ever felt like you're outside the camp, isolated, alone and rejected? It can be an ugly, ugly feeling. However, this isn't only a negative feeling, but can be a very positive feeling. Huh? How can this be? Last night's zoom call has the answer on why it feels this way, when you're walking godly for the body of Christ or walking contrary to the body of Christ (Ex. 29:20,21; Lev. 14:14; 1 Pet. 2:5-9). On one side of the coin, the answer is given on how to overcome those feelings from the negative side (Lev. 14) and on the positive side of the coin, the answer is given on how to cherish those feelings (Ex. 29:20,21). Let me know which one you are and the emotions of moving from isolation to community...it's amazing!

The ears of His sheep are obediently listening/shema (Deut. 6:4-9; 11:13-21; Num. 15:37-41; John 10:27,28). They are following Him and are ready to fulfill His promise that if you follow Him you will become 'fishers of men' (Matt. 4:19).

Solomon said (in my dad's favorite book) in Ecclesiastes 1:16

"And I set my/ani mind/lev (heart) to know wisdom and to know madness and folly/holelut; I realized that this also is striving after the wind."

Have you ever found yourself here? Wanting to know everything you can about Yahweh Elohim/the Lord our God, yet, at the same time striving after madness and folly? Each time I do this it metaphorically places me back in the Garden in front of that tree, you know the one I'm not supposed to eat from (Gen. 2:17)?

When were you last in the Garden, standing in front of that Tree?  You know, the one that promises knowledge, that tempts you to think you can decide what is good and what isn’t.  If we pay attention to Koheleth/the Preacher (Ecclesiastes), we might discover that we were there yesterday and we are probably going to be there again today (ouch).

Notice that Solomon doesn’t set his mind to know wisdom.  He sets his heart to know the difference between wisdom and madness.  Why is this important?  Because once we see that the word is lev/heart, we realize that this isn’t an academic, cognitive exercise.  This is a whole-person encounter.  Koheleth determines with all of his personality to know the difference between hokmah/wisdom and holelut/folly.  Hokmah is more than just information.  It is the first light that leads to skill, experience, prudence and proper respect and depth which leads to understanding.  Hokmah has a moral behavior element to it.  In Hebrew thought, it isn’t enough to simply know the facts.  To know something is to incorporate it into a living experience.  On the flip side of that coin, holelut is just the opposite.  It is the sheer folly, the madness, of attempting to order our personal world without Yahweh; it is pointless existence.  It is life without meaning...it is chasing the wind.

For those who follow the King of Kings (and I'm not talking about President Trump), you know this to be true, but does that stop us from standing in front of the Tree?  I’m not sure it does.  We think that the story about Adam's wife and the serpent is an ancient one, but I’m here to remind us that it most likely happened yesterday.  When you and I thought that we could decide what is right for us, what is good for us, what is the best choice for us, we held hands with that beautiful woman in the garden.  We looked at that Tree and chose to indulge in its aesthetic pleasure, its nourishment and its promise.  We set our hearts to experience the difference between hokmah and holelut for ourselves.

However, the most important word in Koheleth’s statement is not lev or hokmah or holelut.  It is ani – I set my heart.  The reason all of Koheleth’s efforts end in vapor is that it all begins and ends with him.  Whenever our choices begin and end with us, we are taking a very big bite of the fruit of the Tree.  And the result is inevitable.  Vapor.  Wind.  Nothingness.  Meaninglessness. Empty fishing nets.

Before you watch last night's teaching, here’s a solution to consider on this beautiful Sabbath morning.  Yahweh knows what is hokmah and what is holelut.  He tells us what is hokmah and what is holelut.  He communicates what we need to know in order to distinguish between the two.  All He asks is obedience, not insight.  Moving out of vapor into substance doesn’t take more than hineni – “Here I am, Lord, what do You want me to do?”

It's fishing time! Time to stop toiling in our own efforts in the dark and start casting in the light. Put your 'oar' in the water and row towards the common destination. Passover's coming! Will you be eating in His presence with a net full? Listen. Act. Move in the right direction.

Shabbat shalom!

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