7.25.25 - Which city are you?
Good morning!
This week we finish the book of numbers And individually and collectively, we will declare CHAZAK CHAZAK V’ NIT CHAZEK (Be strong, be strong and to be encouraged).
With the end of the book and the sixth day of counting towards the first fruit of the oil, my mind goes back to the beginning of the year where we made new year resolutions. I know that’s kind of bizarre for the month of July…🤪
Many of us set financial, physical, emotional, relational and spiritual goals. Restoration of relationships, new friendships, and greater intimacy among those we already love are in the works. Ideally, we are longing to live ‘His Image’. And if we can live 'His Image' we will have success in the previously mentioned categories of life.
Scripture is filled with examples on how to live our lives in His Image, but it’s also filled with honest examples of how not too. In times past,we dealt with the villainous behavior of Cain towards his brother Abel and we concluded that Cain‘s behavior wasn't murder as we think...it was his lack ofconcern for the welfare of his brother that the Lord God was upset about.
This week store portion ends with the cities of refuge. We have a cities of refuge all over the United States, but they are not set up according to numbers chapter 36. Where are they harbor illegal aliens. On the flipside of that topic is a city that is similar to the story of Cain.
Many are familiar with the cities ofSodom and their corporate mindset similar to Cain's (Gen. 19). Our modern day theology has narrowly focused on the sin ofhomosexuality as their major downfall as cities of the plain. However, if we keep reading the ‘good book’ we will find that Sodom’s real problem was arrogance, over-eating, and lack ofconcern to those in need. These attitudes led to the haughty anddetestable things before God, which are just the tip of the ‘iceberg’; the fruit of the root (Ezekiel 16:49-50). As reprehensible as these were, according to Yeshua, their were individuals who were worse (Matt. 10:11-15), as well as entire cities(Matt. 11:20-24).
For people who don’t have their head buried in the sand, it’s not too hard to see, nor does one have to look to far to see arrogance abounding in every area of life: politicians, sports figures, TV evangelists, musical artists, celebrities, and just about all of our cultural heroes. I’d have to say that far too many have been saturated with this reality and sadly enough we hang on every word of the rich and famous like it's our lifestyle gospel.
Bypassing arrogance is easy to do, since it’s difficult to distinguish one bird from another in a flock. Overeating on the other hand is more recognizable. Statistics tell us that the amount of food first world countries throw away in the garbage every day could satisfy the hunger of the world’s poorest two and a half billion people. Our personal and corporate wealth has gone to our head and our heads have forgotten how to take care ofthose less fortunate than we.
Dealing with obesity has its recognizable challenges also, since there are so many factors: genetics, metabolism, emotions, job and/or family related stress. But the final one on this list of Sodom’s issues is inexcusable…living unconcerned for one another/shalwat hashqet. Another way to put it is prosperous ease. It’s the opposite of mercy/chesed. It’s a total diet with ‘high saturated fats of ME’. To say we are self-absorbed in our FB, Twitter, Instagrams, YouTube, snap chat, techno-lives is a gross understatement. We have substituted face time intimacy with community built on the most impersonal methods imaginable. And our unhealthy diet of self-centeredness is killing us slowly.
Unfortunately, we have wandered so far from the reality of His Image that we don’t know where to begin or how to get back to where we started. Yet, I see it in the eyes of countless people...give me something real! Will someone show me how to really live life to the fullest?
Fortunately, if we didnt have visible influences to counter our societies norms, we have Scripture. It doesn't pull any punches. It shows life in its beauty and ugliness.
If I may, may I make a suggestion, or four :-)…Today, will you take the time to praise others and redirect conversations away from yourself? Will you give thanks for the food you have and not take for grand it what you’ve been privileged with? Would you consider going through the McDonald's drive through andpaying for the person behind you… don’t go to McDonald’s! Will you put others before yourself? Will you be sensitive to their needs above yours?
By doing these simple things we’ll quickly find that our lives andSodom have very little in common…judgment In your life will become a city of refuge for those in need.
Shabbat shalom
Alan
With the end of the book and the sixth day of counting towards the first fruit of the oil, my mind goes back to the beginning of the year where we made new year resolutions. I know that’s kind of bizarre for the month of July…🤪
Many of us set financial, physical, emotional, relational and spiritual goals. Restoration of relationships, new friendships, and greater intimacy among those we already love are in the works. Ideally, we are longing to live ‘His Image’. And if we can live 'His Image' we will have success in the previously mentioned categories of life.
Scripture is filled with examples on how to live our lives in His Image, but it’s also filled with honest examples of how not too. In times past,we dealt with the villainous behavior of Cain towards his brother Abel and we concluded that Cain‘s behavior wasn't murder as we think...it was his lack ofconcern for the welfare of his brother that the Lord God was upset about.
This week store portion ends with the cities of refuge. We have a cities of refuge all over the United States, but they are not set up according to numbers chapter 36. Where are they harbor illegal aliens. On the flipside of that topic is a city that is similar to the story of Cain.
Many are familiar with the cities ofSodom and their corporate mindset similar to Cain's (Gen. 19). Our modern day theology has narrowly focused on the sin ofhomosexuality as their major downfall as cities of the plain. However, if we keep reading the ‘good book’ we will find that Sodom’s real problem was arrogance, over-eating, and lack ofconcern to those in need. These attitudes led to the haughty anddetestable things before God, which are just the tip of the ‘iceberg’; the fruit of the root (Ezekiel 16:49-50). As reprehensible as these were, according to Yeshua, their were individuals who were worse (Matt. 10:11-15), as well as entire cities(Matt. 11:20-24).
For people who don’t have their head buried in the sand, it’s not too hard to see, nor does one have to look to far to see arrogance abounding in every area of life: politicians, sports figures, TV evangelists, musical artists, celebrities, and just about all of our cultural heroes. I’d have to say that far too many have been saturated with this reality and sadly enough we hang on every word of the rich and famous like it's our lifestyle gospel.
Bypassing arrogance is easy to do, since it’s difficult to distinguish one bird from another in a flock. Overeating on the other hand is more recognizable. Statistics tell us that the amount of food first world countries throw away in the garbage every day could satisfy the hunger of the world’s poorest two and a half billion people. Our personal and corporate wealth has gone to our head and our heads have forgotten how to take care ofthose less fortunate than we.
Dealing with obesity has its recognizable challenges also, since there are so many factors: genetics, metabolism, emotions, job and/or family related stress. But the final one on this list of Sodom’s issues is inexcusable…living unconcerned for one another/shalwat hashqet. Another way to put it is prosperous ease. It’s the opposite of mercy/chesed. It’s a total diet with ‘high saturated fats of ME’. To say we are self-absorbed in our FB, Twitter, Instagrams, YouTube, snap chat, techno-lives is a gross understatement. We have substituted face time intimacy with community built on the most impersonal methods imaginable. And our unhealthy diet of self-centeredness is killing us slowly.
Unfortunately, we have wandered so far from the reality of His Image that we don’t know where to begin or how to get back to where we started. Yet, I see it in the eyes of countless people...give me something real! Will someone show me how to really live life to the fullest?
Fortunately, if we didnt have visible influences to counter our societies norms, we have Scripture. It doesn't pull any punches. It shows life in its beauty and ugliness.
If I may, may I make a suggestion, or four :-)…Today, will you take the time to praise others and redirect conversations away from yourself? Will you give thanks for the food you have and not take for grand it what you’ve been privileged with? Would you consider going through the McDonald's drive through andpaying for the person behind you… don’t go to McDonald’s! Will you put others before yourself? Will you be sensitive to their needs above yours?
By doing these simple things we’ll quickly find that our lives andSodom have very little in common…judgment In your life will become a city of refuge for those in need.
Shabbat shalom
Alan
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