9.21.25 ~ I Can See Clearly Now

Good morning!

I'm two weeks behind on this thought, it's pretty simple and straightforward, and for me atleast, the timing is perfect :-) You may remember in our study titled "imagination" (9/14) I shared with you some thoughts about "hamas/violence" and the priests of Israel that were teaching and profaning God's Sabbaths, while not making any distinction between the holy, profane, clean and unclean. I ask myself, "How could they do that"? Their priests for heaven's sake! Yet, they hid their eyes from their responsibility and profaned God's Sabbaths causing Him to be profaned. 

“Her priests have violated/hamas My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden/alam their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. (Eze. 22:26) 

The "ones" most responsible for teaching the difference between the holy and profane, the clean and unclean (Lev. 10:10), had closed their eyes to the truth. They left the Torah out of daily living for the people to whom they were spiritual authorities. They have closed their eyes to the truth.  They have shut their eyes to the instruction. As the Pharisees, they became the 'blind leading the blind' (Matt. 15:14). They pretended blindness toward the commandment (Ex. 20:8-11; Lev. 23:1,2; Deut. 5:15).  They know what it says.  They know God expects it.  They even have a history that verifies it.  But they live with their eyes wide shut.  Shut to God's ways of living and wide open to what they want.

Over the decades I've heard the same statements, such as, “It doesn’t really matter.  I have God in my heart.”  “One day is just as good as any other day.  After all, God wants us to honor Him every day.”  “That old tradition doesn’t apply to us anymore.  Our religion has changed.”  The priests of Israel before the Babylonian captivity were more likely to say, “But other people also worship God and they don’t follow those commandments.”  Or maybe, “We are just doing what our King does.  After all, he is God’s representative.”  It really doesn’t matter what rationalization we use, ancient or modern.  If Shabbat is an eternal covenant between God and His people, which it is (Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 31:16,17) then it didn’t end in 598 BCE and it didn’t end in 33 CE.  Unless, of course, as covenant people, we decide to shut our eyes.

In yesterday's zoom call, I digress into last week's Torah portion, as context for Nitzavim/to stand, by examining a very strange statement given by Moses about seeing and not seeing (Deut. 29:3,4).

“the great trials which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great wonders. Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this day." (Deut. 29;3,4)

They were able to see, but yet they couldn't see until this day? Huh? How can that be? Enquiring minds want to know. 

With the traditional date of Yom Teruah just a few days away, and the fall feast season upon us, add to the spiritual,  the physical craziness of our world, it only makes sense that we use 20/20 vision to know which road we're walking on (Matt 7:13,14).

During this season, how's your spiritual vision? 

More insights tomorrow (pun intended :-)

Chag sameach/happy feast season!
Alan

Shabbat morning zoom call: "Am I living a covenant life and am I standing with those who are"? Or "Are the secret things of the Lord getting revealed to me"?

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