Day 32: In His Law he meditates day and night

BLESSING FOR COUNTING THE OMER:

Baruch ata Adonai, ELOHEYNU melech ha-olam, asher kiddeshanu bidvarecha

v’tzi-va-noo al sifeerat ha-omer.

Blessed are you, O Adonai our GOD, King of the universe Who has sanctified us by your Word and commanded us concerning the Counting of the Omer.

Today is thirty-two days, which is four weeks and four days of the Omer.

  Today’s meditation comes from HafTarah Jeremiah 17:7-8  ⁷ “Blessed is the man who trusts in YHVH, and whose hope is YHVH. ⁸ He shall be like a tree, planted by waters spreading out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit."

  A similar rendition is Psalm 1:1-3 "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; ² But his delight is in the law of YHVH, and in His law he meditates day and night. ³ He shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water, that brings forth fruit in its season, whose leaf shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."

 Both Jeremiah 17 and Psalms 1 articulate blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience plus imagery of trees planted by rivers bringing forth fruit. Our strengths (the tree) are not limitless and others (the river) have strengths we lack. Trees naturally bring forth fruit, unlimited water implies great abundance of fruit and the possibility of sharing with community. Nathanael’s life changed forever when Yeshua stated “I saw you while you were under the fig tree” On the last day of the great festival, Yeshua promised the coming living waters in John 7:37-38. The Samaritan woman at the well heard in John 4:14 ^“whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life”

  Hod, the quality of humility acknowledges all that I have, all that I strive for, and all that is beautiful … are gifts which I receive. Circularly, the gifts I receive lead to a greater sense of gratitude, appreciation of his splendor and humility. We recognize we can be better, we can expect more from ourselves, and we have more qualities to develop and manifest.

  Torah teaches that humility is one of the greatest traits:

"Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth" Numbers 12:3 

 "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does YHVH require of you, to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

  Our hearts direct our hands, manifesting Hesed in this broken world. Behind every act of kindness is His divine hand. God is our silent partner in relationships. However much we see God’s blessings, we never see Him. Each person we encounter carries a piece of God’s image. Humbly loving others allows us to see Him more clearly. 

Matthew 25:37-40 ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  ³⁸  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  ³⁹Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ 

" Let your gentleness be known to all men." Philippians 4:5 

  A recurring theme of scripture is using unlikely characters to accomplish His eternal plan. Joshua 2:1 introduces the faith journey of Rahab the Harlot. She confesses in Joshua 2:9-11, ⁹ and said to the men: “I know YHVH  has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. ¹⁰ For we have heard how YHVH dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. ¹¹ And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for YHVH your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Leveraging her hope in the God of Israel, she pleads in Joshua 2:13 "spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death." Before her lips ever moved in Joshua 2:1, her head and heart pondered the God of Israel.

  Rahab the Canaanite, mother of Boaz and great-great-grandmother of King David, is memorialized three times in the New Testament. Some meditate on Ruth and Naomi shaping the character of King David, while fewer reflect on Rahab, the loving mother or grandmother. Boaz understood that Ruth the Moabite was disadvantaged in every way that mattered, yet a son of a Canaanite Harlot quoted Mosaic law from Leviticus 25:25, impacting eternity. Boaz became a kinsman redeemer (go’el), extending grace and inclusion to the foreigner(s). Yeshua, our kinsman redeemer, redeemed what was lost, paying the price we cannot.

  Today, LORD, may we be reminded that you work through the lives of faithful people, blessing communities, nations, and the world. In your law may we delight, meditating day and night like trees planted by rivers of living water.