Day 39: My Foundation

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-nine days, which is five weeks and four days of the Omer.

   Today's meditation on Yesod (foundation) comes from Matthew 24:35: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." Netzach (victory) within yesod gives us the ability to endure and keep going, building and creating, successful and victorious.

   Similarly, Yeshua states in Matthew 5:17-18 ¹⁷ “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled."

  Our Haftarah today, Hosea 2:19, is reflected in Psalm 89:14. Righteousness (sedeq) and Justice (mispat ) are the same words in both passages:

 "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face."  Psalm 89:14

“I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy;" Hosea 2:19 

   The disciple whom Yeshua loved opens his gospel with "¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."

John 1:14 states, "¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

The Apostle Paul concurs in 1 Corinthians 3:11: "¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Yeshua the Messiah."

   Intrinsic to humanity is building and creating. The success of your foundation (yesod) determines the success of your structure. The adage location, location, location was recognized even in biblical times.  ²⁴ “Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ²⁶ “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.” Matthew 7:24-27 

   Being wise, not foolish, leads believers to build on The Rock, not on sand. Our cornerstone, the supreme foundation stone is the cornerstone the builders rejected. Yeshua is that cornerstone, all other stones are in reference to him.  (Psalm 118:22, Matthew 21:42, Acts 4:11, Romans 9:33, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:4-6)

   “Who do you say that I am”? Yeshua asks his disciples in Matthew 16:13-19 "¹³ When Yeshua came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”  ¹⁴ So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”  ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Messiah, Son of the living God.”  ¹⁷ Yeshua answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

   A divine revelation from YHVH flooded Simon Peter's head, touched his heart, and opened his lips to state, “You are the Messiah, YHVH’s anointed." Yeshua answered, “Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah, on this rock I will build My church”.  Circularly, “My Church,” Yeshua referred to whether two or more gathered in his name or a grand cathedral needs a foundation (yesod), that foundation is the word, and the word is Yeshua. The question broadened “who do men say I am" quickly narrowed to “but … who do YOU say I am”. Peter answered from his heart with “I know you are the Messiah”. Today, this universal question is every bit as relevant. Yeshua does not care what THEY think … what do YOU think?

  Father, today more than ever, I need Netzach (victory) within Yesod (foundation), giving me the ability to endure and keep going, building and creating, successful and victorious, doing all things through Messiah who strengthens me. When it feels the world is closing in, allow me to close my eyes and be in your presence. You are the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? You have promised I will be strengthened waiting on You. My one desire of you Abba, is that I may dwell in Your house all the days of my life and behold Your beauty.