Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah
22 Tishrei 5994 / 7 October 2023
Day 280 Readings
Torah: Vezot Hab'rachah, 7th Portion Devarim (Deuteronomy) 34:1-12
Moses Dies on Mount Nebo
1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the [a]Western Sea, 3 the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.”
5 So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. 6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day. 7 Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His [b]eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor [c]diminished. 8 And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. So the days of weeping and mourning for Moses ended.
9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.
10 But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, 12 and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.
Shemini Atzeret
1 Kings 8:54-66
New King James Version
Solomon Blesses the Assembly
54 And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, that he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. 55 Then he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying: 56 “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest[a] to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.
Bible Study Together:
Joshua 23:1-24:28
14 “Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the Lord your God spoke concerning you has failed; they all have [i]been fulfilled for you, not [j]one of them has failed. 15 But it will come about that just as all the good words which the Lord your God spoke to you have come upon you, so the Lord will bring upon you [k]all the warnings, until He has eliminated you from this good land which the Lord your God has given you. 16 When you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and you go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and you will perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.”
Joshua 24
“We Will Serve the Lord”
14 “Now, therefore, [p]fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and [q]truth; and do away with the gods which your fathers served beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, which were beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
16 The people answered and said, “Far be it from us that we would abandon the Lord to serve other gods; 17 for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves, and did these great signs in our sight and watched over us through all the way in which we went and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed. 18 The Lord drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.”
19 Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your wrongdoing or your sins. 20 If you abandon the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and destroy you after He has done good to you.” 21 And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord.” 22 So Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the Lord, to serve Him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” 23 “Now then, do away with the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” 24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and [r]obey His voice.” 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God; and he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.
27 Then Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, because it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke [s]to us; so it shall be a witness against you, so that you do not deny your God.” 28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his inheritance.
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Take Care with Your Liberty
8 Now concerning food sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge [a]makes one conceited, but love edifies people. 2 If anyone thinks that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; 3 but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.
4 Therefore, concerning the eating of food sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is [b]nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6 yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.
7 However, not all people have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Now food will not bring us [c]close to God; we are neither [d]the worse if we do not eat, nor [e]the better if we do eat. 9 But take care that this [f]freedom of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone sees you, the one who has knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will his conscience, if he is weak, not be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11 For through your knowledge the one who is weak is ruined, the brother or sister for whose sake Christ died. 12 And so, by sinning against the brothers and sisters and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to sin.
365 Daily Kingdom Living:
Teach Our Children
'The child is father of the man', wrote William Wordsworth. Yes, childhood experiences shape a person's character. Let's not delegate to others the responsibility to teach our children the right way to live in God's ways.
Prayer: Lord, when You give me a command You will also give me grace to do the job. I claim Your wisdom and Your grace so I can be an effective parent to teach my children Your laws and Your ways through my words and behaviours. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Scripture
Jeremiah 9
23 Thus says the Lord:
“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,Let not the mighty man glory in his might,Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;24 But let him who glories glory in this,That he understands and knows Me,That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, [j]judgment, and righteousness in the earth.For in these I delight,” says the Lord.
25 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised with the uncircumcised— 26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, and all who are in the farthest corners, who dwell in the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.”
Jeremiah 10
Idols and the True God
1 Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.
2 Thus says the Lord:
“Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.3 For the customs of the peoples are [a]futile;For one cuts a tree from the forest,The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.4 They decorate it with silver and gold;They fasten it with nails and hammersSo that it will not topple.5 They are upright, like a palm tree,And they cannot speak;They must be carried,Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them,For they cannot do evil,Nor can they do any good.”
6 Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord(You are great, and Your name is great in might),7 Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?For this is Your rightful due.For among all the wise men of the nations,And in all their kingdoms,There is none like You.8 But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish;A wooden idol is a [b]worthless doctrine.9 Silver is beaten into plates;It is brought from Tarshish,And gold from Uphaz,The work of the craftsmanAnd of the hands of the metalsmith;Blue and purple are their clothing;They are all the work of skillful men.10 But the Lord is the true God;He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble,And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.
11 Thus you shall say to them: “The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens.”
12 He has made the earth by His power,He has established the world by His wisdom,And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.13 When He utters His voice,There is a [c]multitude of waters in the heavens:“And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth.He makes lightning for the rain,He brings the wind out of His treasuries.”
14 Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge;Every metalsmith is put to shame by an image;For his molded image is falsehood,And there is no breath in them.15 They are futile, a work of errors;In the time of their punishment they shall perish.16 The Portion of Jacob is not like them,For He is the Maker of all things,And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance;The Lord of hosts is His name.
The Coming Captivity of Judah
17 Gather up your wares from the land,O [d]inhabitant of the fortress!
18 For thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I will throw out at this timeThe inhabitants of the land,And will distress them,That they may find it so.”
19 Woe is me for my hurt!My wound is severe.But I say, “Truly this is an infirmity,And I must bear it.”20 My tent is plundered,And all my cords are broken;My children have gone from me,And they are no more.There is no one to pitch my tent anymore,Or set up my curtains.
21 For the shepherds have become dull-hearted,And have not sought the Lord;Therefore they shall not prosper,And all their flocks shall be scattered.22 Behold, the noise of the report has come,And a great commotion out of the north country,To make the cities of Judah desolate, a den of jackals.
23 O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.24 O Lord, correct me, but with justice;Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.25 Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, who do not know You,And on the families who do not call on Your name;For they have eaten up Jacob,Devoured him and consumed him,And made his dwelling place desolate.
Colossians 3
Not Carnality but Christ
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Character of the New Man
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
The Christian Home
18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.
20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for[a] you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
Psalms 78:1-30
God’s Kindness to Rebellious Israel
A Contemplation[a] of Asaph.
1 Give ear, O my people, to my law;Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.2 I will open my mouth in a parable;I will utter [b]dark sayings of old,3 Which we have heard and known,And our fathers have told us.4 We will not hide them from their children,Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
5 For He established a testimony in Jacob,And appointed a law in Israel,Which He commanded our fathers,That they should make them known to their children;6 That the generation to come might know them,The children who would be born,That they may arise and declare them to their children,7 That they may set their hope in God,And not forget the works of God,But keep His commandments;8 And may not be like their fathers,A stubborn and rebellious generation,A generation that did not [c]set its heart aright,And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9 The children of Ephraim, being armed and [d]carrying bows,Turned back in the day of battle.10 They did not keep the covenant of God;They refused to walk in His law,11 And forgot His worksAnd His wonders that He had shown them.
12 Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers,In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through;And He made the waters stand up like a heap.14 In the daytime also He led them with the cloud,And all the night with a light of fire.15 He split the rocks in the wilderness,And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.16 He also brought streams out of the rock,And caused waters to run down like rivers.
Proverbs 24:27
27 Prepare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house.
Dear AVI,
Blessed are YOU O HOLY ONE of Israel! Father, Toda raba for this blessed Sabado O GOD, forgive me that today I cannot concentrate reading YOUR WORD because when I am come to YOU today, I am thinking about what to say to Stepehen when we finally have the lunch meeting. My thoughts go to that again and again even as I try to talk to YOU my thoughts wander so far off from me. But AVI I ask that YOU will keep touching Stephen and give him and desire and a thirst for YOU and the things of GOD. Awaken his spirit O GOD and give him dreams and visions of YOU or me I don't know just reveal YOURSELF to him in a way that he can relate or understand. Toda for this gift YOU are giving me, please help me to treasure him and treat him with respect. Please AVI, help me I don't know what I'm doing, just help me to go with the flow of the HOLY SPIRIT.
Ba HaShem YESHUA HaMashiach, Amen!