Haftara: 2 Kings 4:42-5:19
B’rit Hadashah: Luke 2:22-33
It's been raining for two days and it's time to open my box of “Look at all the good stuff to get through the bad stuff!” collections. A former resident in my unit of a nursing home used to say, “That rain will sweeten the earth.” After all these years since Robin Hood has gone to his reward, that's what came to my mind this morning when I looked out through a rain-dotted, misty window. Yes. Robin Hood. That was his name and the first day he was admitted and I came in after a day off and saw his name on the board, I said to the person at the desk. “Alright! Pull my other leg now!” No. Nobody was playing any early morning hi-jinks. He was admitted to a room with his wife who had been with us already for several months. They were originally from Britain and had the most amazing stories to tell from the middle of London, England during the war from 1939 to 1945. They survived the Blitz! She was an air raid warden! It was all great theater for this history buff when I had extra minutes and the topic came to their life back then. So, this rain will sweeten the earth! It also provides barometric effects on the arthritis in my back to remind me that life isn't perfect, but it sweetens the earth and brings me back to good memories of a pair of British immigrants that surely sweetened my life when I was nursing.
There is a lot of war heating up on the other side of the pond between here and Europe. I'm absolutely amazed at the craziness in the world that's erupted since the covid scamdemic finally lifted long enough for the signs for covid-related 'warnings in effect' were finally removed. Some places still haven't removed the stickers on the floors that preached the “social distancing” and I find the little child in me coming out when I do my banking. Folks are STILL standing six feet away from each other! I have impish delight in moving right up behind the person in the queue. Of course I give them a foot and a half so that they have room to move! But I never keep distance of six feet, and I like to check their reaction when they realize this. So far, nobody has felt uncomfortable enough to turn and ask me to 'back off!” Folks are still lining up behind me with that six foot allowance. It just shows how we get 'groomed' into ideas, habits, or practices, and we don't even think about changing them when they're no longer applicable! It's like when there's a power outage. I don't have any electric can openers, but I remember how my mother chuckled when she tried to open a can with one during a power outage at her house one year. I've laughed at myself when we've had a power outage and I've moved into another room and flicked the light switch on even though I knew there was no electricity! Habits! I thank God for what is called “muscle memory”, where our muscles learn a routine and we can move and perform operations without thinking about it, (like typing without looking at the keyboard) but sometimes they carry us further than we realize!
The priests who were responsible for assessing these skin, and dry goods material maladies, had to be very familiar with the colors, the textures and the visual signs of leprosy.
56 And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof: 57 And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire. 58 And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean. 59 This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean. Leviticus 13:56-59.
It has occurred to me that nowhere in Torah, (so far, anyway), have I seen any mention of physicians or doctors. Firstly, if Israel were being separate and not following after other gods, Yahweh promised them that “none of these diseases of the Egyptians” would affect them. So, then, why would they need doctors? The fact that it was the priests to whom folks had to go to get a diagnosis... does that not hint to us that this condition could have a very strong spiritual component? We will hear later on in Torah, how it was associated with an episode of “lashon hara”. This is inappropriate and slanderous speech, and it was pronounced upon Miriam, the sister of Moshe. We'll come to that record, by and by. God was trying to get through to Israel that He was the supplier of their EVERY need! No need for doctors, and certainly NO need to placate a false idol or a fetish. AND I might add, no need to practice any sort of superstitious behavior in the hopes that superstition could alleviate an illness or a possible diagnosis of leprosy! There is no room for superstition in God's Kingdom!
Most garments in those days were woven and that's why the priests had to be familiar with that “warp and woof” business. Warp refers to the lengthwise threads in a woven article; they are the threads that hang down in a loom, running parallel to the bolt of cloth being created. Woof (also called the filling) refers to the threads that crisscross the warp, running at right angles—perpendicular—to them; they interlace among the warp, over and under, over and under. If you look at a dishcloth, or a towel, you'll see a good example of this warp and woof, where the threads go over and under as described. Actually we have a lot of cottons and other fabrics that have 'weave' in them.
So, we close out this week and marvel at the comparisons we can make between leprosy and sin. Could we possibly conclude that to remain “standing” as the letter of Ephesians exhorts means also to be holy?
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:10-11.
To fall back, in any position off our feet, means that we’ve lost ground in warfare. Many believers choose not to speak of spiritual warfare because they believe it to be “giving too much credit to the enemy”. Well, I suppose that one could possibly get carried away with it such that every bump in the road of life would be perceived as the enemy. However, considering the end goal of the enemy, who is the father of deception, I think it would be good to err on the side of Scripture:
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour... 1 Peter 5: 8.
The Greek word for 'devour' is a strong one. It means that the enemy wants to 'gulp us completely, swallow, or drown' us. With the onset of a possible leprous infection, the person’s last chance was God Himself. It was believed by Israel that the only way one could possibly come back from leprosy was through the mercy of their One and Only Father God. The only way to ‘come back’ from sin and error is by returning to our Father God.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:6-11.
The bad news is that our enemy, haSatan (the accuser) is waiting in hiding to leap up at us and tear us apart until we are painfully and efficiently destroyed. (He wants to devour us.) The Good news is the part about The God of all grace! King David was well aware of this fact and he wrote about it in his journals:
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. 26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. 27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. 28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. Psalm 37:23-28.
These are good things from Psalms to remember when we partake of the 'news of the day' from our immediate environs ever outward. Yesterday, at my sewing afternoon with Willy at her home, we rehashed the grim news since we last met and it got to the point where we even touched on the craziness in fashion where I saw pictures of models on social media, actually wearing denim pants waist band and crotch over their shoulders like capes, or wearing them with the waist section and the crotch, like a dress at their feet, totally opposite to common sense. (This could be the natural that is showing us how, in the spiritual, the world is totally opposite as to how God ordained it in the beginning. Everything is upside-down and topsy-turvy!) Willy, in exasperation, said, “When do we get any GOOD news?” She was SO right! I jumped in about the dog that kept jumping the fence at a pound, somewhere Stateside. They would always find him on the bench at a nursing home down the street. The third time he jumped that fence, the bosses at the facility said, “Don't take him back again. We'll adopt him because he's been such a good tonic to some of our residents.”
Then I told her about our homestead hound, Betty, the night before. Betty whined when I got up in the middle of the night, and that is so not like her. So, I just gave her a couple of pets and got back to bed. Then Richard got up a few minutes later and she did the same thing! Richard didn't dismiss her as I had done. Upon his return, he told me that he didn't close the fridge properly before he went to bed, and the beeping alert was sounding! We couldn't hear it, at the other end of the trailer, but she did! That's only the third time she's alerted us about that alarm! Good dog! There is a passage from proverbs that speaks of our mouth and it may be repeated again in our cycle through Torah this year. When we find ourselves losing heart because of all the bad news, our vision will go pretty grim and black. We do indeed, need to apply that garment of praise and open up the box of good news-archives! Balance! Bad news? Good news!
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8.
Scripture reading from the KJV unless otherwise stated.
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