Some of the
most familiar scripture verses, an adage if you will, even in circles where the
bible isn’t a bestseller, are extracted from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8: “To
everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven… A time
to break down, and a time to build up… A time to cast away stones, and a time
to gather stones… A time to gain, and a time to lose; A time to
keep, and a time to throw away; a time
to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of
war, and a time of peace” (3:1-8).
In one of Yeshua’s
addresses to the religious leaders of His day, He chided them for not being
able to discern the signs of the times: “Then the Pharisees and Sadducees
came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He
answered and said to them, ‘When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair
weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather
today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern
the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times’” (Matthew
16:1-3).
If you are
like me, before you go to bed at night you may take a look at some media
channel to find out what the weather will be like in the following day, or in the
days ahead. When the morrow comes, you may talk about the weather at least once
or twice, or compare the forecast with the actual conditions. But laying aside meteorological predictions, are
we paying attention and observing the signs of the times?
Without going
into the fine details, we really have only two choices: Are we in a ‘good’ time,
a time to be born, to sew; to harvest what is planted; to heal; to build up;
to laugh; to dance; to gather stones; to embrace, to gain, to keep, to speak; to
love, in short are we in a time of peace? Or are we in the ‘bad times’?
“Have a good
day” is the most common and frequently used greeting. But what if that
particular day just happens to not be a good one? So you mutter back, “Yeah thanks a lot!”
The prophet
Jeremiah was told by the Almighty One of Israel: “See, I have this day set
you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to
destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant" (Jeremiah 1:10). The book of Jeremiah (as well as all the
prophets) is Elohim’s word to the nations and kingdoms, especially of Judah and
Israel/Ephraim. It speaks of how YHVH
was going to judge His people, tear down and scatter or sow them, but also of how
He would again gather, build them up and bring in the harvest. When we look back at Israel’s history we see
that there were seasons of ‘good’ and of ‘bad’ times. But what about our day? Where are we at in this generation of Elohim’s
chosen? Is it a time that YHVH is
building, or is it a time that He is tearing down and destroying? We might look around and say: “both”.
As the
conditions in this world are spiraling down to destruction, we have to ask
ourselves: “Is there a future and a hope?”
YHVH has a resounding “YES” for those who have ears to hear, and can
discern the signs of the times. In many
of the Psalms, King David states very plainly what will be the lot of the
wicked, the unrighteous, and the evil.
But at the same time he also proclaims the destiny and reward of the good,
loving, and righteous; for instance: “For
evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on YHVH, they shall inherit the
earth. For yet a little while and the
wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall
be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and
shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace” (Psalm 37:9-11). (The entire Psalm is very encouraging).
Almost all
the prophets told of the days of YHVH’s righteous judgments that would
culminate in the building and restoration of both Judah and Israel, and their
re-gathering into one nation that would be a light to the nations. We believe we are in that season of YHVH’s
mercies, during which time He is restoring the nation of Israel/Ephraim just as
he did Judah; bringing them together not
unified in a religious system, but as one people, one kingdom, one nation.
Thus the Bney
Yoseph National Congress is aiming at the gathering, building, restoring
processes, and inspiring faith and hope in our future. Yet we must be aware of our enemies. Just as in the days of Nehemiah, we too will
have to work with the sword in one hand and the work tool (be it a computer or
something else) in the other. In spite
of those who would try to discourage us, it is YHVH’s time to restore us so
that we might live before Him as His redeemed in the greater land, north of
Judah’s, which was promised to our forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. YHVH said
of Ephraim: "I will sow them
among the peoples, and they shall remember Me in far countries; They shall
live, together with their children, and they shall return… I will bring them into the land of Gilead and
Lebanon, until no more room is found for them” (Zechariah 10:9-10). “Shepherd Your people with Your staff, the
flock of Your heritage, who dwell solitarily in a woodland, in the midst of
Carmel; Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in days of old” (Micah 7:14).
Purim is a
good time to reflect on YHVH’s protective hand over our Jewish brothers and how
even though Elohim is not mentioned in the story, His sovereignty is obvious in
the many instances that seemed to ‘just so happen…’ Situations can change in a moment of time from
‘bad’ to ‘good’: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose
under heaven…”
A belated Purim
Same’ach and Shabbat Shalom,
Ephraim
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