by Ptr. Art Calaguas<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shalom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Negotiations for a temporary ceasefire deal are on-going even as the Knesset recently voted by a 68 – 9 margin to reject a 2-State solution with the Palestinians and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu prepares to fly to the US to speak before the Congress. The Houthis bombed Tel Aviv with an UAV (drone) from Yemen which killed an Israeli and wounded 4 others. In retaliation, and for the first time after more than 200 drone and missile attacks, several IDF warplanes flew more than 1,000 miles and directly bombed Houthi \u201cmixed-use\u201d infrastructure around the Hodeida Port in the Red Sea area, causing heavy damage. The Hezbollah also continues its almost daily bombardment of northern Israel and the Galilee area and the IDF retaliates as expected. Meanwhile some 120 hostages (alive and dead) are still held somewhere in Rafah or elsewhere in Gaza. The hostages have been in captivity for over 9 months since the attack, massacre and hostage-taking done by Hamas on Israel last October 7, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let us continue to pray for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and for a just end to the wars against the Jewish nation. Let us continue to stand with Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6-9). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As seen in Exodus 33:12-23, Moses had to intercede again for the Israelites as the LORD apparently did not want to be in the midst of them. Moses was successful once again as the LORD God decided to go with the people on the journey to the land promised as Moses truly had found favor in God\u2019s sight. Exercising sovereign choice, the LORD declared that he would be gracious to whom he will be gracious and show mercy to whom he will show mercy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This resulted in the making of new tablets. But this time, Moses would cut the stone tablets for God to write the words of the covenant that were in the first, broken tablets. From Exodus 34:6-7, the LORD expresses his loving character as a merciful God, gracious, slow to anger and overflowing in steadfast love and faithfulness. But the LORD also makes it clear that while he forgives sin, iniquity and transgression, he will also rule justly and punish the guilty. The replacement of the tablets meant the Sinai Covenant was renewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Exodus 34:11, the LORD reiterates his plan to drive out the inhabitants of the land he was giving to the Israelites. The Hebrew verse of Exodus 34:11 is given below (read right to left, top down) specifying the names of the people groups currently occupying the land highlighted:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u05b8\u05a8\u05e8\u05be\u05dc\u05b0\u05da\u05b8\u0594 \u05d0\u05b5\u059b\u05ea \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05a5\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b8\u05e0\u05b9\u05db\u05b4\u0596\u05d9 \u05de\u05b0\u05e6\u05b7\u05d5\u05b0\u05bc\u05da\u05b8\u05a3 \u05d4\u05b7\u05d9\u05b9\u05bc\u0591\u05d5\u05dd \u05d4\u05b4\u05e0\u05b0\u05e0\u05b4\u05a7\u05d9 \u05d2\u05b9\u05e8\u05b5\u05a3\u05e9\u05c1 \u05de\u05b4\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05e0\u05b6\u0597\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b1\u05de\u05b9\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u0599 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05bd\u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e0\u05b4\u0594\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05d7\u05b4\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u0599 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05b4\u05d6\u05b4\u05bc\u0594\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05d7\u05b4\u05d5\u05b4\u05bc\u0596\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05d9\u05b0\u05d1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e1\u05b4\u05bd\u05d9<\/mark>\u05c3<\/p>\n\n\n\n The English Standard Version (ESV) translation for this verse is given below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 11<\/sup><\/strong>\u201cObserve what I command you this day. Behold, I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites<\/mark>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, the LORD warns the Israelites again, through Moses, that they should not make any covenant\/treaty with the inhabitants of the land (vv. 12 and 15) and destroy the altars, pillars and other idols to their gods; not sacrifice to these gods and not to intermarry with those peoples. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The LORD reiterates the Covenant stipulations given at Sinai. Part of these were the designated Feasts of the LORD, including Passover and Unleavened Bread, observance of the Sabbath, Weeks (Shavuot), and Ingathering (a.k.a. Tabernacles\/Booths). Then in accordance with these stipulations and the observance of the 3 annual feasts requiring all males to present themselves to the LORD, a promise is made to cast out the nations and enlarge the territory of the land promised to the Israelites. This is found in the Hebrew verse of Exodus 34:24 given below (read right to left, top down):<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05bd\u05d9\u05be\u05d0\u05b9\u05d5\u05e8\u05b4\u05a4\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d2\u05b9\u05bc\u05d5\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd\u0599 \u05de\u05b4\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05e0\u05b6\u0594\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d7\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u0596\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d2\u05b0\u05bc\u05d1\u05d5\u05bc\u05dc\u05b6\u0591\u05da\u05b8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05d9\u05b7\u05d7\u05b0\u05de\u05b9\u05a5\u05d3 \u05d0\u05b4\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1\u0599 \u05d0\u05b6\u05bd\u05ea\u05be\u05d0\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e6\u05b0\u05da\u05b8\u0594<\/mark> \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05e2\u05b2\u05dc\u05b9\u05bd\u05ea\u05b0\u05da\u05b8\u0597 \u05dc\u05b5\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b9\u05d5\u05ea\u0599 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05e4\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05b5\u05d9\u0599 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05a3\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b6\u0594\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05b9\u05a5\u05e9\u05c1 \u05e4\u05b0\u05bc\u05e2\u05b8\u05de\u05b4\u0596\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c1\u05e0\u05b8\u05bd\u05d4\u05c3<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ESV translation for this verse is given below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 24<\/sup><\/strong>For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land<\/mark>, when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The gracious promise of the LORD toward the Israelites\u2019 inheriting and possessing the land was conditional and contingent on their loyalty to and observance of the renewed covenant. The presentation (appearance) of the people before God in the 3 annual festivals was a simple indication\/display of their fealty to their Sovereign LORD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Part of covenant faithfulness was the observance of the feasts. In Exodus 34:26 the LORD makes a subtle point in calling for the best first produce of the land to be offered to God. In this verse the Hebrew noun used as a synonym for \u05d0\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u201cerets\u201d is \u05d0\u05b2\u05d3\u05b8\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u201cadamah\u201d which means ground but can also mean land. Aside from a stylistic reason, the use of \u05d0\u05b2\u05d3\u05b8\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u201cadamah\u201d can also be a reminder to the last part of Genesis 12:3, part of the Abrahamic Covenant which is literally rendered as \u201c\u2026 in you all families of the ground (\u05d0\u05b2\u05d3\u05b8\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u201cadamah\u201d) shall be blessed.\u201d Lastly, Exodus 34:26 uses a possessive pronoun with ground \u201cadamah\u201d to make \u201cfirstfruits of your ground.\u201d Perhaps, the LORD is telling the Israelites that the land is really being promised to them and in the eyes of God is already theirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chapter 34 ends with the Sinai Covenant reinstated and a narrative of the shining face of Moses when he came down from Mount Sinai with the Commandments of God written in the 2 new tablets. The last chapters of Exodus (35 \u2013 40) then narrates the construction of the portable Tabernacle at Sinai that would be used by the Israelites later when they move towards the land promised to them by the LORD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We will continue next time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n God bless us all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. Negotiations for a temporary ceasefire deal are on-going even as the Knesset recently voted by a 68 – 9 margin to reject a 2-State solution with the Palestinians and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu prepares to fly to the US to speak before the Congress. The Houthis bombed Tel Aviv with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[6,7,9,8,5],"class_list":["post-439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ptr-art-calaguas","tag-church-of-the-risen-lord","tag-crl","tag-spiritual-refreshment-of-the-day","tag-upcemi","tag-upcrl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=439"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":440,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/439\/revisions\/440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}