Seder 133 Sermon: Deuteronomy 1---Moses' Rebuke

 In Jewish tradition the book of Devarim (a.k.a. Deuteronomy) is often described as Moses' final rebuke of the children of Israel.  The places listed in Deuteronomy 1:1 are associated with the nation's failures during the Exodus years, as laid out in the Targums.  There is implicit rebuke in verse 2, which notes that Israel spent 38 years on an 11-day journey.  

We have a tendency to view rebuke as a negative thing.  But in a sermon at Church of the Messiah on February 4, 2023, Kyle Kettering explained that rebuke can also be viewed positively, as encouragement that points to better results in the future.  A person who rebukes you is one who cares enough about you to do so and feels you are worth the time and effort. 

The book of Proverbs says that responding positively to rebuke is a characateristic of the wise.  "A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool," we read in Proverbs 17:10.  Ecclesiastes 7:5 adds, "It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools."

Kyle passed along some interesting Jewish traditions about rebuke.  One said there was a reason that Israel was blessed by an enemy (Balaam) and rebuked by a friend (Moses), rather than the other way around.  Blessings from an enemy and rebukes from a friend are recognized as genuine, while blessings from a friend and rebukes from an enemy may not be taken seriously.

Another tradition says that the nations rebuked Israel after the rescue of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace.  "You have a God like this, so why did you worship idols?" they wanted to know.  

Kyle reviewed the principle of rebuke in Lev 19:17 and the procedure for Chistian conflict resolution in Matthew 18:15-17.  He listed several purposes of rebuke:

• It can turn a brother away from error.
• It can create unity and harmony.
• It can take spiritual life to a new level.
• It can merit a reward---Proverbs 24:25.

He also talked about how to properly give rebuke, based on Matthew 18.  

Seder 124: Psalm 143---A Humble Prayer for Deliverance and Guidance

 Psalm 143 is one of a group of seven "penitential psalms" grouped together in Christian tradition---the others are 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130.  We see why it has been placed in this group in the first two verses, where the psalmist (traditionally David) appeals to God's mercy and faithfulness and then prays, "Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you."

Verse 2 expresses a truth affirmed throughout the Bible, the fact that no one is sinless.  When Paul asserts that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23), he joins a long line of biblical writers.  For example:  

Proverbs 20:9:  "Who can say, `I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin'?"

Ecclesiastes 7:20: "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins."

Psalm 130:3:  "If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?"

Mal 3:2:  "But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?"

1 Kings 8:46:  "If they sin against you---for there is no one who does not sin..."

The psalmist feels persecuted, discouraged, and alone.  He thinks about God's great works of redemption, and hopes for God's quck intervention in his own situation (vv 3-6).  

His prayer includes 

• request for deliverance and rescue.
• expression of confidence in God.
• a request for guidance.  He desires to do what is right.
• an appeal to God's faithfulness to his people, and for justice to be done with regard to his tormentors.

Overall he humbly submits to God, asking for both deliverance and guidance.