Musing – Is there a fifth “Kind” in the Lulav?

Hebraic Musing – Is there a fifth “Kind” in the Lulav?

There are four “kinds” of fruit God mentions when He tells us how to celebrate the seven day feast of Tabernacles with a Lulav --  “On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.” Lev. 23:40 NIV  

Remember -- the seven day feast of Tabernacles/Booths/Sukkot is all about fellowship with God and one another. Yesterday was the last day.

There is a traditional teaching of the symbolism for each variety of fruit and how they represents each of four different kinds of people and their Torah, or Biblical understanding.  The traditional fruit waved before the Lord are--

The citron both smells and tastes good and represents a person who has attained wisdom from the Bible and also performs good deeds.
The myrtle has a good fragrance but is inedible, so it symbolizes a person who does good deeds but hasn’t learned from the Bible.
The date palm is edible but has no smell and thus representing a person who has wisdom but doesn’t engage in good deeds.
Finally, the willow doesn’t have taste or aroma, so it represents a person with neither wisdom nor good deeds.

A unique consideration – There is a cord that is used to bind this bundle of fruit together.  What might that cord represent?  Is there a fifth kind of person symbolized in the assembled Lulav?  Is there a fifth kind of person who binds all of the types of persons together in unity?   “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!”  Ps 133:1  NIV

How often we find strife between the brothers who might represent different kinds of fruit.  I have heard those differences called denominations, churches, nations, cultures or “the guy who doesn’t agree with me.”   So, even if my friends don’t agree with me, we are still friends.  BTW, my definition of a stranger is “a friend I have not met yet.”   

Why did this song come to mind?

♫  Chorus  Bind us together, Lord, bind us together    With cords that cannot be broken,
Bind us together, Lord, bind us together    Bind us together with love.
♫ There is only one God.  There is only one King. There is only one body. That is why we sing…   (REPEAT CHORUS)

Point to Ponder

No matter which type of fruit we represent,
how can we be the CORD that cannot be broken?

Shalom Chaver (friend)                                                          October 6, 2015         

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd,   Author:                                                            

“Hebraic Insights”  “Biblical_Marriage” “Musings v.1 – A Victorious Life”
“Musings v.2 – The Torah and New Testament” Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   www.InsightsByYosef.com

Musing - Why didn’t someone warn me?

Hebraic Musing - Why didn’t someone warn me?

Two weeks ago I shared my testimony of the day I fell to my knees and said “Jesus Christ you are real. I need to learn more about you.”  (And I am hoping that you will all share your testimonies with me as well.)  That day in August 1977 I received in my being the “Good News” of God’s salvation.  With tongue in cheek, may I share what began to happen to me ever since that wonderful day?  Here are some things I’m glad I did not realize at that moment:

1.      There began a war inside me right after the initial honeymoon period.  I had the Holy Spirit on the inside; and my old flesh was on the outside.  And battle royal was on, with me in the middle!

2.      It wasn’t long before I realized I was not my own!  There was my conscience, a voice, that started reminding me of things I should not be doing that I had previously enjoyed doing.  That list is long, but fortunately, the Holy Spirit worked on those items one at a time.  But He always has one more in front of me to wrestle with.  That started 38 years ago; so I see a lot of trash when I look over my shoulder.

3.      As if life was not busy enough, now I had yet another master, another Boss, to serve; and Christian ministries became time-consuming.  Hmm…who gives me time?

4.      It was not easy to give up hanging around with some of my old friends. (Until I was better grounded)

5.      After a while involvement with Business Men’s Fellowships (& FGBMFI) was exciting, challenging and time-consuming.  With as many as 200 or so members and large dinner meetings from which to minister, there was some frustration because the most effective ministry was in the one-on-one situations.  Even the breakfast/lunch meetings with 5-30 guys were only marginally effective until one-on-one situations arose.  Voices and advisors told me to draw a crowd.  But I had to realize God didn’t tell me to draw a crowd. He called me to make disciples. Discipleship is messy and time-consuming, requiring one-on-one ministry. But it is the fruit of ministry.

6.      Frustration was an still is experienced all too often when friends and loved ones are not ready or willing to share my passion for Jesus Christ.  I still suffer from this frustration.  How can others not understand the importance of this decision?   Frustration!!!

7.      Every guy is a competitor and I am a “Competition Addict”. Sometimes that attitude gets in the way.  For example, when I was elected/appointed president of the Vista/Fallbrook chapter of the FGBMFI, the past president was supposedly retiring.  But he opened up another Chapter in Fallbrook with some members following to the neighboring city.  The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, until I realized we were both working for the Kingdom of God and not for “our own” ministry.

8.      Since I was born-again in the Catholic Church and my family was all in the A of G church and had a solid Baptist grounding, my walk started with a lot of distracting “Churchy Issues”.  And then we started moving around the country and the world with more church and denomination changes.  I didn’t realize my call to learn more about Him would lead to so much consternation with denominational issues.

9.      Dumb me.  I initially thought that accepting Christ and being a Christian would be a Sunday or week-end job.  Turns out it has been a full-time job.  My Father God has found His way into everything I do.

10.  Discipling my family was to me my first priority; but since they were already born-again, they wound up discipling me. Did they do a good enough job?  No.  Now I suffer from “Inspirational dissatisfaction.

Yeshua tried to tell me in red letters “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.   For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  Matt 11:29-30 CJB     Why didn’t someone tell me about the challenges of being a Christian?

Point to Ponder

Has your walk been a challenge?  Or have you found His burden to be light?

BTW – I am not complaining!                                                            September 29, 2015   

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd,   Author:                                                            

“Hebraic Insights”  “Biblical_Marriage” “Musings v.1 – A Victorious Life”
“Musings v.2 – The Torah and New Testament” Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   www.InsightsByYosef.com