Daily Bread — Friday, August 9, 2024
Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people. Let his hands be sufficient for him, and may You be a help against his enemies. (Deuteronomy 33:7) The tribe of Judah, as we know, is the royal tribe from which the Davidic line would descend. Therefore, in...
4 Av — His Rod of Correction
It was on this day, in 444 B.C., that Nehemiah began to rebuild the city walls of Jerusalem. Previously, Nehemiah had been in Persia serving the king as his cupbearer. When he heard that the city of Jerusalem lay in ruins, he lamented and he cried out to the Lord to...
Daily Bread — Thursday, August 8, 2024
Let Reuben live, and not die, nor let his men be few. (Deuteronomy 33:6) Though much of Moses' blessing for the people was directed to the entire nation, he also was very specific with each of the tribes. If the overall nation was going to succeed in what God called...
3 Av — How God Uses The Adversary
It was on this day, in 1881, that the first shipload of Russian Jewish immigrants landed in New York City. The significance of this is that it marked the beginning of a mass immigration of Eastern European Jews to America. They brought with them a strong commitment to...
Daily Bread — Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Moses commanded a law for us, a heritage of the congregation of Jacob. (Deuteronomy 33:4) In the previous devotion, we discussed the importance of a heritage and how it is distinguished from an inheritance. What has been entrusted to God's people is for all time and...
2 Av — Guided By The Spirit
It was on this day, in 1492, that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain signed a decree expelling all Jews from Spain. This expulsion culminated on August 2nd of that same year, which was the 9th of Av on the Hebrew calendar. It just so happened that the Jewish...
Daily Bread — Tuesday, August 6, 2024
Moses commanded a law for us, a heritage of the congregation of Jacob. (Deuteronomy 33:4) In these few words much can be understood about the devotion our Jewish friends have for the Torah. First of all, the words delivered to Moses by the mouth of God were not a...
1 Av — That We Might Know Him
According to tradition, it was on this day that Egypt was afflicted with the plague of the frogs. This plague, along with the other plagues, was designed to bring the king of Egypt into submission to God’s plan, which was to let Israel go into the wilderness. But...
Daily Bread — Monday, August 5, 2024
He loves the people; all His saints are in Your hand. They sit down at Your feet; everyone receives Your words. (Deuteronomy 33:3) What does Moses mean when he says that God “loves the peoples”? Is he referring only to the people of Israel or do these words imply all...
29 Tammuz — There’s Something In The Dirt
It was on this day, in 1955, that the Yarkon water project was opened. This project supplied water to the Negev, which is a desert region in southern Israel. Since 1948, the Israeli people have worked very hard to transform what was a vast wasteland into a veritable...
Daily Bread — Sunday, August 4, 2024
The Lord came from Sinai .... From His right hand came a fiery law for them. (Deuteronomy 33:2) When God presented the covenant to Israel, it was amidst a display of fire, lightning and thunder. It was so overwhelming that the people, standing at the foot of the...
28 Tammuz — The Prophecy Of The Priestly Blessing
It was on this day, in 1733, that Jewish settlers arrived on the second ship ever to reach the colony of Savannah, Georgia. Accompanying them on this voyage was the first ever Torah scroll to find its way to the colony of Georgia. This particular Torah scroll and...