Torah Trails
Rabbi Yehudah “Tochukwu” ben Shomeyr
Kristopher Shoemaker
#2 Noach
Gen.
6:9-11:32
Isa.
52:13-55:5
Matt.
24:36-44
Gen. 6:9,
7:6,11, 9:1,8,9,11,28
Society is
geared toward the youth. Marketing’s targets group is the young, the next
generation. We’ve been programmed to believe that the newest and the latest is
the best and a must have.
Society
seems to forget all too easily that the vast majority of dumb mistakes and
regrets made in one’s lifetime happen in our ignorant sophomoric youth. We have
such short memories that the bugs, glitches and crashes of the “latest” and
“newest” gadget is forgotten, all we know is that we have to be the first to
get our hands on the latest technology regardless of the bugs and glitches.
The simple,
old and antique gets labelled as quaint and obsolete. But that stuff will be in
vogue, in high demand and the latest “must have” when the power goes out and
the batteries die.
The latest
synthetic flavor fad can never replace what age and maturity can bring to one’s
pallet; consider wine and cheese, the older the better.
The elderly
are looked over, ignored, neglected, shoved in a corner and are seen as an
inconvenience and so many of them are put away in a home from the public eye,
out of sight, out of mind. After all, the world belongs to the youth! Our
society seems to forget that with age comes experience and wisdom.
Have you
ever noticed that the vast majority of Scripture shows us that it was the aged
and the elderly who did the most poignant, world changing things? Sure, David
the shepherd boy slayed the giant, but the older, battle worn, adult King David
established the Kingdom of Israel as a major power in the region and began the
Messianic dynasty that would culminate in the coming of Yeshua the Messiah!
Abraham
didn’t have Isaac until he was 100 year old (Gen.17:17)!
Moses was 80
years old when he led the Children of Israel out of Egypt in the Exodus (Exd.
7:7)!
Much of
God’s people did the greatest work for Him after the age of retirement! If your
still young and you’ve done some pretty amazing stuff already, you have seen
nothing yet! The best is yet to come! If you are old and have done it all, just
wait, the best is yet to come, you haven’t seen nothing yet! God’s not finishes
with you until your six feet underground!
In this
weeks Torah Portion, we learn that Noah was 600 years old when he and his sons built
the Ark and saved man and animal kind form obliteration!
Don’t believe
the devil’s lies that you’re too old, what does God need or what use does he
have with an old bag like you? The best is behind you, your washed up, out of
date and out of touch! You’re a has-been!
NO!
My friend,
the best is yet to come! You have yet to compose your Magnum Opus, you have yet
to do your greatest work for God!
If you are
considered “old”, the Kingdom needs your wisdom, experience, expertise and your
vast practical knowledge. God needs such Generals in His Army. Few remember the
individual, the foots soldiers and grunts, the ground pounders who won the
battle unless they did something out of the ordinary. It’s the Commander and
Generals who are usually remembered for battles won, men such a Grant, Patton, MacArthur, Swartzkoff, etc.
Isa. 54:8-10
Have you
screwed up royally? Sinned big time? Fallen in public view? Failed and let down
everyone around you? Lost your street cred and reputation? Think it’s all over
and you’re unredeemable?
FORGET ABOUT
IT!
Don’t believe
satan’s lie! As long as you truly and genuinely repented, it’s not over, you
have been forgiven and can be restored!
Abraham and
Isaac lied to a King out of fear, Moses killed an Egyptian taskmaster, David
was a murderer and an adulterer, Jonah was a bigot and ran from God, Nebuchadnezzar
went insane, Job lost it all, Samson couldn’t keep his vows, Paul had believers
killed, Peter betrayed Messiah, but it wasn’t over for any of them! Abraham and
Isaac fathered the Tribes of Israel, Moses led Israel of of Egypt, David finished
his reign restored and his son Solomon succeeded and secured the Kingdom, Jonah
ended up being a catalyst to bring a whole nation to repentance, Nebuchadnezzar
got his Kingdom back, Job got all he lost back double, Samson defeated the Philistines,
Paul became the greatest Apostle the Gentiles had ever seen and Peter repented
and was restored! Again, it’s not over till your six feet under and pushing up
daisies!
Many of our
Heroes of the Faith did their greatest work for God AFTER their greatest fall!
God’s not finished with you yet!
Matt.
24:36-44
How do I
know God’s not finished with you yet?
Well, your
reading this, so you’re not dead and Messiah hasn’t returned yet.
So “Noah”,
Messiah’s returning, how does He want you to prepare for His return? What’s
your “Ark”? I can’t answer that for you, that’s between you and God. All I know
is the time is short and there is a lot of work left to be done.
“Abba YHWH
Elohim, Thank You that You’re a merciful and forgiving God; waiting to restore
the fallen. You are not finished with us yet. You are the God of 2nd
chances. You have a work for us to do, what is it LORD? Show each and every one
of us Abba! In Yeshua’s Name, Amen!”
Memory
Verses: Gen. 6:9-10, Isa. 55:5, Matt. 24:46-47
