Shabbat Shalom!  I’ll start by praising the Lord that even though we are physically distant we can still connect with each other for service and Torah Club.  We miss you all very much but are thankful to be able to worship with you virtually until we can all be together again.

This week in Tzav we have more instructions concerning the sacrifices – the burnt offerings, grain offerings, sin offerings, guilt offerings, and peace offerings.  As always, the Lord has an order to things, and the peace offering is always last in that order.  There is a wonderful statement in Torah Club: Shadows of Messiah this week, where it is explaining that the order of the sacrifices teaches us about approaching God, “Only after the impurity of sin has been cleansed and the self has been surrendered to God is the worshiper ready to enjoy peace and fellowship with the Almighty as symbolized by the peace offering.”  The peace offering is sometimes called the fellowship offering.  A portion of the offering is for the Lord, a portion is given to the priesthood, and the rest is for the giver and shared with others in fellowship.  Therefore, the peace offering gives the worshiper the opportunity to fellowship with the Lord, the priesthood, and his fellow man.

Psalm 34 describes peace as something we should pursue…

Psalm 34:12(11)-15(14)

12 (11) Come, children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of Adonai.
13 (12) Which of you takes pleasure in living?
Who wants a long life to see good things?
14 (13) [If you do,] keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from deceiving talk;
15 (14) turn from evil, and do good;
seek peace, go after it!

To pursue peace means we have to take action, we have to look for it, find it, cultivate it.  Obviously, peace is something that everyone wants, right now especially, with the world full of uncertainty.  This week during devotional time with the kids the devotion (Jesus Calling for Kids, April 2nd) noted that one our greatest needs is for His Peace.  It went on further to describe the Lord as the Gardener of our hearts and where He is planting seeds of peace but the world is also sowing seeds that become weeds of pride, worry, and selfishness.  If you have ever gardened, you know the best way to get rid of weeds is to not let them grow or they will take over your life!  It’s also easier to pull them up after rain or watering.  When the ground is soft and wet it takes very little effort to rid your garden of the pesky invaders.  It is the same for the garden of our hearts, taking in the living water of His Word is the surest way to more easily rid ourselves of the weeds of pride, worry, and selfishness and leave us only with the fruit of His Peace.  

Like the peace offering described in this week’s parsha, the opportunity to enjoy the fruit of His Peace does require us to sacrifice, but instead of an animal from our flock, it is a sacrifice of our time.  When we make this sacrifice and sit at His feet, fellowship with Him in His Word, peace is cultivated in our hearts.  Only then will we have the fruit of His Peace to share with those the Lord has given us the opportunity to fellowship.  If we pursue His Peace, we will have His Peace to share.  We know there are so many right now in desperate need of His Peace.  As His children, let’s pray that He will show us how we can be used at this time to spread His Peace to those who do not know Him.

I hope and pray that you all are well and stay well.  I pray that as we feel the weeds choking in on the peace that is available to us in Messiah, that He will remind us to drink from His Living Water and be refreshed by His Peace.  In Yeshua’s Name… Amen

I will end with the entirety of Psalm 34.  May it remind us all that He is taking care of us and will take care of us through it all…  Shabbat Shalom

Samantha Dotson

Psalm 34 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

34 2 (1) I will bless Adonai at all times;

his praise will always be in my mouth.

3 (2) When I boast, it will be about Adonai;

the humble will hear of it and be glad.

4 (3) Proclaim with me the greatness of Adonai;

let us exalt his name together.

5 (4) I sought Adonai, and he answered me;

he rescued me from everything I feared.

6 (5) They looked to him and grew radiant;

their faces will never blush for shame.

7 (6) This poor man cried; Adonai heard

and saved him from all his troubles.

8 (7) The angel of Adonai, who encamps

around those who fear him, delivers them.

9 (8) Taste, and see that Adonai is good.

How blessed are those who take refuge in him!

10 (9) Fear Adonai, you holy ones of his,

for those who fear him lack nothing.

11 (10) Young lions can be needy, they can go hungry,

but those who seek Adonai lack nothing good.

12 (11) Come, children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of Adonai.

13 (12) Which of you takes pleasure in living?

Who wants a long life to see good things?

14 (13) [If you do,] keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from deceiving talk;

15 (14) turn from evil, and do good;

seek peace, go after it!

16 (15) The eyes of Adonai watch over the righteous,

and his ears are open to their cry.

17 (16) But the face of Adonai opposes those who do evil,

to cut off all memory of them from the earth.

18 (17) [The righteous] cried out, and Adonai heard,

and he saved them from all their troubles.

19 (18) Adonai is near those with broken hearts;

he saves those whose spirit is crushed.

20 (19) The righteous person suffers many evils,

but Adonai rescues him out of them all.

21 (20) He protects all his bones;

not one of them gets broken.

22 (21) Evil will kill the wicked,

and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

23 (22) But Adonai redeems his servants;

no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.