Parashat Ki Tisa

“I’m sorry everyone, I’ve got a load of things to do today and I’m in a hurry so I need to rush through this.” Hmm, have you noticed we are always in a hurry? This has to be done, that has to be done. Even in our work, pressure is on us to meet deadlines etc…

This week’s Sidra tells us that Moshe was still on the mountain with the L-rd and the people had become impatient waiting for Moshe to come down the mountain. He had been there nearly 40 days, he could be dead for all they knew, after all he was getting on in years.  So they demanded of Aharon to make them a god of gold. I could talk about how weak Aharon was buckling under pressure, but hey, don’t judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes. But I think you all know where I am going with this, their lack of patience led them into sin, a grave sin.

In the Messianic Writings, the letter to the Messianic Jews chapter 11 tells us that  Abel, Enoch, Noah and Abraham were all men of faith. Noah was a tzadikh in his own day; he had to wait 120 years before G-d did what he said he would do, and that was to destroy the earth. Avraham had to wait many years before Yitzchak, the blessing that G-d promised through his seed, was born. We are told that the delay was a time of testing for Avraham.

Again, because of her sin, Yis’rael’s entry into the promised land was delayed from 40 days to 40 years.

The Haftarah reading (M’lakhim Alef 18: 7 – 15).

G-d sends Eli’yahu to appear before Achav. On the way, he meets Ovadyah who was a steward in the palace, and who loved the L-rd.  Eli’yahu tells him to go ahead and tell the king that Eli’yahu was coming soon. Ovadyah was quite anxious about doing this as Eli’yahu had a reputation of not being where they thought he should be.  However, Eli’yahu assures him he will be there on that same day.

In life there is always a time of waiting.    We have to wait in a queue nearly every time we go to the supermarket.  We have to wait in a doctor’s surgery or a bank. If we order something by post or over the internet or eBay, we have to wait until it is delivered.  (And we watch for the postman every day until it comes, sitting by the window, wondering why he is late, again!  And you get on to the post office and have a go at those who don’t know anything about it, because you wanted it yesterday!!!!!).  (Joking)

We all know what it is like to wait. In Acts 1:4, Yeshua told the talmidim not to leave Yerushalayim until they had been immersed in the Ruach HaKodesh as the Father had promised.

When blessing comes from G-d there is nearly always a waiting period. And we are not to be idle or complacent; the talmidim in Acts 1 watched and prayed together until the day of Shavu’ot when the Ruach HaKodesh came upon them.

Yesha’yahu says in 40: 31: “But those who wait on the L-RD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Let us be people who ‘wait on the L-rd’. Let us rest in Him; if it means you have to get up an hour earlier, so be it.

Silently now, I wait for Thee
Ready my G-d Thy will to see
Open my eyes illume in me
Spirit Divine.

Torah: Sh’mot 32: 1- 6; Haftarah: M’lakhim Alef 18: 1 – 15; Messianic Writings: Acts 1.

Rabbi Boaz