Rock Bottom
Shabbat shalom. Welcome to church of the Messiah.
I've called this teaching from Genesis 39 which is where our seder begins goes into 40. I called this rock bottom. Do you know much of the reading for this week? Yosef has been sold by his brothers. He was in a pit, which is bad. He was sold to some fish mate light switch was worse. He went down into Egypt which was bad for him. He was a servant to the house which was bad. He was accused of sexual assaults falsely with your dad when the prison bad just seems like it keeps getting worse and worse. For USF, then he hits rock bottom, but there's a nice thing about rock bottom and you won't know what it is the bounce. Nowhere to go but up. The first I want to say I want to talk about something that has no relation to rock-bottom. It's my parents anniversary today. Yeah.
What is better than that? It's their 50th. wedding anniversary today today, but I didn't know if they were going to be here. I just put these pictures in just in case this is a classic picture of from our family. I don't think they were married yet. They're just flirting with each other there on the sidelines of the soccer match at the University here. I think they are married. But I my parents been married 50 years. Each of their parents were married fifty years that is really a thing. And so I'm so very thankful for my parents can and Christy Kettering who demonstrated for me a stable home and a stable marriage. And one of the things that I learned growing up was that it wasn't always easy and I wasn't there for the first time in some of those first couple years I was there but I don't remember anything cuz I'm 44 and they're 50 years. So I don't really remember the first 10, but the rest of it I've been there. It's a really a thing to be married for so long and you guys you did it. So, thank you. Thank you.
That's your cue, just to give him some flowers and go to your class.
You say where's the diamond? Set where's the diamond?
Are you sitting here are passages for today? The stator? Is that a Genesis 39 goes in a 40 after Isaiah 52 into 53 which Tom has already share with us a bit, but that's really where I'm going today to we have for his Moline New Covenant passages out of Matthew and Luke, but I really want to focus say it on Isaiah 52 and 53, I think appropriately so and I wanted to review why I'm going to do it today those who have been here for the last seven or eight years. No certain liturgical schedule a certain reading schedule and it's not the typical one that might be in a Messianic synagogue or they have a annual meeting schedule in the time of appears to be another reading schedule and jigga man whose research we use I primarily for For the use of pathogen the links he made the statement in his first volume as he was researching this he was a professor at Hebrew it is well established that there was in Vogue in Palestine and he's using it in the normal term, but it wasn't loaded as it is today in Vogue in Palestine a triennial cycle of Korra readings meaning it seems as though in the land they went through the Moses readings not annually, but in three or three and a half years with the holidays took every 7 years, they got through it twice in a and so we have been using the schedule. We kind of been like Testing it playing with it adding some New Covenant readings looking for links and stuff like that. And we've come up with a few. These are just real basic. These are my ideas of what we think we saw there are to be linguistic Connections in these passages. That's how they they read the text. They use the prophet reading to link with the Seder reading by words. Not fiends. What's so wonderful about this reading scheduled is that there are so many Messianic theme Prophet readings. And the first time through this it was just like wow when they were just popping out a some of those Messianic steamed readings. You don't get an annual cycle. I'll let you be the judge of why this cycle is forgotten cycle that used to be in the land where they need for messiah to free them cuz they were under somebody else's ruled outside the land they have resigned themselves. They were just under somebody else's rules. Now. I may be great at Messiah comes but in the land they yearn for that and so we had more Messianic seen readings and today we hit one of those and then the sermons that came to heal. They used to give very short sermons in the synagogue. They did a readings which was the bulk of it and then prayer which was also maybe was even a little bit more than the reading and then 10 minutes get in get out. You know, we could all learn from their example. It's really short teachings. That's how they did but they were mostly from the prophets also. to hear our words and spying Egypt You lied and this is our key word today because I already referenced Yosef just keeps going down. in the story things just not good till he gets rock bottom. or for him Rock. We also have this word cana and lock all the Boston. He sold the people's but not a real reliable safe place. And they went down there because of famine recalled wasn't the first time they were enslaved over the next centuries. They would often like try to approach Egypt or favour or security but it wasn't a good security was like this problem says it untrustworthy friend like a broken tooth or an unsteady leg. Even Isaiah. Is it there they're called Egypt is called like a broken staff relying on a broken stick as a staff end up getting hurt at some point. They're really very helpful with kind of seemed like a safe place didn't always turn out to be a real safe place it was down In a sense, so we'll start Rock Bottom here in Genesis 39. Most of you are familiar with the story. We're not going to read this story cuz we're going to spend most of the time Isaiah fifty two words from 39 one. Now you assess had been brought down that's in the closet in the Hebrew into court official of follow commander of the Guard. He was an Egyptian.
Who had brought brought him down there and his brothers man didn't kill him. right end up selling the poor guy and he just has all these issues use the struggles the sojourns these Adventures these experiences. And their daughter dating right? I seen as he points out later when he saves them.
Don't even stress it Brothers. God brought me down here ahead of you to save lie.
But we get ahead of ourselves. I just wanted to point this out to show that this is the word you lied. And so is this in here and they are both in the causative formats structures in Hebrew and they kind of give you hints as to how the verb is getting used. And we have some passive. This isn't passive. This is the cause of Reform and so we can learn anything from this we could say he was caused to go down there wasn't just that he went down or he was taken down. You must cost in a sense God drove in there knowing what he would need in order to knowing what he would need to learn to be who he was like.
Most of his congregation know that there was kind of an up-and-down language as it relates to Jerusalem into the land you always go up to Jerusalem. You come down when you leave Jerusalem topographically a higher elevation in some places, but it's certainly not the highest place and it's real. I don't know how many 20 + Heights are higher than Jerusalem self. This is a high place, but spiritually it holds a place that it's very high. And so does the land we see this in the text you go up to Jerusalem you come down when you leave it's not just the elevation. Maybe it is some but it's more of a spiritual height. I need a spiritual understanding. This uses it all the time on the days of their purification were completed according to
The Jerusalem to present him later and if we see a certain man, this is just a story uses it to their going down. Dirico. Yeah, it's a lower elevation, but it's more than that. Is Robert beideman stripped him? He went away leaving him half-dead.
Taking the time to 12. He's heading to behold. We're about to go up. I don't know where they were in The Galley The Galley has some pretty high elevation as it is.
They were probably there and spiritually and their minds.
Later, we see an ax Loop talking again an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip and said get up and go towards the south on the road to go see it. We shall I answer that desert road, but it's not just that the biblical text carries along with other things. Yona would be a famous example of the author of Jana isn't attempting to in the same way. I think you'll see us as he's writing is getting us to think of how he's
Spiritually any life he's going down. You should maintains his fortitude and his spirituality. He doesn't spiritually when he doesn't do things that are degraded himself, but he is in a position that you and I would also say it's not really a great place to be unless we really want to think about the world and topsy-turvy terms. Sometimes you do go down to go up with Frank was pointing out and throw stuff in one kabbalistic since the greatest experience closeness with God isn't the sufferings. So there is that too. But you want is an example of this, right? He goes down to yafo. Jaffa goes down in the boat underneath the bottom of the hold. I mean Joel is a classic example of the author using your God. He went down to get you to realize he's just getting further and further away from the height, which is closer to God himself, which is the official language of spirit dwelt for so long. Here is a picture of me going down.
Now for the rest of the teaching, I don't want to be in Genesis. That's the backdrop you all know Yosef story. I kind of like summarized it at the beginning. It's in the backdrop. He goes to even being in the prison the dreams and he'll start to rise.
But he hits rock bottom. I want to go to Isaiah here in 52. And read their send the rest of our time and Isaiah 52 and 53. Again work go down and also miss liyanage of that sort out. Excuse me. Says the Lord God you were sold for nothing. That's pretty low. Just so you're all tracking with me. This is like a going down also from him. If you think about it anything in return I gave you away as a Ransom of Red Chief type stuff a wild story is play the kid was so wild the captors didn't want anything for him. Just take him take him back.
You were sold for nothing.
That's how much you were worth at this point. I didn't get any material value in return for you. That's low. And they're forming Everdeen you without money. I don't need money to redeem you. I can do it my way.
The Lord God my people went down to Egypt in the beginning. Yes. They did. We're look at two different stories here, right? This is the summary in the fastest way possible. It went down into Egypt was released and it took in there, but they got a price there and they also were taken away by the Assyrians Northern army, or the northern kingdom was taken away by the Assyrians later the southern Kingdom by the Babylonians cereal, press them without cause they're going down. now what do I have here to you and do it's commentary on this one about three or four different ways how to translate these versus cuz it's kind of a terse Neely. What is it for me? What should I do kind of he's asking this question at this point. What are my options?
What should I do here? Declares you pay by pay for my people. He's taken without calls and their rulers how my name is reviled continually all day there for my people. They shall know my name. I'm going to act now. I'm going to work my salvation plan and I'm going to act. Therefore in that day there for my people shall know my name therefore in that day that I am the one who speaks here. I am. You would have evolved and he bared his holy arm Through The Eyes of all the nations at all the ends of the Earth shall see.
And now you know the flow of Isaiah. It's like real bad things the first 39 chapters or so. Happy more pleasant thoughts chapters 4266 some people think to book Something free books because of this on the web for books because of this nevertheless there is definitely a change and heal in 40 and on and fear were getting both of it bad times, but here comes the bounce. I'm redeeming you. From this Exile from this bondage. From the suppression 2 part get out from there.
I said it's probably sign is before it even happens. He's telling them it will happen. You will be there, but look. Depart get out from their touch. No unclean thing go out from the next event keep playing you carry the vessels the holy vessels.
PeopleNet on that level for you shall not go out hurriedly, and I got to run away or Escape. You won't go out in flight.
Not like we didn't need to fill I guess they also went out sort of slowly there and maybe had to speed up a little bit later for you and your shirt my servant shall achieve success and as we talked before from this spot and Isaiah you get this term serve it for the people.
You sound is really called the servant of God, but also another sermon on the side represents the people he is a representative of the people as Messiah. And Isaiah 53 really brings that out to us. When is Easter and I think serving here actually is
maybe massage himself, but also the people they will be lifted up. It's often both somebody is one or the other but it's awesome though. Look my servant shall achieve success. He shall be exalted. He will be lifted up. He will be very high. I think the people could be there and apply himself could be there, but we definitely get a switch. And we're beginning to see it. Just as many were appalled you such was his appearance Beyond human disfigurement and his form beyond the sons of Adam. So he shall sprinkle many nations because of him Kings shut their mouths for they shall see what has not been told to them and they shall consider with full attention what they have not heard. We're going to keep going, but I want to pause here just for a second to talk about hitting rock bottom.
Yosef was going down to a place. You wouldn't want for him. He learned things about his God there. And you smile. Whether it's the slavery in Egypt or the oppression in the exile. What's worse to learn things? And sometimes on our way to the bottom. We are responsible as Tom pointed out earlier and sometimes we're not I just want to make it clear. Cuz we don't blame people for every bad thing that happens to them. Sometimes you walk into the helicopter blades of sin, and we feel the consequences of sin, but sometimes things just happen to us. Okay, it is both of those things.
The Rock Bottom may not be of our making
Drunk drunk driver kills a child and you have to live with that. or an illness
a sickness person harming another person
These are not of our making sometimes they are and sometimes they're not. Okay, so
I also just found a package of Deliverance or after hitting rock-bottom here several several places that deliver in SpaghettiOs with a cry. They cried out in Egypt and he heard so when you get down or I get down so low. Cries cries all you can do that cuz it has to says sometime during those many years the king of Egypt died and people get so grown up cry out in the cry for Rescue. From Slavery came up the god I said before it's hard to get certain teachings like this because I don't recall ever having hit really rock bottom and you guys try to laugh and trying to point out that I was in jail, you know, and I got really close to rock bottom, but I didn't go to jail. See that's the thing. That's the difference if I have been in jail a great Rock Bottom story though. It was even yesterday my son go to prison.
I was in jail for like 6 hours. It wasn't good. It wasn't pleasant. Believe me. There was some praying and some crying out and I had the potential to go to prison for 3 to 5 years or 10.
Brook Police Precinct in the clink for a couple hours while they do, you know took my picture and ran my fingerprints and stuff like that. I'm some some rock bottom is of our own making Ryan like I admit that was part of my own making.
And I sat there and I prayed a lot during those six hours.
It wasn't quite the cry that some people experience because of the hardships that they have experienced all so you don't have to cry he admits this continuing on that theme out of my distress. I called if you take all the pain he answered me from the belly of sheol.
And you heard my voice?
You get if you get to that spot and we pray it never happens. cry out it also seems to me looking at Isaiah that repentance and if not,
then there's repentance that really needs to be there. But what if it's not of our making been at least Purity needs to be the marks this salvation that God intends to bring it can't it can't happen with the without that was named as I put it in their repentance or pure marks the salvation. And it's supposed to cry and then it needs to happen shortly after the cry cuz the garage and get this attention and then shortly after but it has to be there from the text. So now we're starting the bounce can't get any lower James talks about this.
If somebody sick call the Elders help oil if the person I send them be forgiven implied in this whole scenario is that this sickness was related? This sickness not all sicknesses, but sometimes sicknesses are related to this and it needs to be considered on our part. You could actually take almost anything and say God is trying to get my attention to search myself.
summer of our making summer or not
and now we start to bounce. The good thing is you can only go up. I can't get any worse. Restart the Salvation through tension will go back to Isaiah. Cooper says earlier because we're starting the people are being encouraged at their salvation is coming in the side of every nation. All the ends of the Earth will see the salvation of our God touch. Don't touch anything unclean again. There is a purity that marks the Salvation we're leaving now. I started this process of saving you and I'm telling you leave all that stuff behind. Get out from it between you who carry the temple equipment. Skipping a little bit now. We're in the 53 and we'll read most of this chapter. It really flows. It's not like a separate Oracle it it's the same Oracle who believes our report to whom is the arm? About to light revealed. Before him he grew up the pronouns are so important here pronouns are always ambiguous in Hebrew, but the pronouns in here are just yeah, I've definitely missed them.
For him he grew up with a young plant like a root out of dry ground before this already today. You can rethink some of the things that Tom said he was not well formed or especially handsome opposed to yourself, right? Who is the text remarks? He's quite handsome many times tells us how handsome he is. Hard for this to be yourself. Actually, we saw him his appearance did not attract us. People despise and avoided him a man of pains well acquainted with illness.
Like someone from whom people turn their faces he was despised. And I would say that still exist this way.
I read this by the way firmly convinced that this is a prophetic Oracle talking about you shua of Nazareth. Not just a general Messiah character, but a specific person and Isaiah had an oracle given to him. That is too specific to be a general.
I know that's not the modern or the traditional the modern interpretation of
someone from whom people turn their faces. He was despised. We did not have the house with him. In fact, it was our diseases. He bore our pains. From which he suffered yet for all that. We were punished stricken afflicted by God, but he was wounded because of our crimes he was crushed because of our sins the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him and by his bruises we are healed.
I know some say this can't be sure this is talking about it's real. And the pronouns makeup in my mind very hard to rationalize.
Because though there are wounds and sicknesses that you sell except it's not because the sins of the world placed on them that we get healed like they're not vicarious for the rest of the world in this sense.
Vicarious atonement is a concept in the Jewish world. I bring the paper on this while I was in the others have noticed it to in the rabbinic literature. There is vicarious atonement that is there and I'll even point out one passage a little bit later from the stages, but you'd almost have to say that it's been nation's saying this thinking it's real. I just didn't it doesn't square with it so much easier actually to say this is a person.
and Dee's events, which we read. Arm a full day are realized in the person of you. Sure.
We all like sheep went astray return each one to his own way yet. You would have I'll be laid on him. The guilt of all of us do mistreated. He was submissive. He did not open his mouth like a lamb led to be slaughtered like a sheep silent for shears. He did not open his mouth after forcible arrest and sentencing he was taken away and none of his generation protested his being cut off from the land of the living. Who is it? Who is this?
He was cut off from the land of the living for the crimes of many people who deserve the punishment themselves. He was giving a grave among the wicked and his death. He was with a rich man, although get done to Weiland's. Or interaction deceptive yet it pleased I don't know how to crush him with illness to see if he would present himself as a guilt offering if he does he will actually see his offspring he will prolong his days and that his head out of my desire will be accomplished.
After this ordeal, he will see Satisfaction by his knowing pain and sacrifice. My righteous servant makes many righteous. It is for their sins that he suffers.
Therefore I will assign him a share with a great you would have by the way with the money for having exposed himself to death and then counted among the Sinners couple actually bearing the same a mini there seating for the offender.
to write
because God is working a plan. He's working a Salvation plan. and I amazed at this Oracle that Isaiah saw this thing that he saw this prophetic word that he was given. to write down because it is encouragement to us and it has for centuries been used among people who follow your shoe as a a thing 2.2 and say
This is what our Lord did for us. This is what we believe you should did for mankind. She went down to the depths. He took the illnesses the sicknesses the sins the iniquity on himself.
The great the great comeback out of the out of the Grave for us so we could raise to life with him. But you know a lot of cynical Scholars think that most of the profit writings happen after the fact after thing happens a profit knows that it's happened. They write about it as if they were before it happening, but this can't be that no one thinks Wing some other with it relates to someone else and do like the people of Israel, but it didn't always get explain to that way. And I want to encourage anyone who tries to use this passage be confident using this passage. You don't have to avoid this passage.
It's not like we're just picking random passages that have a somewhat of a loose connection that to Rich. That is too good. And it shows how we feel about ourselves. We were that we were rock bottom.
And he went to the Rock Bottom for us or with us and raised us up. We raised with him. The Babylonian talmud Shabbat 9098 be most of you have seen this before. This demonstrates that in fact the ancient sages who is Isaiah 53 and referenced it as Messiah even after his she was life. They reference Isaiah 53 as relating to a dumbass. I figured the world was created and they start throwing out secret names of Messiah the really aren't that secret. Right? What do we have you known Menachem and they got all these explanations for him. And then we read the rabbi said one of his name's is leper leprous the leper scholar and then explain while a scholar as it is written. There is an element. recognizes that massage suffers
it was still in their theology even went out as being laid down. Surely he bore our griefs. He carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed him a leopard. Stay away from us spend of God flicted. They're calling him leper scholar in the story about being at the gates of Rome being a leper bandages some some enrolled agent one time and then re-bandaged. He just bandages one at a time because he never knows when he has to go. It recognizes that they didn't always welcome Messiah with open arms.
And in fact, Isaiah 53 was linked with Messiah. Don't be afraid to use the passage. Another five a dealing with your saline shall have all these afflictions of love this whole argument off lichens of love that God loves. That's kind of weird.
Rava in the name of Rob song in the name of five who not making nobody want to put our name on. I don't know. Maybe I want to keep giving other people.
The Holy One Blessed Be he is pleased when he is pleased with the crushes him with painful sufferings. When he's pleased with him.
Why do I have a lot from that moment from that rock bottom?
As it says the Lord with kids with him, but he crushed him with disease.
This passage has been important Central or critical to our explanation of who issue is his role as Messiah but not as a messiah.
To overthrow his room the first time or not the way they expected the first time.
Don't shy away from that.
that chapter Just because the modern Jewish interpretation says it's only it's real close with this magazine is no in Cleveland area and I got a lot of my Grandpa's stuff when he passed and I got all these magazines old magazines and I was reading most of them. I got rid of it as a tribute to this very unique man. Zika lesser, who knows maybe you've heard that you have it and I happens to pull a book off my shelf when I was much younger and I read about visiting this Polish boy post you grew up in the Warsaw Ghetto survive, you know sewage pits like just crazy into the Israeli military was in all the wars that is really thought the old gold Awards was like Mine diffuser shouldn't be alive, but this guy. He came to faith in you short and just loved issue any would talk to anybody on the street at all these pictures of him talking to ultra-orthodox. As an old man baseball cap, you know just like looks a little out of place to go in the Northwest Orthodox Place possible. Go right into the Yeshiva just sit down until there was a tribute to him. In this magazine because he had passed and I guess it was 15 the spring of 2015. And this person who knew him is writing. about his amazing life
And maybe they treat him kindly cuz he was an old man and was stalking and kindly.
The article says I would listen and you Shiva not understanding a word because of conversation was totally in Yiddish later that he would explain everything to me and I don't even take pictures of him in the strictly forbidden but no one said anything to me like the Amish acidic do not want their pictures taken. They often hide their faces from the camera.
They often hide their face or confiscate a camera that was never the case when I was with Sophie. I know of no other believer in his fellow who is as bold as he and when it's a Yeshiva to share his fate. He would also go into any random synagogue and those Orthodox part of town. He would take out of Bible at this bookcase. He would turn to Isaiah 53, he would tap me on the shoulder and he would ask. Who is this talking about?
Accusatory questions the real question is y'all got a lot of actual real question. We think they're all like trapped. It's a real question. Who do you think this is what they're talking about here often answers. I don't know. Let me go ask someone.
Because it tends to be a chapter that's not read a whole lot or discussed a whole lot but it is in this reading cycle. We just passed right into it. So it was worth spending time. This is our God sending. His own sermon sermon discloses his son. to Bear our iniquities to carry our sicknesses in a Hertz This is our message to the world, which I I think is a really wonderful message, but we might not be really good communicators of the The Wonder of this message.
God himself made a way for us.
To recover out of our how far is Rock Bottom out of our pit. I parked onion. He made a way for us something about that.
So great is his love he did something. So God like the God we serve.
compassionate gracious Bundy and mercy
slow to anger all those things. That's what we know.
so he redeemed us with his own son.
I pray it will be finished.
Father in heaven, I'm so thankful for all your
writing to us the people that you use you inspired to write down things that are copying copying and have made it into our hands Psalms are encouraging when we're sad.
Parts of the text help us understand who we are and why we are the way we are.
Read hot shoe and how he I care for people. Judging or argumentation really didn't need to be staying he was he was recovering lost sheep of his cell and then we were part of that mission to take to the world somebody took.
His message to the world and because of that we're here most of us are of the world.
the back of the store really see something like Isaiah 53 + 52 What's up, thankful.
What is Oracle describes so clearly we seen later. I know a cynic would say well they fashioned their new testament narrative to Accord with that. I don't believe that. I believe you miraculously can speak to a person sensitive to your spirit to write down things that are so crystal clear I can be so clear for a person with an open mind. and it is so to me so representative of how you are Yes, we have been separated from you. Yes, we went into a dungeon of our own making and you made a way for us to return to you and closeness you made a way. Salvation store you worked your plan for each of us. And for those of our loved ones who do not know you do not think you continue to work a plan. You never stop working.
Pray for them and thinks them. We don't want to go to Rock Bottom. But you go with us when we're there and you make a way for us to ride with you. All right with you sure when we trust his person as way.
Places to make a swing over here from here with this wonderful news. Can you shoot?