Weekly D'rash Vayelech

The Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is called Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath of Return. It takes place during the Ten Days of Awe when we are preparing for the Day of Atonement. The Torah and Haftarah Portions for the day (Deuteronomy 32 and Hosea 14) reflect the unchanging love of God, His disappointment and sadness about infidelity toward Him, a plea for repentance, and the promise of restoration. That is the theme of the holidays.

On Rosh Hashanah, when we threw a stone in the water, we were reminded of the passage in Micah 7:18–20, “Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities underfoot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and unchanging love to Abraham, which You swore to our forefathers from the days of old.”

On Shabbat Shuvah we read Hosea 14, which is one of the most beautiful descriptions of the restoration of Israel in the Bible. Verse 4 says, “I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from them”. Deuteronomy 32:43 says, “Rejoice, O nations, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance on His adversaries, and will atone for His land and His people.”

As Messiah followers, we have begun to experience the firstfruits of this promised restoration. We have an assurance of forgiveness, yet we must await the return of Yeshua to experience the fullness of our salvation. We have tasted the fruit of redemption and desire more. This should drive us to confession so that we can experience more of the forgiveness and cleansing that God promises. We want more of the love of God. As the psalmist wrote in Psalm 42:1, “As the deer pants for water brooks, so my soul pants for you O God”. This is why these holidays are so important to us. They are an invitation to drink deeply from the wells of salvation.

May Shabbat Shuvah draw us closer to Yeshua as we continue our journey of confession, forgiveness, cleansing and reconciliation.

Shabbat Shuvah Shalom!

Rabbi Howard