Dear Friends in the Messiah Yeshua,
The Sadness of God
My desire was to write a very upbeat, joy-filled newsletter this month, but, as much as I tried, I could not escape the persistent impression in my spirit that God is sad. He is looking down from heaven on a world that He so loves (John 3:16) and sees evil spreading like a lethal disease across the globe. This is not what the Creator wants for His creation. A Good God desires good things for His children.
“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man” (Luke 17:26). What were the “days of Noah” like? We find the answer in Genesis 6:5-6, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”
Wickedness in Hebrew is ra-AHT. Evil is rah—רע. Genesis 6:6 in the New Living Translation says concerning man’s evil: “It broke His heart.” Perhaps we are like Israel in the wilderness after leaving Egypt: “How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember His power: the day when He redeemed them from the enemy” (Ps. 78:40-42).
What evil today is grieving God’s heart? We can begin with the widespread proliferation of the seven things that God hates as stated in Proverbs 6:17-19, “A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” Pride and arrogance are hallmarks of our secular society but have no place in the Body of believers. As I have said before, pride and bride are a terrible combination. Lies? Everywhere we turn—especially in the media. Lies concerning Israel and the war with Hamas. Lies in politics. Lies (and cover-ups) in the Church. This is especially painful to God. The shedding of innocent blood? (On July 15, 2022, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives voted 219-1 for no limits whatsoever on abortion. Please pray for their eyes to be opened and hearts softened.) Hearts that hatch evil plots? School shootings are one example. Discord. Disunity. God’s heart longs for unity—in His Land, in families, but most of all in His Body, His Bride. Division saddens Him. It is one of the major devices of the enemy—to divide and conquer. But God sees unity as “wonderful and beautiful” (Ps. 133:1, The Message).
Does God Have Emotions?
Yes, He does. Many scholars have listed seven emotions of God: hate, wrath, jealousy, sorrow, joy, compassion, and love. We see these often in the Tanakh as God interacts with Israel. God is the source of emotions, but He is not bound by them in the way that human beings are. God may grieve, but He is never crippled with grief. He is always in total control. “But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases” (Ps. 115:3). Our emotions are imperfect reflections of God’s perfect emotions.
As I continued to consider God’s present sorrow, Psalm 5:4-5 confirmed what God says in Proverbs. “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity.” While not “wicked” or “evil” or “boastful,” there is something that we as believers do today that makes God sad: We doubt His Love and His Goodness. We are like the servant in the Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25) who saw the Master as a “hard man” instead of a loving, generous, good Master. God’s love for us is unconditional. “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him” (Ps. 103:13). He says to us this month, “…Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you” (Jer. 31:3).
Saddest Month, Saddest Day
I did not realize, as I contemplated God’s sadness, that I would be writing for the month of Av— considered to be the saddest month of the Jewish, Hebrew calendar—a month of sorrow, yagon יגון (yah-GOHN) in Hebrew. Av begins the eve of Sunday, August 4, 2024, and ends at nightfall on September 3, 2024. It is the fifth month of the civil year. Why is the month of Av the saddest month of the year in Judaism? Because it has the saddest day of the year in it. The Ninth of Av, “Tisha B’Av,” is the day on which many of the worst disasters in Jewish history occurred: the destruction of Solomon’s Temple by the Babylonians (586 B.C.); the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans (70 A.D.); the expulsion of the Jewish people from England (1290 A.D.); the expulsion of the Jewish people from Spain (1482); and approval given to S.S. Commander Heinrich Himmler from the Nazi Party for the “Final Solution” which marked the beginning of the Holocaust. There are probably more tragedies that happened on the Ninth of Av. Tisha B’Av this year is August 13, 2024. It does not need to be a day destined for tragedy for Israel. By prayer, we can reverse the curse! Let’s agree for Israel to be blessed on Tisha B’Av this year—even in the midst of war!
Tisha B’Av is traditionally a 25-hour fast for traditional, religious Jews. The biblical Book of Lamentations is read in synagogues around the world since it details mourning for the destruction of Jerusalem. Liturgical dirges known as Kinnot קינות are also recited. In Israel, restaurants and places of entertainment are closed. In the U.S., most secular Jews do not observe Tisha B’Av, but Conservative Jews do. For them, happiness is decreased from the beginning of Av. The first nine days of the month, culminating on the Ninth of Av, constitute a period of intensified mourning.
Yeshua, Man of Sorrows
The prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 53:3 said that the coming Messiah would be a “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” This aspect of Yeshua is masterfully portrayed in the series “The Chosen.” I highly recommend watching it—via YouTube, The Chosen App, and other platforms. When you see the Messiah weep in Bethany at the death of Lazarus (John 11:35), it becomes clear that He wasn’t merely weeping because His friend had died. He was weeping over sin, unbelief, the sorrow of His friends, the sorrow that awaited Him, and so much more. When Yeshua cried, I saw God crying. As Yeshua said in John 14:9, “…He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”
Many times in The Chosen series, we see Yeshua sad as His disciples “just don’t get it.” For example, John and James, the two brothers, argued over who would be greatest in Yeshua’s coming kingdom. I fear that, like these first disciples, there are many areas in which “WE just don’t get it.” Lord, help us understand and walk in Your ways. Give us insight into Your kingdom that is not of this world. Empower us to fulfill the royal law of love.
Yeshua, the Man of Sorrows, is also our New Covenant High Priest. Fully God and fully man. As a man, He felt the whole gamut of human emotions so that He would be able to “get us” and be our help in our time of need. Hebrew 4:15 says it well: “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” We also read in the Book of Hebrews that our High Priest Yeshua offered up “…prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death…” (Heb. 5:7).
We see the Man of Sorrows in the Garden of Gethsemane after His final Passover seder with His disciples. He said to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, “…’My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death…'” (Matt. 26:38). Strong emotion. Agony, accompanied by sweat becoming like great drops of blood. Can you detect the sadness in the heart of the Messiah as He confronted the sin, rebellion, and unbelief of His beloved Israel? In His words, “‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD [Baruch Haba B’Shem Adonai]!'” (Matt. 23:37-39).
If you are sad today, the Messiah understands your sorrow. So does the Father. He even counts your tears. King David believed this. He said so in Psalm 56:8, “You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights, each tear entered in Your ledger, each ache written in Your book” (The Message).
From Sadness to Joy
Our God always moves from darkness to light (e.g. the biblical day), from sorrow to joy, from de- feat to victory. In the case of the month of Av, a key is found in the name of the month itself. Av is also the Hebrew word for “father.” Avi means “my father.” Avinu means “our father.” So God is there, even in the saddest month. Underneath the sorrow are His comforting arms. The month of Av, therefore, has been given another name: “Menachem Av” מנחם אב (meh-NAH-khem AHV), the “Month of Comfort.” Menachem means comforter or consoler. The idea of comfort during Av is also related to Noah, since the Hebrew noach means “rest,” but comes from the root nahum meaning “to comfort.” In the midst of sorrow there is comfort.
Comfort and joy. There are numerous examples in the Holy Scriptures where God turns sorrow to joy. In Esther 9:22 we see God turning a month from sorrow to joy and from mourning to a holiday. From sorrow to joy in Hebrew is miyagon l’simcha מיגון לשמחה (me-yah-GOHN leh-seem-KHAH). During the days of Nehemiah, as God’s people heard the Law of God, they were told, “‘…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Neh. 8:10). I have always loved Isaiah 35:10, “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow [yagon] and sighing shall flee away.”
Jeremiah, known as the “weeping prophet,” who mourned over the sins of God’s People Israel, prophesied of joy to follow Israel’s—and God’s—sorrow: “‘Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old, together; for I will turn their mourning to joy, will comfort them, and make them rejoice rather than sorrow'” (Jer. 31:13). One day, the Lord God will completely obliterate sadness and sorrow. “‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away'” (Rev. 21:4).
The period from Tisha B’Av (Ninth of Av) to Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets, is called “Shiva d’Nechemta,” “Seven Weeks of Comfort.” In other words, there are seven weeks to be comforted by the Lord, even as God’s people mourn the brokenness of creation and attempt to move forward toward repentance (t’shuvah).
There is a little known verse in Zechariah (8:19) in which it is prophesied that one day Tisha B’Av will no longer be the saddest day on the Hebrew calendar. “‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth [Tisha B’Av], the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.'”
In Yeshua, sorrow is turned to joy.
Giving God Joy
If you see that someone you love is sad, you probably want to do something to make them happy again. What about God? How can we bring joy to His heart? I suggest, first of all, that you ask Him. Try, “Abba, what can I do to give You joy?” Listen. For most of us, God will probably say, “Just spend time with Me.” He wants relationship with us more than anything else. Prayer. Talking to God. “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight” (Prov. 15:8).
Faith. Trusting God and His Word gives Him joy. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6).
Thankfulness. What parent doesn’t get joy from a child who appreciates them and all they do to bless them? I remember going shoe shopping as a child with my mother. When she bought me a pair of pretty new shoes, I would get so excited and thank her over and over that she usually bought me two pairs instead of one. Thankfulness moves the heart of God. Somehow I think it makes Him more inclined to lavishly give. Perhaps that is the meaning of Matthew 25:29, “‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance…'” Our daily confession should be: “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever [hodu l’Adonai ki tov, ki l’olam chasdo הודו ליהוה כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו ]” (Ps. 118:29)
Sharing with Others. When we love others and share with them, we are taking on God’s nature. This blesses Him. “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Heb. 13:16). “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (I Pet. 4:10). Loving our brothers and sisters in the Body of Messiah, across denominations, races, and cultures, blesses the heart of God. Unity. Fellowship. Bearing each other’s burdens—gives God joy.
Standing Firm in the Truth. Our God is a God of truth. We have already seen that He hates lying. His enemy, HaSatan, is the father of lies. God’s children, His Bride, should be known as people who are always truthful and never deceitful. “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Messiah” (Eph. 4:15). We must be strong and courageous today in order to take a stand for the truth as revealed in God’s Word. The truth about … abortion, marriage, gender, Israel, creation, the Bible, heaven, and hell. “Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name” (Ps. 86:11).
Being Fruitful. This gives God joy. “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10). Fruitfulness can mean many things. It includes growing in the fruit of God’s Spirit, increasing in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In other words, taking on the attributes of God so that He sees His character and the life of His Son forming in us. This was the joy set before Yeshua in Gethsemane.
Proclamation of a Special Day
There is a minor holiday in Israel that you probably won’t find on any calendar. It occurs on the 15th of Av—Monday, August 19, 2024, and is called “Tu B’Av.” This day, called Hag HaAhava, is all about LOVE and in secular Israel is the equivalent of Valentine’s Day in the U.S. It is celebrated with flowers, cards, romantic dinners, parties, singing, and dancing. In ancient times on Tu B’Av, women wishing to marry would wear white dresses (so none would know who was rich or poor) and dance outside Jerusalem’s walls to attract suitors. One of the underlying concepts of Tu B’Av is to think about all the important people in your life and make them feel appreciated, let them know what they mean to you.
My suggestion: Let’s all as ONE in Messiah, His Bride, children of ONE FATHER, celebrate Tu B’Av on Monday, August 19, 2024, by expressing to God, Avinu Malkeinu, our Father, our King, all that He means to us. Let’s do something to bring the Lord joy, and make Him feel appreciated. He is the Lover of our soul. There is no greater love. Our God is worthy of all our love and devotion.
Much Love in AVINU, OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN,
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