“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth below, for the heavens will dissipate like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment, and its inhabitants will die, as well, but My salvation will be forever and My righteousness will not be broken.” Yeshayah (Isaiah) 51:6
As I put this Op together, it is 18 October 2024, the second full day of Sukkot. The world is in chaos, wars and rumors of wars are erupting across the globe, economic stability is quickly collapsing while men and women obsessed with acquiring power and wealth dominate each and every day as we quickly approach the time of voting in America.
Additionally, Israel has been at war on seven fronts for over an entire year now as the world grows more disgusted and irritated by Israel’s continued military victories, only brought about by the Hand of HaShem, the Guardian of Israel! We are truly watching biblical prophesies come to pass almost on a daily basis now!
The ones who are striving to walk with HaShem and learn and apply His Torah to our lives, are facing unprecedented troubles today, unlike any other time before! Truly it is a time of great heartache and trouble and no one is immune…we all are in the midst of a very great time of trouble and only holding onto HaShem and His promises are going to see us through to the other side! It all does seem to be very bleak and hopeless at the moment, but this is NOT reality! Below are a partial list of His promises:
- HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
- His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
- He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
- He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
- He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
- He says His Torah is the ONLY truth there is per Psalms 119:142
- He says His Torah is a tree of life and eternal per Proverbs 3:18-19 and Psalm 119:160
- He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
- He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
- He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm 119:45 and James 1:25
- He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
- He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
- He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
- He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
- He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
- He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
- He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
- He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
- He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
- He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
- He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
- He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
- He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36
- He says His Torah is the way of faith per Psalms 119:29-30
- He says His Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
- He says His Torah is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path per Psalms 119:105
- He says one who finds His Torah has found life per Proverbs 8:35
- He says one who finds His Torah has found favor from HaShem per Proverbs 8:35
- He says Messiah Yeshua is the GOAL of His Torah, meaning without His Torah, Messiah cannot be known per Romans 10:4
- He says if we had believed Moshe/Torah, we would have believed Messiah per John 5:46
- He says His salvation is far from the wicked for they sought not His Torah per Psalms 119:155
- He says to hold fast to and guard His Torah, for it is our life per Proverbs 4:13
- He says His Torah is the bread of life per Proverbs 9:5
“To whom can you liken Me that I should be his equal? says the Holy One. Raise your eyes on high and see Who created these things! He brings forth their legions by number; He calls to each of them by name; by the abundance of His power and by vigor of His strength, not one is missing!” Yeshayah (Isaiah) 40:25-26
The purpose of this Op is to reiterate what HaShem has stated to humanity from the beginning, when things look bleak and hopeless, look up to the sky, especially at night, see the stars, the galaxies, the comets, the moon, the planets, etc, and know every single one has a specific name, a specific function and a specific purpose!
Consider the following excerpt from one of my favorite books published by Artscroll titled ‘My Father, My King’ authored by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin. Chapter 55 is entitled ‘Lift up your eyes’ and says the following: “Hear your Father, your King, the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, saying to you: ‘Lift up your eyes and see the heavens that I created. Let this fill you with awe and love. Lift up your eyes and contemplate the vastness of what is above you. Think about the size of your solar system. Think about the size of your galaxy. Think about the size of all that is already known about outer space and the multitudes of galaxies and about the galaxies as yet unknown. Realize that all this I have created for you!
When you are feeling low, lift up your eyes and remember that I am with you. When you need a spiritual boost, lift up your eyes and feel the energy flowing from the entire universe into your soul. When you need strength to conquer your yetzer hara (Evil inclination), lift up your eyes and feel your strength intensified.
When you want inspiration, lift up your eyes and hear your loving Father and powerful King ennobling you. For that is the purpose of this Creation. Lift up your eyes and see visions of greatness. Lift up your eyes right now!”
So, when we are feeling overwhelmed, weak and crushed from whatever the times of trouble are currently sitting on each of us, HaShem has given us something we can easily look too…all we have to do is look up into the sky and see HaShem’s vast Creation i.e. the Sun the Moon the Stars, etc. Tehillim (Psalms) says it best in Tehillim 8 “When I behold Your heavens, the works of Your Fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place…What is the frail human that You should remember him? And what is the son of mortal man that You should be mindful of him?”
The commentary on these verses from Tehillim 8 says “To HaShem, the creation of a colossal star is no more difficult than the creation of a tiny gnat. Rav Saadiah Gaon writes ‘We find the term ‘Finger’ of HaShem regarding the creation of three things i.e. the stars and planets, the Tablets of the Covenant and the plague of lice.’ The stars represent the greatest of all physical masses, for no creation exceeds their size. The lice are among the smallest and most despicable of creations. The Tablets of the Covenant are smaller than the stars yet far greater in splendor. Although these three differ vastly, they are all described with the identical Hebrew word to emphasize HaShem’s effort in creating all three was equal to Him.”
The point of this short Op is just as a reminder to each of us, myself included, lift up your eyes to the heavens and see the One Who created it all, is very much involved in our lives and wants to help each of us through our times of trouble. He is the Only One Who can see us through! Its an especially good reminder during this time of Sukkot, taking shelter under the protection of HaShem and rejoicing in His promises which are and will come to pass just as He said it would!
Something to consider!
SOURCE MATERIALS
- My Father, My King book by Artscroll
- Tehillim (Psalms) Artscroll Tanach Series
- Isaiah Artscroll