[ampaterry]

Reflex is right, BlackEagle -

And I volunteer to head up your campaign in Tennessee -

Devotional for today involves another recognized day. Today, our Jewish brothers and sisters observe the fast of Tzom Tammuz. The name is merely the date; the 15th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz. This fast is to remember the misdeeds of their forefathers which led to calamities to the Jewish people on this date, which they commemorate in hopes of turning their hearts to repentance.

The calamities which occurred on this day begin with Moses descending Sinai and finding the people worshiping a golden calf, causing him to smash the stone tablets on which God had written the ten commandments, and end with the seizing of Jewish property by Libya in 1944. Some of the other tragedies that happened on this date include the Romans breaching the walls of Jerusalem just prior to the destruction of the second temple.

I find it very interesting that all of the calamaties remembered on this day are remembered as the result of things which the Jewish people themselves did. They see the tragedies of their past, and seek to avoid them in the future by improving themselves. This attitude is unique in the entire area of the mid-East, for the Muslims that surround Israel blame all of their troubles on the Jews. People of high moral character take responsibility for their actions; often taking responsibility for things that are not their fault. People of low moral character blame someone else for all of their problems.

Genesis 3:11-13 (KJV);
“And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”

Adam tried to put the guilt on Eve and Eve tried to put it on the serpent.

Paul said of Christ:
Romans 4:25 (KJV);
“Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”

Christ took the guilt of the whole world on himself.
Although the Jewish people do not accept Christ as the Messiah, they walk far closer to him than any of their neighbors, and closer than some that bear the name “Christian”.

May God bless each and every one of you on this Lord's Day.