Little Birds & End Times
A friend sent me this image on Shabbat. Little did he know that Abba has been sending little birds literally across my path for years, to tell me I am not forgotten, just as the sparrow.
From years ago when my world was falling apart and I didn't know how I would ever survive, right up until today, God has been and is sending me little birds, sparrows, and others, to literally land on the ground in front of me and walk around me or right across the path where I am walking. And each time it is as new. To hear the Creator say repeatedly that He will never leave me or forget about me is the most comforting and strengthening thing I have ever experienced.
For years Matthew 6:33 was my mantra. The symbolism of the little birds came just after that and it has stayed until today. I compare myself to a sparrow in many ways, as in being small and unobtrusive and often not noticed by others. For me, it is the best way to live, being humble and small in my own opinion so that God can show Himself Great on my behalf.
Of course, when I saw this picture, my mind immediately went to other times in Scripture when God says things about little birds and seeing us where we are.
Sparrows are mentioned in the Bible to symbolise God's care for his creation, the importance of humility, and that God love even the smallest creatures. (If AI can say this, it must REALLY be true!)
In Genesis 16:13 Hagar was sitting under a bush in the desert, all alone, except for Ishmael crying under another bush, and God sees her and says: "Why are you crying Hagar?" She tells Him the whole story, then He shows her an oasis right in front of her - which had been there all the time, but she didn't see it because she was focussed on her distress (a lesson for us!) - and she calls God "El Ro'i: - the God who sees me.
When one begins scouring the Tanakh and Brit Chadassah for SPARROW, one inevitably ends up in an Alice-in-Wonderland-type Rabbi(t) trail! I will here mention but a few of the Scripture references I found and a link or two as well:
"Jewish mythology tells us that the source of the sparrow’s joyful chirping is its ability to witness each new, as-yet unborn soul as it descends to this world from the ‘Tree of Souls’ in the heavens. Each of us can find personal meaning in these quotes from Proverbs (Mishlei) and from the Psalms (Tehilim)."
NOTE: By "mythology" they probably mean "Kabbalah".
When Yeshua was describing the Acharit HaYamim to his talmidim in Matthew 25, even there He mentions the least among us (little birds):
"Yes! I tell you that whenever you refused to do it (meeting needs) for the least important of these people, you refused to do it for me!" - Matthew 25:45
The above sentence is the end part of a story about a king who separated the sheep from the goats, meaning God, at the end of days. This parable is one among many that come from the Talmud, which is full of interesting parables about kings and subjects, among other things. More evidence of Yeshua living as a Torah scholar and teacher, learning, practising and teaching from the Talmud and other Jewish Holy books.
Sparrows are mentioned in all the gospels, as well as in the Torah. Here below is another link to an interesting article about Sparrows in Scripture:
Yeshua described the events that would unfold during the last days. We're all very familiar with His words. I shall hereunder quote some paragraphs from the Talmud, Tractate Sotah 49b (I will also provide the link at the end so you can check for yourself). You will see a lot of familiar predictions, indicating that our Messiah knew well the Jewish writings.
"He also said: In the times of the approach of the Messiah, impudence will increase and high costs will pile up. Although the vine shall bring forth its fruit, wine will nevertheless be expensive. And the monarchy shall turn to heresy, and there will be no one to give reproof about this. The meeting place of the Sages will become a place of promiscuity, and the Galilee shall be destroyed, and the Gavlan will be desolate, and the men of the border shall go round from city to city to seek charity, but they will find no mercy.
"And the wisdom of scribes will putrefy, and people who fear sin will be held in disgust, and the truth will be absent. The youth will shame the face of elders, elders will stand before minors. Normal family relations will be ruined: A son will disgrace a father; a daughter will rise up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be the members of his household. The face of the generation will be like the face of a dog; a son will no longer be ashamed before his father. And upon what is there for us to rely? Only upon our Father in heaven.
"The final line of the mishna states that from the time when Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi died, humility and fear of sin ceased."
As we navigate these days with the help of HaShem and eagerly await the return of Yeshua haMashiach to finally redeem us, how do we cope with everything that's hitting us constantly?
2 Peter 3:11
"What kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives."
With the help of HaShem and inthe strength of Messiah Yeshua. As the Mishnah says, we only have God to rely on. Let us do so with Gusto!
Beautifully penned as usual. What is there to be prideful? Akavya Ben Mahalel said: Reflect on three things and you will avoid transgression: Know where you came from, where you are going, and before whom you will have to give an account and reckoning. "Where you came ftom" - from a putrid drop. "Where you are going?" - to a place of dust, worms and maggots. "And before whom you will have to give an account and reckoning " - before the Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. P. Avoid 3:2
ReplyDeleteI love that short paragraph ! If everyone internalised it, we would all be more humble!
DeleteYou are always so humble, dear Penny. Stay that way.
ReplyDeleteWith HaShem's help, I hope to!
DeleteBeautiful
ReplyDeleteTodah
Delete🤲🏼🐦⬛
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