Zion's Voice

Torah Reflections    52      

Torah Portion                   Deuteronomy  32 : 1 - 52

Haftarah Portion           2 Samuel   22 : 1 – 51

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

This is an unusual one chapter Torah portion. It does not contain any instructions for the people, as most of Deuteronomy does. It does not contain any legal stuff, it does not contain any historical information, it does not deal with their journeys. So what is it?

Moses is aware that his time with these people is now very short. He has been told by the Lord that the people will ‘wander’ away from their covenant promises. In my imagination, I could see Moses pleading with the Lord … “What more can I do?”

In His infinite mercy, love and grace, towards these Israelites, the Lord says “Teach them this song”.

If you are like me, you know how much easier it is to remember the words of a song than it is to remember a speech. Right? So Moses embarked on writing down the song. It is forever known as “The Song of Moses”.

For me the most memorable phrase comes early in the song, perhaps because like many of you, I learned to sing it when “Scripture in Song” was fashionable in our churches.

“For I proclaim the name of the LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.”

However there is much more to this song than is immediately obvious. It is a song of remembrances and a song of warnings. It is a song that was to be taught to children and children’s children. It is a song of the past, and it is a song of the future. It caused them to remember another song that was sung by the people when they had left Egypt and  escaped the bondage of slavery

“Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying: "I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will exalt Him. Exodus 15:1,2

It evokes expectation of a future day of triumph, when the hosts of heaven sing to the Lord this “Song of Moses” to the Lord

“And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.

They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvellous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgements have been manifested."    Revelation 15 : 2-4

I come from a heritage where singing is ‘in the blood’ so to speak. Almost finding any excuse to sing. Where singing can bring tears to the eyes! Where singing can evoke sadness, gladness, any emotion. I deeply regret the time when “Scripture in Song” became outdated and was replaced in our mega churches by what passes for worship today, (extremely loud drums and guitars. I shrink from using the word ‘music’ because music is melodic and sweet) with such an emphasis on I, US, WE and ME in the songs. Look again at the songs which I have highlighted above. Notice how the emphasis is principally and overwhelmingly on the Only One who is worthy of our praise.

“O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your Name in all the earth”.

The Jews were scattered to the four corners of the earth almost two thousand years ago. Today they are being regathered to their own Land. In all the time they were ‘exiled’, they somehow, almost miraculously retained their identity. I believe that a major reason for this retention of identity is because they learned the “Song of Moses”. In their faithful observance of the “mo’edim’ they have faithfully taught their children ‘the Song of Moses’. And they will faithfully continue to remember the ‘Song of Moses’ until the Lord returns to this Earth and reveals Himself to them as a Nation  … and then they will Sing to the Lord a new song. Hallelujah.

Shabbat Shalom 

RS 

“Day of Atonement”

Torah portions          Leviticus 16 : 1- 34   and Numbers 29 : 7 - 11

Haftarah portion     Isaiah 57 : 14  to 58 : 14

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16 have the commandments about annual observances of the “mo’edim”. (The Hebrew word for “appointed times”, which in turn is usually translated into English as “feasts”). These are times when God specified He would meet with His chosen ones.

Today, they are most often referred to as “Jewish Feasts”. That correctly describes the fact that they are observances remembered by Jews. But it is an incorrect understanding of the Scriptures.

When God gave these instructions to Moses, He carefully worded these ‘appointed times’ (mo’edim) as MY ‘mo’edim’. They may be characterized as times when God says, in effect, “I will be there to meet with you on these specific occasions”. Those who choose not to attend miss an opportunity of blessing through meeting with Him at His invitation.

The 10 days between the Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur are referred to as “the days of awe”. In Judaism, they are days of intraflection and reconciliation … putting things right.. putting things right with God and putting things right with those we live with and associate with on a daily basis. In fact the Scriptures clearly tell us that we cannot be right with God, and be at odds with each other (Matthew 5 : 24).

Those who have visited Israel at this time of year will know that everything stops on Yom Kippur. It is a day of fasting and reflection.( It is the reason why, in 1973, the Arab nations around Israel attacked them on that specific day. There is No Radio, No Television, No answering phones.. NOTHING goes on). The Scriptures declared that all the people have a day of solemn rest and strict Sabbath keeping. A day to “afflict your souls”.

It was the one day in every year, appointed by God, for the Chief Priest to enter the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle and the Temple when they were functioning. The whole purpose of that visit by the Chief Priest was to ensure that he himself, and the Nation of people he represented, were made right with God in preparation for the year that lay ahead.

The awesome significance of this very special day is, regrettably, totally lost to the church. In addition to its special anointing by God, being set apart from all other days as it is, there is a unique event recorded in Revelation which we should all be acutely aware of. It is the day of the WHITE THRONE JUDGEMENT. It is represented for us today by the day of Atonement. It is a special day ‘to put things right’.

Revelation 20 : 11 – 15 describes that day of Judgment. It needs no comment from me. The judgement is to determine who is right with God, and who is not. It is there for everyone to read, but before you read it I caution you to read Revelation 22 : 18,19 first. Many ‘Christians’ today have never taken time to even read Revelation, let alone try to understand its message. It is a letter written by Yeshua Himself, or at least dictated by Him to John.

The climax of the whole letter, in fact the climax of the whole message of the Scriptures comes in the next festival of the Lord, the Feast of Tabernacles, which is why these “mo’edim” of the Lord are so important to celebrate, be part of, and to remember.

I am saddened that the modern Christian church, which is largely ignorant of the “mo’edim” of the Lord, has missed a blessing which God intended us to enjoy.

Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections    51

Torah Portion                Deuteronomy  31 : 1 - 30

Haftarah Portion         Hosea   14 : 1 – 9

                                               Micah   7 : 18-20

                                               Joel       2 : 15 - 27

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

This is probably one of the saddest chapters of Deuteronomy. Moses is 120 years old, and he declares “I can no longer go out and come in”. It is not a description about his capability which is why it is not easy to understand, because we know from Deuteronomy 34, at the time of his death, that “his eye was not dim nor his natural vigour diminished”.

The conclusion must be that God had told him that his tenure was at an end. It was time to hand over the reins of responsibility. To his eternal credit, Moses accepted the decision that God had conveyed to him, and he wholeheartedly encouraged Joshua and the people to press on with his “Be strong and of good courage” speech to them in verses 6 to 8.

What human disasters might be avoided today if those in ‘temporary’ leadership positions, filled with their own importance, were able to accept when the right time to “hand over” had arrived?  Of course it requires a very close relationship with God to discern such matters.

In verse 10 we have the commandment of God that the whole book, yes, all of it, is to be publically read every seven years. A timely reminder. It is especially significant because this is the time of the year, when the final three “mo’edim” of the Lord occur. Sukkot is the very time that God’s “instructions for righteous living” were to be read to the whole congregation of the people. The “mo’ed” of Sukkot (Booths) begins on Nissan 14 in the Hebrew calendar, and lasts for 8 days.

Every seven years there would be a new group of children introduced for the very first time to the public declaration of God’s instructions, then every seven years after that. Try to imagine the effect of living in a society where God’s word was publicly honoured and proclaimed formally and with authority every seven years … and taught in every home every Shabbat in between.  WOW !!!!  A regular and timely reminder.

What if the church today, your church, were alert to this commandment and put it into practice? Just read verses 12 and 13 again and ponder the implications of this. “carefully observe all the words of this ‘torah’.”

It is difficult to imagine the anticipation which both Moses and Joshua experienced when they were both summoned into the presence of the Lord in the Tabernacle (v 14). Then the disappointment which followed when the Lord told them how badly the people would behave when they entered the Land of Promise (v 16). But in His amazing love, mercy, and grace towards these people, (His special treasure), the Lord then gave Moses a song to teach the people, which He said would become a timely reminder to them of the covenant which He had entered into with them. In incredible prophetic foresight (v 21) the Lord declares His knowledge of the waywardness of this people even until today.

The words of this song will be the subject of our ‘reflection’ in the next parashah.

Daniel Lancaster of FFOZ, in his excellent study on this week’s parashah draws comparisons between Moses and Yeshua (First Fruits of Zion Torah Club Volume Two)

He compares this parashah with the Matthew 24 and 25 discourse wherein Yeshua warns the people of the ‘trouble’ ahead. I commend this as additional reading for those who have an interest in the prophetic future.

We are now in the season of the final THREE festivals (mo’edim) of the Lord, which are outlined in Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16. Yom Teruah , Yom Kippur  and Tabernacles  are prophetic, in turn, of the return of Messiah Yeshua, the Great White Throne Judgement, and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb which heralds the establishment of the Millenial Reign of the King of kings. (There is a specific ‘reflection’ on each of these “mo’edim” at the end of the weekly ‘reflections’).

In all the Scriptures we learn that the Lord is intent on making His people ready. Ready to obediently worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. I can see this week’s parashah as another timely reminder of what the Lord expects of His chosen ones.

Be encouraged as you read it for yourself.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections         Rosh Hashanah

Torah portions           Genesis 21:1-34      Numbers 29:1-6

Haftarah portion      1 Samuel 1:1 to 2:10

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16 have the commandments about annual observances of the “mo’edim”. (The Hebrew word for “appointed times”, which in turn is usually translated into English as “feasts”). These are times when God specified He would meet with His chosen ones.

Today, they are most often referred to as “Jewish Feasts”. That correctly describes the fact that they are observances remembered by Jews. But it is an incorrect understanding of the Scriptures.

When God gave these instructions to Moses, He carefully worded these ‘appointed times’ (mo’edim) as MY ‘mo’edim’. They may be characterized as times when God says, in effect, “I will be there to meet with you on these specific occasions”. Those who choose not to attend miss an opportunity of blessing through meeting with Him at His invitation.

This festival is known as “The Feast of Trumpets”, because God ordained that it was to be heralded by the blowing of trumpets, it is known as “Rosh Hashanah” because it brings in the civic New Year in the Hebrew calendar. It is a Sabbath, a Holy convocation, a day of rest. It is the first of a series of THREE festivals which closely follow each other at this season of the year.

Many, like me, believe that it is prophetic of the time of the Lord’s return, and there are good Biblical reasons for this. Others will say ‘no man knows the day nor the hour”, but an elementary knowledge of Judaic biblical history easily explains this. In Israel, even today, the beginning and end of festivals (Numbers 10:10) relies on the observance of TWO stars in the sky by TWO witnesses (and that is normally announced by the blowing of shofars).  The appearance of the New Moon heralds the beginning of a new month, again reliant on TWO witnesses. There are a number of good reasons why these observances could be one day or the next. “No man knows the day”. The presence of cloud will affect the precise timing of the first appearance of stars, “no man knows the hour”.

The most compelling reason is however because it is consistent with the evidential significance of the first FOUR ‘mo’edim’. Pesach, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits are perfectly fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. Shavu’ot, the traditional time of the giving of Torah to Moses on the mountain, is also the time of the giving of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem a mere 10 days after the ascension of Yeshua into Glory.

The Scriptures reveal that Yeshua will return with the sound of trumpets. (Matthew 24:30,31  1Corinthians 15:52  1Thessalonians 4:16)

The Feast of Trumpets marks the beginning of a period of 10 days of preparation for the next solemn appointed time, the Day of Atonement. It is enlightening to read Revelation 18, 19 and 20 in conjunction with the reflection on these last three festivals. That passage of Scripture appears to fill in some detail of things to take place upon the return of Yeshua when He comes, not as the Lamb to be slain, but as King of kings and Lord of Lords in order to put into place the millennial Kingdom of God.

In concluding this reflection, please consider this thought. When God instituted the ‘mo’ed’ of the Feast of Trumpets, He could have had in mind not only the annual introduction of a New Year in the Hebrew calendar, but also the New Year which marks the commencement of Yeshua’s everlasting Kingdom.

I am saddened that the modern Christian church, which is largely ignorant of the “mo’edim” of the Lord, has missed a blessing which God intended us to enjoy.

L'shanah tovah

RS

Torah Reflections    50

Torah Portion                  Deuteronomy  29 : 10  to  30 : 20

Haftarah Portion           Isaiah   61 : 10 –  63 : 9

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

 In last week’s portion, we read the promises of God contained in the blessings (for obedience), and curses (for disobedience), relating to the commandments and statutes which had been clearly communicated to the people.

Three times previously (Exodus 19:8, 24:3, and 24:7) the whole assembly of the people had affirmed their willingness to accept the instructions of God, spoken by Moses. The Land of Promise is before them. Entry into the Land is a gift of God, guaranteed by His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Occupation of the Land is conditional. It seems to me that at this point in time Moses is now asking them to affirm yet again that they have understood the Maker’s instructions.

The Apostle Paul, a devout and fervent adherent to Torah lifestyle, understood this well. Read Romans 11 in a quiet moment and see for yourself how well he understood the importance of believers living a life of faith in order to remain attached as partakers of the ‘natural Olive Tree’ which is Israel (God’s special treasure). The analogy is that of entry into the Promised Land (free by covenant) and remaining there (conditional on obedience). The question is worth asking our church communities today … Have you read the Maker’s instructions?.

Deuteronomy 29:29 is one of my favourite scripture verses :-

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

Please take time to meditate on this verse. It amazes me that we argue and debate things which He has very clearly written for us in His word. God used Moses to communicate His instructions for righteous living. God does not change. Why is there such difficulty understanding that? Or am I the only one with that difficulty?

I do not wish to be misunderstood. I believe that our salvation is free to all who believe by faith. I also believe that “faith without works is dead”. What I believe about ‘works’ is contained in Matthew 5 : 16,17. And if you think that Yeshua had gentile believers in mind when He spoke those words, read it again.  His audience was 100% ‘lost sheep of the House of Israel’. He was calling them back to a lifestyle of correct Torah observance, which had been distorted by the ‘traditions of men’.

I believe that Yeshua was reminding the people of Scriptures like Deuteronomy 29:29 , encouraging them to “do all the words of this law” as was His own lifestyle and that of His disciples. In effect He was saying to them read the Maker’s instructions again.

In Deuteronomy chapter 30 we have a good indication that Moses knew that these folk were going to have difficulty in keeping their promises of obedience. It is an accurately prophetic chapter with a really happy ending.

Verse 4 sees the time when, through disobedience, they will be expelled from the land which they had not yet entered. Moses also foresees the time when they will be again restored to the land (an event we see happening today before our eyes as millions of Jews have made Aliyah in the past 60 years). Beyond that even, Moses sees a future time when God will enter into a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. (see “Reflection” of Number 47 “Shoftim”)

Then in verses 14 to 16 of chapter 30, Moses makes a final plea. None of these terrible things need happen to you :-

“But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess”.

For your very life’s sake, when you ‘take a stand for the Lord’ take also time to  “read the Maker’s instructions” .

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;  that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, …..”   Deuteronomy 30 : 19,20

Choose life.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections    49  

Torah Portion                  Deuteronomy  26 : 1  to  29 : 9

Haftarah Portion           Isaiah   60 : 1 –  22

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

“When you come into the Land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it”. Thus opens our parashah this week. The time is now very close. Final instructions were being given, things to remember, and things that must be done. And what is that very first thing? Present the FIRSTFRUITS of the Land to the Lord. And in so doing they were to recite the story of how they were released from slavery in Egypt and brought to this beautiful Land which they themselves had declared to be “flowing with milk and honey”. It was an act of worship. It was something they would DO.

That is an initial lesson for us from this reading. We WORSHIP God by what we DO, not by what we say. We PRAISE God by what we say.

Then the Israelites are given a lesson in tithing. It is quite different to the teaching on ‘tithing’ which most of us receive in our churches today. In our reading it is called a ‘holy tithe’. That is a ‘set apart’ tithe. Being mindful that they were an agricultural community, it is clear that their tithe was of the produce of the Land.  Care for the Levites, who had no Land possession allotted to them. Care for the stranger, the fatherless, the widow. Care for those in real need.  This, my dear friends is the very essence of living righteously before the Lord, and before our fellow citizens. However, there is complementary teaching in Deuteronomy 14 which considers, amongst other things, tithes of money. Read it.

We could well say “This is the day that the Lord has made”, because in it God declared that He would set this people 'high above all nations’. He declared that this people were ‘His special people’. That they would be a ‘holy’ people, in name, in praise and in honour’. Wow!!

What an introduction. But there is more!

In Chapter 27, in addition to the command, yet again, that they must keep all the commandments of God, there is the injunction to set up, in the very centre of the Promised Land, a mound of whitewashed stones, inscribed very plainly, (my Bible says) with the Torah of YHWH. There they were to make sacrifices of burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.

Let us try to apply that to ourselves today.

For all Gentile believers, departure from Egypt is symbolized in the acceptance and trust, by faith, in the atoning death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua. In type, that means leaving Egypt and entering the Promised Land. So looking at the application of our parashah, we receive some instructions about what to do when we arrive. The commandment about tithing, whilst not specifically taught in detail in the Brit Hadashah, may reasonably be taken as a continuing practice amongst the Israelites down through the ages. For Jews today, it is one of many important “mitzvot’ which they continue in their significant acts of benevolence within their community.

The altar, which God commanded be set up for sacrifice is an interesting one. We know that Yeshua’s atoning death (accompanied by the destruction of the Temple) effectively brought an end to the sacrificial system. And so it did in respect of sin atonement. But, our body is ‘the Temple of the Holy Spirit’ (1 Corinthians 6:19), and the Temple is a place of worship as well as sacrifice. And ‘worship’ is what we DO, not what we say.  The Apostle Paul, in Romans 12:1, taught that we should “present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service”. 

Close by that altar of sacrifice, in our text, were the whitewashed stones of remembrance, clearly proclaiming the Torah of YHWH. Like a beacon for all who came close, saying this is what we stand by, this is the sure foundation on which we are established. Unshakeable. Permanent.  Is it taking it too far to suggest that our equivalent today may be judged, not by a mound of whitewashed stones, but by our very conduct. The way we act towards others. The way we live. The way we treat the commands of God. The way we treat His ‘special treasure’.

If there is NOTHING for us to learn here, it is just a history lesson. But we know better than that, because “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished into all good works”. God grant that we all may learn that which He wishes to teach us, just as our parashah was for the benefit of those Israelites long ago.                          

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections    48      

Torah Portion                  Deuteronomy  21 : 10  to  25 : 19

Haftarah Portion           Isaiah   54 : 1 –  10

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

 Moses continues his preparation of the people for entry into the Land of Promise.

For 40 years the people had been guided by the ‘shekinah’ of God through the desert places. They had been provided with fresh ‘manna’ each day. Water was available for all of them and their livestock. The sandals on their feet were 40 years old, and still going strong! It was an amazing experience for those who remained. All those who had lacked trust in God at Kadesh Barnea had died on the journey. Moses was determined to do all he could to ensure that their life together would continue to be fruitful and harmonious. The new fledgling Nation was about to experience life in their own land.

The priorities expressed in this passage are enlightening.

Firstly, the ‘firstfruits’ of their harvest were to be a thanksgiving to the Lord. Before anything else, they were to honour God by worshipping Him with the fruit of their labours, presenting the BEST of the crop, the freshest produce with joy and thanks for all His benefits.

Worship is what we DO not what we SAY.

Then, Moses reminded them of their obligation to tithe the increase of their harvest (we covered this a few weeks ago as we saw that the whole concept of the purpose of tithing has been distorted in modern times). The Levites, who ministered to and with them were to be recipients of the tithe certainly, but also the poor, the widow, the fatherless, the stranger within their gates were all to be invited to eat the tithe of their increase with them in their homes. It’s called hospitality. In Deuteronomy 26:13 it is clear that to do otherwise, was a ‘trespass’ of the commandment. Worship is what we DO not what we SAY.

Moses was instructing them to reach out in support and care for each other, ensuring that the needy in the community were not forgotten. This was the expression of God’s great love for this people He described as His special treasure.(You may care to read the Haftarah portion in Isaiah at this point. It is a prophetic description of the blessing still awaiting this people of God. He has not finished with this people, far from it, but there is still some ‘water to flow under the bridge’ before they come to their place of honour in the world).

Deuteronomy 28 and 29 are the well- known chapters of “blessings and curses”. I have drawn attention previously to the TWO words in Hebrew which are both translated “curse” in English. (see Genesis 12:3 where both words are used in the same sentence). The ‘curses’ in Deuteronomy 29: 16-19 are the “a’rar” the ‘bitter curse’ which is the same as God promised to those who “qalal” ‘treat with contempt’ Israel. So what God is promising these people is a bitter curse if they choose to disobey His commandments and statutes.    We know what happened, don’t we?

Now look at Deuteronomy 28: 23, 24

“And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is

under you shall be iron.

 The LORD will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed”

This is a metaphor for drought, severe, debilitating, drought. It could be called a “bitter curse”.  Mark Twain, in his book “Innocents Abroad” written about 1876, described the land of “Palestine” as a dry, barren, uninhabitable place, even though there were some people living there at the time.  The land known as Palestine had suffered about 1,800 years of debilitating drought. Meaningful rain began to fall again about the mid 1890’s, about the time that Theodore Hertzl convened the First Zionist Congress in Basle Switzerland in 1897. Peaks of more recent rainfall are recorded in 1947 and 1967. Isn’t that interesting?  God is still on the Throne. Hallelujah.

Ezekiel 33 to 36 prophesies (read promises) the return of ‘the lost sheep of the House of Israel’ to the land. “Not for their sake, but for God’s Holy Name’s sake, that the world may know that I am the Lord”.

Be blessed yet again as you read this Torah portion. What your Bible, and mine, call “blessings and curses” are solemn promises of God. He is faithful, righteous and perfect in all His ways. As my old Sunday School teacher used to tell me … “every promise in the Book is true” .. the ones we like, and the ones we wish were not there.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections    47          

Torah Portion                   Deuteronomy  16 : 18  to  21 : 9

Haftarah Portion           Isaiah   51 : 12 –  52 : 12

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

What amazing insights the LORD gave to Moses in His instructions to the Israelites as they were about to become a Nation with a land to call their own. It was to be a place of righteously living together.

Today these instructions may appear boring and repetitious. And they might well be, if viewed as ancient and out of date rules, with no relevance to modern living. But there is much more to these instructions than first meets the eye. When read with an open heart to learn, they are as precious, relevant, and important for us today, as they were to the Israelites of old.

Moses is told to appoint Judges. Peers of the people, to make judgements and decisions in disputes between those who cannot compromise on an issue of disagreement. This procedure is still in place in Judaism today. Courts of the people are established in many major synagogues. They are called “Beit Din” (House of Judgement), comprising two or three prominent, trustworthy, members of the Synagogue. It was to this ‘Beit Din’ that serious disputes were to be taken in the discourse in Matthew 18:15-20.  It was to the ‘Beit Din’ of “two or three gathered in My Name” that God promised His presence (Matthew 18:20) as they met. It was to the ‘Beit Din’ that the power of binding and loosing (Matthew 18:18) was given. (A serious neglect of the Hebrew roots of our faith, has caused a mal-nourished church to incorrectly interpret and teach the meaning of that Matthew 18 passage today).  There is NO equivalent body of reference established within modern day church structures. Instead we find major disputes taken to secular courts, with disastrous relationship consequences. That was not, and is not, God’s way for ‘brethren to dwell together in unity’

Chapter 17 opens with God being uncompromisingly clear in His condemnation of the people who choose to worship “other gods”. The words seem amazingly harsh to us. But to get the message in perspective, God was intent on building this people as a Nation of priests before Himself as a witness and example to the other Nations with whom they came into contact.

“I am the LORD, I do not change” are the words which ring in my ears as I read this passage. Those who are called to be “joint heirs with Christ” are expected to act and behave in a manner which is worthy of that high calling. Too often, we are indistinguishable in our conversation and actions from anyone around us, our neighbours, our friends, our work colleagues. Our salvation is the free gift of Almighty God, as it was for the Israelites in our Scripture passage. Retention of that salvation before a Holy God required personal life choices and behavioural decisions. For too many, salvation is merely intellectual consent to a belief.

The outstanding promise of God in this passage is in Deuteronomy 18:15. About 1,500 years after God gave this promise to Moses, Yeshua Ha’Mashiach was sent to this earth. He is the ‘promised prophet like Moses’.

It would be a good exercise to list for yourself the characteristics and events in the life of both Moses and Yeshua where it is possible to identify likenesses. You will be blessed as you ponder this thought. But I want to offer a less obvious likeness for your thoughtful consideration.

Moses met with God on the mountain and received the ‘TEN WORDS’ which comprised the initial covenant of God with the people, (“His special treasure”). Moses came down off the mountain and found the people worshipping a manmade golden calf .. idolatry. Moses returned to the mountain, spent another 40 days in the presence of God and came down with a new set of instructions. (Which we call Torah).

Yeshua came ‘down’ from heaven, finding the people observing, not the Torah of God as given by Moses (“the old covenant, which Hebrews 8 tells us is becoming obsolete”), but the traditions of men .. idolatry.  Yeshua returned to His Father in heaven, where He is today seated at the right hand of the Father. There will be a time in the future that He will return to earth as King of kings, with a new set of instructions, a New Covenant. Read carefully and honestly the conditions of that New Covenant to be made “with the House of Judah and the House of Israel”, stated in Jeremiah 31, repeated in Hebrew 8. You might conclude, as I have, that those conditions are not yet with us. They tell of a time when He will be King over all the earth. When we will all live righteously together, under a New Covenant, which cannot be broken. A prophet like Moses!! Think prayerfully about it.                      

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections    46

Torah Portion                  Deuteronomy  11 : 26  to  16 : 17

Haftarah Portion           Isaiah   66 : 1 –  24

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

The Torah portion this week contains a repetition by Moses of some important commandments and observances which the LORD had given him ‘on the mountain’.

Firstly, Moses declares that these observances are NOT mere suggestions but commandments. He emphasises this fact by foretelling the blessings and the curses which Joshua eventually spoke in the presence of the whole congregation of the tribes at Mt Gerazim and Mt Ebal. (see Deuteronomy 28,29). Conditions to which they all agreed.

He then gets specific in relation to:-

• Breaking down the ‘high places’ of the pagan deities. (we touched on that last week)
• The LORD Himself would determine the place for their worship of Him.
• Testing the ‘spirit’ of prophets. (don’t we need that today?). and what they should do about false prophets.
• Avoidance of heathen practices. (related to the first point above)
• Purpose and manner of tithing (ouch !! we appear to have  changed the rules about tithing haven’t we?)
• The ‘shemitah’ year of release. (2015 was a ‘shemitah’ year)
• The dedication of the ‘first-born’. (still practised today in Judaism)
• Observance of the ‘pilgrimage’ festivals. (Pesach, Shavu’ot and Tabernacles)

We have a veritable feast of teaching available from this passage of Scripture. The real beauty being that the LORD is able to speak directly into our spirit the exact message He wants to convey to us individually as we ponder truth from His word.  My ‘reflection’ this week is from Chapter 13, regarding the prophets amongst us .. and ONE of those prophets in particular.

Yeshua came to this earth 2,000 years ago with a “prophetic” ministry. To that has been added His “priestly” ministry, (after the order of Mechi-tzedek) and in time to come He will be anointed KING . Thus He will be “Prophet, Priest and King”, before whom every knee will bow.

Deuteronomy 13 acknowledges that there will be those in the community who are able to perform miraculous signs and wonders. And that many will be deceived by these events. But in verse 2 (‘serving other gods’) and verse 4 (‘You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him’) Moses provides the test by which that prophet is to be judged.

Yeshua came as “the prophet like Moses” to His own people. (“the lost sheep of the house of Israel” Mathew 10 and 15).  Many thousands of Jews believed Him and worshipped Him as Messiah. Acts 21:20 tells us that “myriads” of Jews had become believers. Hallelujah.

Space does not permit a full explanation here, but by 324 c.e. Rome was ‘top dog’ and Constantine effectively severed all connection between Gentile believers and Judaism. (in my view that division is Satan’s greatest victory over mankind).

That situation persists today. We see anti-Semitism rampant in sections of the modern day church, and there is an even worse consequence. The Jesus who is worshipped in most churches today is unrecognizable to Jews as the Torah observant Yeshua of the Bible. Jews are presented with a Jesus whose principal role in salvation seems to take them away from the very commandments of God that Moses declares in our reading today, as being vital to their relationship to a Holy God, and the conditional promises regarding the occupation of the land of Promise.

There is a parallel here between Yeshua and Joseph of old who was similarly not recognized by his brothers (Genesis 45:1-3) because of the way he was presented to them. Is history is repeating itself again today? Yeshua will make Himself known to His brothers. (Zechariah 12:10)

I close this reflection by reminding ourselves of the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 11 : 18

“Remember that you do not support the root, the root supports you”.

Our actions speak louder than all the words in the dictionary!!  Yeshua said  “If you love me you WILL keep My commandments John 14:15 (correct translation)

Just like Moses said in our portion today !!     

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections    45      

Torah Portion                   Deuteronomy  7 : 12  to  11 : 25

Haftarah Portion           Isaiah   49 : 14 –  51 : 3

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

A most remarkable beginning to our parashah this week. A promise of blessing that is truly astounding.

At the end of last week’s reading we saw God describe these Israelites as “His special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth”. We might describe them as God’s ‘favourites’, because that is exactly what it means.

But as we might expect, there was a condition attached. It is found in the very first verse of our reading and repeated in Chapter 8 verse 1. “Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to obey”. Many times in this reading God repeats the caution that they must be careful to be observant and obedient to His commands. But then we look at God’s promises to them, and see that the promised rewards are truly absolutely priceless. (If such a promise were made to a people group or nation today it would be headline news in every media outlet.) This is what it includes:-

*   No barrenness in the people or the livestock. Abundant prosperity.

*   All sickness removed from the people. No diseases in their ranks. Perfect health.

*   No obstacle to their possession of the Land. An almost ‘walk in walk out’ situation of the Land. No struggle for a home to dwell in. The Lord Himself will       deliver the Land to them.

*   Nothing will be able to stand in your way.

But there is some work to be done. Amongst the conditions there are these requirements. Do not take anything of their silver and gold. Burn all their idols and images of worship. Do not allow yourselves to become contaminated with any of their possessions or practices.

The apostle John would later write:-

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome”. 1 John 5:3

But God knows the human heart. And so did the prophet Jeremiah, when he wrote “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” Jeremiah 17:9   So we find that God, in addition to pronouncing promises of great blessing, also repeatedly warns against disobedience. He also cautions against boastful pride. That they be careful to acknowledge that it is God who has wrought the miracle of their Land possession. It is not on account of any righteousness or uprightness of their own. On the contrary, the present occupants are being dispossessed of the land because of their wickedness and unrighteousness. Practising abominable acts and worshipping false gods.

Just one more observation about the Land. God told Moses that “the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year”. (Deuteronomy 11:12) How good is that?

Can we draw a lesson for today from this parashah?

Time and again we read about God’s insistence on obedience and commitment to His commandments. But I want to go a bit further. There came a time, about 1,500 years later when God sent His only Son into this world. The purpose, we read in Matthew 12 and Matthew 15, was to restore the “lost sheep of the House of Israel”. It was as though God had given up on His expectation that, as a nation, they would be obedient to His commandments as given to Moses. So He sent another, His Son Yeshua, who, I believe, was the promised “prophet like Moses”. (Deut 18) On this occasion, it was not the written Torah, but the living Torah that God displayed before the people. The perfect “Lamb of God”.

Through a miracle of grace, that perfect Lamb of God offered Himself so that all mankind, who accept and believe, might draw close to the Father, through Him who died. In sheer gratitude, not out of compulsion, we have the opportunity to show our love of Him. Because He said “If you love Me, you WILL keep My commandments” John 14: 15

The question is “Do I love Him?”. As I read my Bible I can only identify ONE set of commandments, and they were given by a God who does not change. I am left with another question. What promises of God am I missing out on because of my misunderstanding or wilful neglect of His commands?          

Shabbat Shalom 

RS