Beth Elohim Messianic Synagogue
Parashah #46: Deuteronomy [D’varim] ‘Ekev (Because) 7:12-11:25
Haftarah: Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 49:14-51:3
B’rit Chadashah: Ya’akov (James) 5: 7-11
Today I am going to skip around to various scriptures within this parashah to highlight the crux of the entire book of Deuteronomy before we discuss the parashah further. Starting with Chapter 8:1 “All the mitzvot[commands] I am giving you today take possession of the land Adonai swore about to your ancestors.” Next in verse 11: “Be careful not to forget Adonai your G-d by not obeying his mitzvot, rulings and regulations that I am giving you today.” Adonai then issues a warning for disobedience and prideful hearts.
As a side bar to the previous verses, I want to add Chapter 10: 5 that is part of the discussion Adonai had with Moshe in directing him to make an ark for the second set of tablets that were the same as the first and place them in the ark which was made of acacia-wood. “I turned, came down the mountain and put the tablets in the ark I had made; and there they remain; as Adonai ordered me.”
Continuing the focus of the previous two paragraphs, we move to Chapter 10:12 “ So now, Israel, all that Adonai your G-d asks from you is to fear Adonai your G-follow all his ways, love him and serve Adonai your G-d with all your heart and all your being; to obey, for your own good, the mitzvot and regulations of Adonai which I am giving you today.”
Verse 16 reads “Therefore, circumcise the foreskin of your heart; and don’t be stiffnecked any longer! “And in verse 20 of Chapter 10 we read “You are to fear Adonai your G-d, serve him, cling to him and swear by his name. He is your praise, and he is your G-d, who has done for you these great and awesome things, which you have seen with your own eyes.”
More repetition in Chapter 11:1 “Therefore, you are to love Adonai your G-d and always obey his commission, regulations, rulings, and mitzvot.” Verse 16 reads “ But be careful not to let yourselves be seduced, so that you turn aside, serving other gods and worshipping them. If you do, the anger of Adonai will blaze up against you. He will shut up the sky, so that there will be no rain. The ground will not yield its produce, and you will quickly pass away from the good land G-d is giving you.”
The last paragraph of the parashah sums up the conditions that were and are required of anyone who expects to win the race for the prize of obtaining salvation and an eternity with the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and no other “ Chapter 11:22 reads “ For if you will take care to obey all these mitzvot I am giving you, to do them, to love Adonai your G-d, to follow his ways and to cling to him, then Adonai will expel all these nations ahead of you; and you will dispossess nations bigger and stronger than you are…”
There should be no doubt that G-d expects allegiance to him only, and that there is a requirement for us to follow (obey) his commands, serve, worship, and make his name known among the nations. There is noting in this parashah or any other scripture in either the Old Testament or the “New” that indicates we are released from any adherence to G-d’s commands which includes but is not limited to His designated holy days including Shabbat, the dietary regulations, and separating ourselves from the secular/pagan world in which we live. This necessarily means forsaking pagan holidays of any kind for any reason. In our parashah the nations that G-d destroyed may be compared to the society in which we live today. All forms of idolatry had to be removed from the land. Today, we must separate ourselves from anything that may cause us to become stiffnecked (stubborn), and forsake our obedience to G-d. Unfortunately, that may mean separation from friends and/or family. Yahshua reiterates his demand for complete allegiance to Him, describing himself as a jealous G-d, and describing His purpose (Matt. 10:34-6) as a sword that will divide families, making those in the entire household enemies of those who follow G-d through loving obedience.
As He reminded Moshe and the people that they need not be afraid of the massive nations that occupied the land G-d was going to clear out for Israel’s occupation, G-d reminds us through Yahshua’s ministry and His words in Matthew 10 that true believers will be hated and persecuted, but we need not be fearful. Yahshua encourages us to be bold, shine our light in a pagan world that G-d’s Name be glorified and made known throughout the nations; and fear not those who can kill us physically but cannot destroy our souls. Rather, we must learn to believe with all our hearts what Yahshua so tenderly taught those who follow him; that He is in complete control; that He has counted every hair on our heads, and that if we acknowledge Him before men which is one way to make His name known throughout the nations, He will acknowledge us before G-d (Yahshua) in heaven. However, those who deny Him before men will be denied by Yahshua in His role as the Father (YHVH).
With these truths carefully described throughout G-d’s Torah, it is clear that we must read, study, and understand the “ground rules” set forth by YHVH in the Old Testament such as those described in our parashah as part of a focus on obedience found throughout the book of Deuteronomy.
Now I want to delve into Chapter 10:5 because of the unusual use of a present tense of the word “to remain.” Let’s start with the Orthodox Jewish perspective. The authors of the Chumash translated the word “remain” in the past tense. The authors provide an opinion of the ark used for the second set of tablets. “To hold these Tablets, as well as the shards of the broken ones, G-d had Moses make a wooden Ark, which would be used until the permanent Ark of the Tabernacle was built (Ex.25:1-22). Rashi cites one view that the permanent Ark was made, the broken Tablets were left in this wooden Ark, and it was the one that accompanied the nation into battle (Yerushalmi Shekalim 6:1). Ramban, however, notes that the majority opinion there is that two Arks were never simultaneously in use. Until the Tabernacle was ready, both sets of Tablets were transferred to the permanent Ark, and the wooden Ark was hidden.” Although the translation of the verb remain is translated in the past tense in the narrative found in the Chumash (p.989), the last sentence in the commentary on chapters 1-5 alludes to an “ongoing hidden state.” Note the last sentence stating that the wooden Ark was hidden (p. 989). Indeed, to this day no one knows where the Ark is located, and this scripture seems to make this point although written around the 14th century BC!
Referring to the Hebrew-English Bible (1996, p. 288) we read another translation with the same conclusion that the Ark has the second set of Tablets and remains hidden to this day; “ Then I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are, just as the L-rd commanded me.’
Finally checking the Septuagint (1992, p. 245), we read “And I turned and came down from the mountain, and I put the tablets into the ark which I had made; and there they were, as the L-rd commanded me.” This translation leaves the inquisitive mind to delve further into what happened to the ark from that point.
There is no doubt that there has been much commentary and debate on the exact location of the Ark and what remains in it. But focusing on the relevance of the verb “to remain’ found in our parashah, the point I want to emphasize is that the Word of G-d in its original form is consistent, valid, and reliable from cover-to-cover, just as the G-d of Avraham, Isaac, and Ya’akov is unchanging, valid, and reliable. A Few examples of this truth is found in Heb. 13:8; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17; Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 119:89; 2 Timothy 2:13; Matthew 24:35; John 1:1.
A follow-up explanation of the truth that G-d requires a loving obedience, that is learning and living His commands and regulations’s on our part in order to with the race for the prize of salvation and eternal life with YHVH/Yahshua along with His grace should be very clear as this cause-and-effect relationship requirement is described in various ways throughout G-d’s Torah. Yet, many Christian clergy teach different G-d with no requirement for following any of G-d’s Commands as they are written in the Bible. The verse often misinterpreted for this erroneous teaching is Ephesians 2:8-9 “ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of G-d-not by works, so that no one can boast.”
We must read the entire narrative found in the chapter to understand the context of the sentence and the concept of the narrative.
One of the most concise commentaries on this chapter is found in the Jewish New Testament(1992p.580):trusting (faith[actions] based on belief]; see Ac.3:16; Ga.2:1; and actions (works, deeds)are related thusly; G-d’s grace is his unearned and unmerited favor and loving -kindness toward human beings. Included in his grace is the gift of having enough faith to believe the Good News of Yahshua the Messiah; yet this gift is not restricted to a few but is available to everyone (Ti. 2:11). When a person is trusting in this Good News, that is evidence that G-d’s grace has on fact come to apply individually to him. To the extent that we are trusting, G-d can mold us, so that we become of G-d’s making, able to carry out the good actions already prepared by G-d for us to do. If we don’t do these good actions, it shows that we are not believers after all. There is no such thing as faith apart from the works to which faith must lead; “faith without works is dead” (James 2:14-26); trusting that does not lead to good actions cannot save and is not a channel for G-d’s grace.”
This commentary takes us full circle back to our parashah by which YHVH as Adonai reiterated His requirements for obtaining His grace which included innumerable blessings. It was and is loving obedience to G-d and His Commands and regulations that He desires from humans. Legalistic observance will be of no benefit and this attitude will not avail us to G-d’s grace. However, the requirement for lovingly following His Word and becoming reconciled to G-d through Yahshua’s sacrifice is required. This is so crucial to establishing and building a saving relationship with G-d that He repeats these requirements 7 times in the book of Revelation known as the Seven-fold Witness of a True Believer. The following is where you may read these for yourself to see that to the very end of G-d’s Torah, He lovingly places these qualifications for a true believer in the vary last book of the Bible (Rev. 12:17; Rev. 14:12; Rev.15:2-3 where the overcomers are described as those who sing the song of Moshe (the law teachings) and the song of the Lamb (grace) Rev. 1:2; Rev. 1:9; Rev. 6:9; Rev. 20:4). Will we hear Him now?
Haftarah: Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 49:14-51:3
This is the second of the seven “prophecies of comfort” read between the Fast of the Ninth of Av and Rosh Hashanah. Our Haftarah begins with the words, “The prophet guarantees that a new and improved B’nai Yisrael will soon be united in the Land of Yisrael”, and YHVH will “turn her ruins into a paradise and her wilderness into a garden of YHVH.” Exile in any form does not mean divorce or a broken covenant. Israel was divorced at one time by G-d (Israel being the 10 Northern tribes) (Jer. 3:8) and Judah was punished (the Southern kingdom). We also know that a man cannot remarry a divorced wife. But G-d in the role of the Son, Yahshua, will marry a repentant Israel (all true believers) as the Bride of Yahshua mentioned in Revelation. The bride is NOT the Christian Church. Israel has not been replaced by Christianity as taught in that religion. G-d is One, a complex unity and not a Trinity. He manifests Himself in the context of what He wants to do. He is able to express Himself as Father (G-d) and Son (Yahshua) at the same time for He created the universe and can manipulate natural laws any way he wishes.
B’rit Chadashah: Ya’akov (James) 5:7-11
7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the L-rd. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the L-rd draweth nigh.
9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken20in the name of the L-rd, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the L-rd; that the L-rd is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
James continues the thought of chapter 4: 13-17. The reference to the early and latter rain is the acharit-hayamim (“the end of days”). The verse refers to the climatic pattern of Israel where the bulk of the rain comes between October and March. The early rain (yoreh) comes in October and the latter rain, which is rare, comes in April (malkosh) A spiritual application of this term is that the early rain (yoreh) came at Shavuot (Acts 2) and the malkosh is coming soon at the L-rd’s return.
Verse 9 repeats the warning of 4:11-12.
Verses 10-11 is an example of suffering and mistreatment and being patient giving us an example of the prophets and the perseverance of Job. Here we encounter the phrase “and you have seen the end of the L-rd.” We should understand that this phrase means “and you know what the purpose of YHVH was.” What is that purpose? To justify the ways of YHVH to man! It seems that Job’s trouble began when YHVH chose to answer hasatan’s challenge by permitting him to touch Job’s possessions and person, except that he could not take Job’s life. Job persevered in the face of all his losses and pain, finally questioning G-d at which time G-d essentially put Job in his “place.’ In the end YHVH vindicated Himself and proved to Job and to us that only YHVH has the power and wisdom to deal with HaSatan. We are forever dependent upon YHVH Elohim in our spiritual battles and for our very existence. We must internalize the fact that G-d is in ultimate control of the universe which He created, and that nothing goes unnoticed (Matt. 10:29). We need fear for nothing and of no one.
Sages Wisdom:
“And you will know with your heart that like a man who rebukes his son, so too, YHVH rebukes you.” (8:5)
Rabbi Shimshon Refael Hirsch asks why the verse uses the term “with your heart”, as opposed to the more common term “in your heart?” He explains that there is an important difference between the two. To know “your heart” is to understand something by using your heart as an organ of perception of thought. However, to know “with your heart” is not just to understand, but also to take that understanding with you in whatever you do. An Israelite is meant to take the experiences of reward and punishment that YHVH has given him and carry them forward throughout his life.
Shalom v’brachas,
Rabbi Tamah Davis-Hart