Zion's Voice

Torah Portion for 23rd August - 29th August

Torah portion           Deuteronomy 21:10 to 25:19

Haftarah portion     Isaiah 54:1 - 10

“When you go out”

Mixed materials

As I reflect on the Torah portion this week I find it difficult to relate to the content from a ‘today’ perspective because the obvious cultural change which has taken place between the time of that writing and now.

However, there are principles involved which have not changed. We do not ‘invade’ territory of other nations in order to take people hostage as wives for ourselves for instance. But it is noteworthy, that even in those circumstances, the Torah prescribed rights and conduct which had the dignity and welfare of the unfortunate captive in mind.

As we look for an up to date message in our reading, this may provide one. Our newspapers today record many instances of ‘violence’ against women. These are often women who we may conclude were once loved by the perpetrator. Even within nominally ‘secure’ Christian marriages, we are aware that there are abuses (both overt and covert) against women which would never exist in Torah observant lives.

In chapter 22, we find the sin of ‘turning a blind eye’ and not doing that which we know to be right. We remind ourselves that the Hebrew word for ‘sin’ is “chata” which means to miss the mark. The Apostle James put it well in James 4: 17. “to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin”.

There is even the caution in this passage of ensuring a safe building code for houses. How up to date is that?

Perhaps the most well-known, and controversial, ordinance contained in this week’s reading is also found in chapter 22. It is the commandment regarding” Mixtures’. The example cited include :-

• Garments of mixed fibre e.g. linen and wool.
• Ploughing with mixed animals
• Sowing different crops together in the same field.

This week I searched the exposition of 12 different commentators on this subject. There is no commonality of view. I am encouraged by that, because the obvious conclusion is that God is God, He made the rules, and this is another of those occasions where we may conclude that God says  what He means and means what He says !!

I am reminded that when I took my first steps at obedience regarding what I should eat and what not to eat, a number of well-meaning friends informed me that the reason for the Biblical dietary laws was that there was no refrigeration in those days !!!!  Such insight !!  Is it so difficult to just take God at His word?

In relation to the “mixed fibres” in a garment, we know that linen is a product of the flax plant and it has superb qualities of comfort in garments. These days, ‘pure linen’ is quite rare and costly to produce. It was the material ordained to be worn by the High Priest when entering the Holy Place to appear before the Lord. No mixed materials here.

In Revelation 19, we read that ‘fine linen’ is the material of the garment of the wedding gown of the Bride of the Lamb. Furthermore, the scriptures explain that this ‘fine linen’ is “the righteous acts of the Saints”.  No mixed materials here.

I conclude my ‘reflection’ by quoting the exposition on this passage of scripture by Matthew Henry  :-

“God's providence extends itself to the smallest affairs, and his precepts do so, that even in them we may be in the fear of the Lord, as we are under his eye and care. Yet the tendency of these laws, which seem little, is such, that being found among the things of God's law, they are to be accounted great things. If we would prove ourselves to be God's people, we must have respect to his will and to his glory, and not to the vain fashions of the world. Even in putting on our garments, as in eating or in drinking, all must be done with a serious regard to preserve our own and others' purity in heart and actions. Our eye should be single, our heart simple, and our behaviour all of a piece”.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Portion for 16th August - 22nd August

Torah portion            Deuteronomy 16:18 to 21:9

Haftarah portion     Isaiah 51:12 – 52:12

“Judges”

Righteous living together

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. 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 is intent on building this people as a Nation of priests before Himself as a witness and example to the other Nations with whom they come 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.

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. A prophet like Moses!!  Think prayerfully about it.                       

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Portion for 9th August - 15th August

Torah portion        Deuteronomy 11:26 to 16:17

Haftarah portion   Isaiah 54:11 – 55:5

“Re’eh”

Keep My commandments

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 is 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 specific 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 Yeshau 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 Portion for 2nd August - 8th August

Torah portion            Deuteronomy 7:12 to 11:25

Haftarah portion     Isaiah 49:14   to  51:3

“ekev”

A special treasure for God

Moses continues to remind the people of the special status they have in the eyes of God. He wants them to KNOW that they are special, and different to the people they will eventually displace as they occupy the Land of Promise.

Immediately we pick up the message that those who are chosen to be part of His Kingdom, are likewise ‘special to God’. No exceptions. But just as in the case of the Israelites of old, that special status is retained through obedience to His commandments in the way we choose to live our lives. No exceptions.

In Deuteronomy 7::5, they have a specific instruction about destroying the altars, the sacred pillars, the wooden images and carved images.(see also Deuteronomy 12 and Deuteronomy 33) which are also referred to as “high places”. (It is these instructions which have caused an increasing number of Christians today to question the relevance and propriety of the celebration of Christmas and Easter, because neither are “mo’edim” of God, but both festivals have origins in pagan culture long past, and therefor considered to be ‘high places’ where the deity of that culture was worshipped).

Deuteronomy 7:8 has a phrase which is viewed as a ‘throw-away’ generalization by some, meaning ‘for a very long indeterminate time’ and as a phrase of great significance to others.  Since a generation is generally thought to be 40 years, the ‘thousand generations’ means 4,000 years. The point being that it is now approximately 4,000 years since God cut the covenant with Abram !!

The real burden of Moses heart, I think, is expressed in Chapter 8. Please take time to read it. He reminds the people of the faithfulness of God in their wilderness travels. He encourages the people with a description of the fruitfulness of the Land of Promise. Then he agonises over the thought that when they are settled there, have built a life there, are comfortable there, in their own eyes become self-sufficient, that they will become slack in their worship and obedience :-

"Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;  …….  then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.' from  Deuteronomy 8 : 8-17

Moses words to these Israelites 3,500 years ago might well have been addressed to Australia in 2015. How easy it is to forget that even our very next breath is a gift of God. By His grace, we are blessed. We need always to give grateful thanks to God for ‘all His benefits’. It may be appropriate to remember the words of Yeshua to the rich ruler as recorded by three of the gospel writers. (Matthew 19, Mark 10 and Luke 18).

A final ‘reflection’ on this Torah portion is found in Deut. 11:10 – 12. Here Moses provides a brief description of the fruitfulness of the Land. Then in verse 12 a statement about the Land we know as Israel, which every Christian should have burned into their consciousness :-

“ …..  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.”

“Zion’s Voice” is a ministry of prayer and support for Israel. It did not come into being by accident. It was commenced by some ladies following the prompting of the Holy Spirit. What a special privilege those ladies have been granted to participate in a ministry which has benefit for those who are “a special treasure to God”, as is evident from the statement of Moses in Deuteronomy 11 quoted above.  

Shabbat Shalom

RS