Reflections
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 48
Nitzvahim (Enter covenant)
“Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.” This statement by Moses immediately follows the chapters in our Bible which specify the blessings and curses, which are presented as possible alternative outcomes for the people. Their choice. Much earlier, as they were about to begin the journey, the people had assembled at the foot of Mount Sinai and made their covenant. “All that the LORD has said, we will do, and be obedient” they declared. Many of those people had now died. Those assembled on this day as Moses spoke, were under twenty years of age at the time when their fathers stood at the foot of Mount Sinai. They had all learned much about the LORD’s dealings with them in the past 40 years and now was the time for them to make their commitment, their covenant, with God.
There is an immensely important lesson here. The terms of the covenant are contained in “The Book of the Covenant” (Exodus 24:7) But that “Book” is NOT the covenant. The “Covenant” is an agreement. An agreement between parties to that Covenant. Almighty God is ONE of the parties. The people to whom Moses read the terms of the covenant in Exodus 24:7 were the other ‘party’ to that original covenant. Those over twenty had died on the journey. In our passage of Scripture this week, Moses offered the establishment of the same covenant with the new generation of Israelites. God has not changed, but the people have. Moses had spelled out the alternatives of obedience and disobedience. Moses can do no more. The choice is theirs to make. But now we may observe a relatively small but important difference. Speaking as from the LORD Himself “I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, but with him who stands with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today … so that there may not be among you man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God”. It is an open covenant. God remains the initiator on one side of that covenant. Steadfast, true, unchanging. And on the other side, anyone who willingly agrees to do, and be obedient to, the terms of the “Book of the Covenant”.
God expected the people that He was leading into the land He promised them, to live according to His standards of righteousness. They were expected to be very different, in behaviour and worship, to the people they were to replace in the land of Canaan and the nations around them. A special people who would be an example to those around them. A witness and testimony to the God they served. But the LORD knew that they would be subject to all the pressures and wiles of the evil one, and that ultimately they would break the covenant which was set before them, and to which they willingly agreed. So it was that Moses wrote, in that same passage of Scripture, that because of their failure, a day would dawn when they would be dispersed from the land that they had not, at that stage, even entered. Then this. “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 things of this Torah.” How good is that? Put very simply, I believe what Moses said 3,500 years ago was, these things are written for our understanding. Revealing Who God is. How He wants us to act and live, in righteousness (even spelling out what happens when people fail), so that we might learn, and not fall into the same error.
If that were the end of Moses’ revelation it would be rather sad. But it is not. Because Moses continued, revealing the prophecy which is being fulfilled in our lifetime. Even now, as we read this ‘reflection’. Reading the history, we can plainly see that our Bible records THREE major dispersions from the land. The first, in 722 BCE, when Shalmanezer V, king of Assyria took captive the people of Israel (the ten tribes of the northern kingdom). There is no record in our Bible of their restoration to their land. Then there was the Babylonian captivity about 586 BCE. There is much recorded in the Scriptures about that restoration, led by Zerubbabel and others about 70 years later. And finally, the great dispersion, about 133 AD after the Bar-Kochba uprising. It is the conclusion of this last event, identified as taking place just as the nineteenth century came to an end, (about 1890) under the visionary leadership of Theodore Hertzl, which most readily fits the scene referred to in our reading today. “.. that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you.” Now we need to understand that this is still ‘a work in progress’. The events under the leadership of Adolph Hitler provided a major stimulus to Jewish people to return to the land after 1947. But (in 2020) there are still as many Jews living outside Israel as there are within Israel. Never-the-less, the word of the LORD is “Then the LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.” And furthermore, a future event. “And the LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. And you will again obey the voice of the LORD, and do all His commandments which I command you today.”
An arrogant and self centred world operates without regard to the word of God so clearly stated. We have the immense privilege today of knowing the ‘end of the book’. But even some who call themselves ‘christian’ seem unaware of the role God has for those He has called by His name. “Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from every nation shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’”. (Zechariah 8:23) The wise will not wait until then!
Shabbat Shalom
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 47
Ki Tavo (When you have come)
Moses emphasised again the importance of the “tithe” when the people take up residence in the land of God’s promise to them. This gives us a clear and unambiguous view of the importance of this act of “tithing” in God’s economy. But we need to understand exactly what that means. We know from Malachi 3:8 that failure to “tithe” appropriately is considered by God to be ‘robbery’. Does anyone seriously contemplate robbing God? Of course not. But that indicates the substantial difference between a “God view” and a “man view” of the same situation. From a human perspective, we might categorise the failure to ‘tithe’ as forgetfulness, or if we are honest enough, as neglect. But not robbery. However, there is a bit more to this than meets the eye.
What is God’s view? He made a covenant with His people to care for them. Rich and poor alike. No respecter of persons. The covenant which the people readily agreed to keep was, “All that the LORD has said, we will do, and be obedient.” (Exodus 24:7) God then, had the right to expect that the people would perform that to which they had agreed. It was by this means that God would be able to fully keep His covenant promise to the people. Offering the “tithe” involved presenting one tenth of the produce of the land every third year to the LORD, so that those who were impoverished could be fed without begging. God gave them that provision as a right to them. It is, after all, the LORD’s portion to give isn’t it? But if there was a deficiency, because the producers did not properly “tithe” the increase which God had given them, then God WAS robbed, and the poor had insufficient as a consequence. What does that mean for us today? What is the lesson we might take from this situation? Malachi 3:10 is so wantonly and deceitfully misapplied in many places today. It really is robbing God. And it is not the ones providing the “tithe” who are at fault. God’s intention was that the “tithe” be used to feed the poor and the disadvantaged. It surely was not to allow some of us to grow wealthy and build big churches, as the impoverished go hungry. This passage of Scripture might cause some to reconsider how ones personal “tithe” should be applied and distributed.
Moses continued his talk to the people “Keep all the commandments which I command you today”. First thing, when they get possession of the land they were to go to Shechem (modern day Nablus) in Samaria. They were to write the commandments of Torah on large whitewashed stones and set them up on nearby Mount Ebal. An altar was to be built and offerings made to the LORD. Close by is Mount Gerazim. The priests were to move among the people declaring what Moses commanded. “Take heed and listen, O Israel; This day you have become the people of the LORD your God. Therefore you shall obey the voice of the LORD your God, and observe His commandments and His statutes which I command you today”. After that the people were to be divided by tribal groups. Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar. Joseph and Benjamin were to stand on Mount Gerazim. These were to speak blessing on all the people present. Then on Mount Ebal, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali were to stand. This group were to warn of the curses which the people would encounter if they engaged in any of the sins which were spoken by them. To each of these sins, declared in a loud voice to the whole congregation, the people were required to acknowledge by saying “Amen” (so be it). Read the list in Deuteronomy 27:14-27.
The good news is contained in chapter 28 of our text. “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you this day, that the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God”. The recital of these blessings (verses 1-14) is a promise of God which indicated His wish for the people to live in peace and prosperity as the world’s leading nation. An example for other nations to see and aspire to be like. A nation which I imagine will be just like that which will be reigned over by Messiah Yeshua when He returns to this earth. “The LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them”.
The exact opposite would follow if they did not do as the LORD commanded Moses to tell them. There are many and varied curses mentioned, which you should read for yourself. I note that in all this long list, the Hebrew word used is “a’rar” (bitterly curse). It is certainly not a light thing. And because we know the events which subsequently occurred, we are able to make judgement and observation of these curses from the well known historical happenings to these people and their descendants throughout many generations. Not only from the Books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and the Kings, but also from more recent events within our own memory and even up to the present day, as the LORD has begun to regather His people back to their land.
As this ‘reflection’ draws to its close, it has to be on a note of caution. These writings of Moses were documented so that generations which follow should have understanding of the nature and character of our God. That includes any who, like us, claim faith in and allegiance to their God. Moses has been almost monotonous in his declaration of the need for them to observe and do what God has commanded. In Deuteronomy 28:64 they were told the unthinkable. Read it. And it is only now that that event is being reversed before our eyes. God says what He means, and He means what He says.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 46
Ki Tetze (When you go out)
The passage for study today finds us, initially, in quite unfamiliar territory. It deals with matters which, whilst evidently common more than 3,000 years ago, are in contravention of civil law in Western democracies today. What we can learn from this is that within the boundaries of common practice, fairness and courtesy to all, and especially to those disadvantaged for reasons not of their own making, was the required standard of behaviour within the nation God has called by His name. It is a good lesson for us to learn. Then immediately following that, we have some rather harsh instructions about dealing with rebellious children, or rebellious sons at least. Again outside the norms of today, but emphasising the need for parents to ensure that correct and effective disciplines are practised at home in early years of upbringing.
Looking after a neighbours property in the event of misplacement or loss, and then restoring it to him is commanded. Included in that is proffering helpful assistance when a neighbours animal has encountered accident. It also seems that “gender fluidity”, referred to in our passage as “an abomination to the LORD your God”, which is masquerading under the misleadingly named programme called “safe schools” in our society, has escaped the eye of those preparing education curricular today. All these things appear in our scriptures that we might learn and be informed of God’s mind on such matters. What does God think, I wonder, when those who claim to be faithful servants of His, blatantly ignore His commands and precepts? And when those who try to point out the error are branded “bigots”?
The more one reads into this week’s Torah portion, the more one sees how far our society today has strayed from that which God requires. Under the ‘law’ of God, which is described by inference in Deuteronomy 22, carnal knowledge constitutes marriage. We should all be alarmed at how far the society in which we all live has moved from that situation. The general acceptance of that in our society, speaks volumes for the great gulf which separates us from the ways of our God. Both nationally, and personally. It seems unfair that a person born from an illegal union, should be denied fellowship. I certainly do not understand it. But such is the “purity” requirement of our God, that such persons are treated like the Ammonites and Moabites. They were the people who denied help and sustenance to the Israelites on their journey. They acted unkindly to the Israelites and were denied fellowship for ten generations as a result. The lesson I get from this is the realisation that “God’s ways are not our ways”, and they never will be. So we have to choose. Is it to be God’s way, or our way? There is no middle road, much as we might wish there were. It is relatively easy to accept that it was a choice for the Israelites to make, but somewhat harder to face the fact that the same choice is ours to make too. It is interesting to me that the fellowship prohibitions which applied to the Ammonites and Moabites are more stringent than those which applied to both the Edomites, who refused, point blank, to allow the Israelites to pass through their land, and the Egyptians, who enslaved the Israelites. Their prohibition was for just three generations.
The social justice practises continue throughout this Torah portion. Many of the instances mentioned are foreign to our culture, but the principles remain. Matters of personal hygiene, ablutions, camp cleanliness and special areas are specified. Keeping the people free from infections and diseases was a priority. A slave who escapes to another family, presumably because of some unfair treatment or abuse, is to be offered protection. Harlotry, although present in their midst, is soundly condemned, and anyone seeking to benefit financially from such is expressly forbidden to offer such wages in offerings before the LORD. The principle we might learn from this is that any financial gain we may ourselves acquire by illegal means, by cheating, lying, deceit or other malpractice, is not to be presented to the LORD as an offering. (bluntly put, if you cheat on your tax, business expenses, social security, or anything else, the LORD doesn’t want any of it in the collection plate)
Don’t make vows to the LORD unless you are prepared to honour those vows fully and on time! There is no sin in NOT making vows, but there is if you do, and then not honour them. Pay your bills on time. This is both honourable and right. It is what God commands. In our text, families who used hired help were required to pay wages daily. God requires that we deal compassionately with other people. The Israelites, who are the subject of these instructions for righteous living, carried the name of the LORD on them. They were intended by God to be examples to the nations around them. We are no less if we claim to belong to God. How we behave in our society is on display every day. Sadly, most of us will have heard the unjust charge “if that’s an example of christianity, I want no part of it”. Yes it is often a lame excuse offered today by a person defending some kind of non christian activity. But as believers, we put ourselves, by our actions, on display every day. God, in His infinite wisdom and love, set out for the Israelites a ‘code of practice’, in minute detail and form, how He expected them to live. It was good social practice for them. It was caring, fair and just. It was not arduous or difficult. It was good for every member of their society. And although the precise detail may be a bit different because of changes in society, the principles remain exactly the same and have not changed one iota.
Reading this passage without seeing the lessons for today can be a quite long boring chore, because relevance to life today can be hard to identify. But seen as God’s instruction for living righteously together, with appropriate parallels, there are many good lessons for us to learn.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 45
Shoftim (Judges)
“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgement”. Then “You shall follow what is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which the LORD your God is giving you.”
Can there ever be a more clear statement of intent? The LORD has laid out the rules and regulations to be followed. Wise men appointed to see to it that justice and fairness prevail within that society. One set of clearly defined commandments applicable to everyone. What could possibly go wrong? The heart of man, that’s what could, and did, and still does, go wrong. The rules have not changed. God has not changed. And man has not changed. That is why it is so important that we look, that we take note, and that we attempt, by diligent attention, to live our lives as God intended.
The judgment for violation of the laws regarding worship are severe. Moses said that sun, moon and star worship was an abomination punishable by death. It is idolatrous. Safeguards in the number of witnesses and higher courts of appeal were instituted in order to eliminate frivolous or mischievous accusations. The appointment of a king, with absolute power, was foreseen. But Moses declared that at that time, the LORD himself would choose the king. No-one who was a foreigner would become king over Israel. And there were specific qualities noted for such a king. He should not accumulate great wealth in the manner of other kings of nations around them. Many horses, which signify large armies, were mentioned. Many wives, which signify self indulgence, was mentioned. But most significant was the requirement that the king write for himself his own copy of Torah. That he become familiar with God’s ‘instructions for righteous living’. That he identify, and accept the conditions God has laid down for everyone. A man who is not ‘above the law’. At all levels, God was seeking to make this people, this nation, “His special treasure”, very different to the nations around them. And another part of that difference was in the role and status of the Levites, the priestly class among them.
For the people themselves, no worship involving ‘passing children through the fire’, no witchcraft, no fortune telling, no interpretation of omens or sorcery, no ‘spells’, no mediums or spiritists, no person who ‘calls up the dead’. (Benny Hinn supporters should be alarmed by his claims to have been inspired by many conversations he had with the dead Kathryn Kuhlman) Moses knew that the people had for many years relied on him to be the channel of communication between them and God. They needed to know that such communication would continue. So Moses made them that huge promise “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren, Him you shall hear.” Of course it was many years later that such Prophet appeared in the person of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. One who spoke to God, face to face. But there was a solemn warning by God attached to such appearance. He said “I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.” Take careful note. The LORD also declared at that time that some, who call themselves prophets, would claim to speak in His name. So He have a simple test which would allow people to identify such. If what such person speaks in His name, does not occur, then he has spoken presumptuously. He is to be ignored …. And put to death! Selah.
The LORD also commanded that safe cities of refuge be built for people who have inadvertently caused the death of another person. Accidents do happen. And eventually, as the nation expanded, three more such cities were to be added. But anyone seeking refuge in such a city, having deliberately caused the death of another was to face the full extent of the law, and not be allowed such refuge. Do you get the impression, as I do, that this land was being designed by God to be a place of great safety, comfort, and righteousness. A very good place to live. It seems that nothing was being left to chance or even debate. The law was the law. It was, and is for those who fully comply, very protective of the rights of people to live in peace. We know that it didn’t work out that way, for reasons we have canvassed earlier. The covenant with God and agreed by the people was broken by them. The consequences are evident all-around us. But there is good news. God has promised a new covenant. One which will be unbreakable, cannot be taught, will be known by everyone from the least to the greatest, will be part of the DNA of people. It will be put in the mind of man, and written on the heart of man by God Himself. And it is coming when Yeshua returns to reign on this earth. I think it will be very much like God intended the Israelites to live in the land He promised them. But they missed that chance.
The remainder of our ‘reflection’ this week continues with very practical matters of living cooperatively with each other. Respect for each others land boundaries, caution placed on judges to diligently enquire about matters of complaint, false witnesses to bear the punishment of the one against whom he has falsely witnessed. Much practical counsel for dealing with civil matters. But also an acknowledgement that there would be battles for possession of the land. How to deal with those in present possession was spelled out. Taking of ‘booty’. Captives. Livestock. Clearing of land. Moses must have been a most remarkable man. Which is why God chose him to be leader.
Again, be blessed as you study this word.
Shabbat shalom
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 44
Re’eh (Behold)
“Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse’. Moses begins with a slight change in the message in this week’s portion of Scripture. There has been significant emphasis about the way in which God expected the Israelites to conduct themselves when they eventually entered the land. That does not change. Now we are told about the alternative in the event of disobedience to the commands of God. I take some licence here. My interpretation of this situation is that there are blessings which will accrue for obedience. They are undoubtedly favourable outcomes in the ways in which God has decided to provide blessing. In our text they are practical. Blessings of rain, fertility, crop production, livestock increase and resulting general ease of living. But a disobedient people, Moses said, would encounter a curse. The licence is in the difficulty I have in perceiving God in “punishment” mode here. I am aware of course that there were occasions when God did punish people for wanton and extreme disobedience, even to the extent of “swallowing them up into the earth”. In this instance however, I rather consider the “curse” here to be an absence of “blessing”. In this view, it may be seen as a natural outcome of ‘going it alone’. Without God. In the ‘christian’ view then, the ultimate curse, of eternity in ‘hell’ is the natural outcome of doing nothing to get right with God. But the blessing of eternal life requires active obedience to Almighty God. A positive response to live as He directs. Obedience to serve Him in the way He has directed.
(By way of illustration of this, we know that God told the people that they would be expelled from the land if they continued in disobedience. The two most remembered occasions were in 576 BCE, the “Babylonian exile” and 135 CE “Roman Expulsion”. Both were enforced by foreigners. Both the result of breaking covenant. Both events foretold and forewarned by God through the prophets. Both may be considered a ‘curse’ on the people. Both events avoidable through obedience. Both events followed by their return, orchestrated by a merciful God who has promised to never forsake His people)
The first task Moses assigned to the people was to destroy the high places of idol worship together with the idols themselves. Instead God would Himself provide the place where He would be worshipped. It would start with a location for the erection of the tabernacle which they carried with them, and later a more permanent Temple. “You shall not at all do as we are doing here today - every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes - for as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance which the LORD your God is giving you.” It seems to my mind that we might well consider that for today. There is much evidence that we seem to be quite good at “doing what is right in our own eyes”. But there is much more to consider too. The detail is there to read. The place for making offerings to the LORD. Who should participate and where. A caution about eating meat ‘with its blood’. Another caution about “prophets”. Evidently, there were people presenting themselves as spokespersons for the LORD. As there are today. Moses even considered the cases where a “prophet” spoke of things which actually happened. Surely a mark of a “true” prophet. But then the warning. Even in that circumstance, if the “prophet” used such occasion which caused the people to “go after other gods” then that “prophet” is to be put to death “so you shall put away the evil from your midst”. Great care should be taken when wealth and prosperity are used as ‘magnets’ to attract people to ‘faith’. The Apostle Paul, writing to Timothy warned “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
Then in chapter 14 of our text, (with insensitivity to the modern reader!) Moses is at pains to provide a long list of the foods which they should eat, and others which are to be avoided. (With tongue firmly in cheek, I note that, unlike us today, Moses knew nothing about refrigeration!!) My choice is to trust God. Others have the right to disagree … not with me for I am of no consequence, but with Almighty God, who is. Then there is another vexed question for today. The tithe. Most of us are familiar with that greatly misapplied “tithing” text, Malachi 3:10. Here in our passage today, Moses gave the people the instructions about their “tithe”. Please read Deuteronomy 14: 22-29. Prepare for a shock, because you will never have heard this from a christian pulpit. I quote in part only. Each year “If the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the LORD your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it (your tithe) for money, take the money in your hand and go to the place where the LORD your God chooses. And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires and “have a party” (my paraphrase).” Then every THIRD year, store up your tithe within your gates, so that “the Levite, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your gates may come and eat and be satisfied , that the LORD your God may bless you all the work of your hand which you do.” The tithe is for rejoicing before the LORD and to provide for those in need.
And finally for this ‘reflection’, we find Moses reminding the people to keep the ‘mo’edim’ (appointed times) of the LORD. The detail is similar to that given earlier in Leviticus 23. Here in Deuteronomy there is the command that for three of these appointed times, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks and Feast of Tabernacles, all the males of the community were required to present themselves before the LORD in the place of His appointment. Now note the condition. “and they shall not appear empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you”. This is nothing to do with ‘tithing’. Three ‘gift days’ each year for the work of the LORD. Give as the LORD has blessed you. And as the Apostle Paul said to the Corinthians “not grudgingly or of necessity”.
The LORD bless you as you study to understand His word.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 43
Ekev (Because)
We did not comment on an important statement which appeared in the reading last week. Speaking of the children of Israel. “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers ..” Many people, even some who identify as christians today, have been unable to come to terms with that unambiguous statement of Scripture. As a result, a root of bitterness has developed and grown. And that, my dear friends, for those people, has become a stumbling block to spiritual growth. That constant attempt to justify personal prejudice against the clear will of God is debilitating. He requires that we accept that He alone is God. All the world is His, not just Israel. There is promise of blessing to those who bless whom God has blessed. Israel is special to Him. Get over it.
And for those who are ‘special’ to Him, that is followed up in the reading this week with “Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments and do them, that the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers.” The list of the blessings and care which God intended to shower upon this people is quite staggering. Fertility, fruitfulness of the land, food provision, health, wellbeing and multiplication of livestock are all included in the national blessing of this new nation of people. But over and again, Moses repeated the persistent message that obedience to the LORD’s commandments is a necessary pre-requisite for such blessing. This nation of Israel, living in their own land, was to be an example of the blessing which God provides for those who are His. A living testimony to the nations which surrounded them.
But as these words were being uttered, the people were still on the east side of the Jordan River. Moses was using the recall of God’s provision on their journey thus far to emphasise His ability to do what He said He would do. The land was still occupied by the Canaanites. Heathen idol worshippers. Those high places of worship had no role to play in the life of the Israelites. Their job was to occupy the land and remove all evidence of the culture of the people they were to replace. Can we see the parallels and the lessons for ourselves as we read this recital of God’s conditions to the Israelites? The imagery is of the journey we ourselves are embarked upon as we travel to our promised land. It is not too difficult to see the parallels, both in God’s requirement of us, or the blessings which are promised. Remember that He said. “I am the LORD, I do not change.” (Malachi 3:6)
There is the oft quoted promise of God, in the circumstance of their hunger and longing for variety of foods during their journey. “Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.” For them it was a practical matter of satisfying hunger. God had promised to bring them to a good land, which they could not see. To live their lives in freedom, where previously, for generations, they had lived in slavery. That was their hope. It was all that kept them going. There was light at the end of that proverbial tunnel. So too for us in type. We live in the blessed expectation of eternal life with our God. That is the “word which proceeds out of the mouth of God”. That is His promise to us. But there is a road of obedience to Him to be followed to get to that place.
As Moses continued, he described the land the LORD had prepared for the Israelites. It was a good land. “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”. This was in comparison to the only other land they knew, Egypt, which had to be irrigated by hand from the river. But again Moses was careful to emphasise the need for them to be obedient to the commands of God. “To love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Over and over again the same reminder. It must have been such a lovely productive land in those days. But because we know the way events unfolded, we see that after they were expelled from the land, due to their failure to keep covenant with God, the land became quite barren. So much so that in 1869, Mark Twain, in his book “Innocents Abroad” described it as ‘uninhabitable’ ! It had been drought ridden for 1800 years. Meaningful rain did not appear again until 20 years later as God prepared the land for the fulfilment of His prophecy of the return of the Jews from every corner of the globe.
We may do no better to conclude our ‘reflection’ this week than to sum up the whole of God’s requirement of these people, and in which I find no conflict with His requirement of us today if we are to receive His blessing. “And now, Israel, what does the LORD require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes, which I command you for your good?” Why? “For the LORD your God is God of gods and LORD of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.”
Do we need any other reason to offer Him our praise and our worship?
Shabbat Shalom
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 42
Va’etchanan (And I implored)
A sad start to our ‘reflection’ today as Moses continued his account of the journey out of Egypt. He recalled for the people his pleading with the LORD to be allowed to go into the land with the people he had led for the past several years. The LORD”s answer was “Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter.” Door closed. Memories of the letter to the church in Philadelphia. “These things says He who is holy, He who is true. (quoting Isaiah 22:22) He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”. When God closes the door, it remains closed. Then God instructed Moses to go to the top of Mount Pisgah and look all around, in every direction, and there to command Joshua about the task ahead of him, as he was about to take charge of the people, as Moses’ successor, to lead them into the promised land.
Immediately after this the tone changed. Moses concentrated on ensuring that the people understood exactly what they had covenanted with God to do. (Exodus 24:7) This was not the first time they had heard these things, and it would not be the last. But the very first statement was, and is, vital both for them and for us. “You shall not add to the word I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” If only “the church”, in all its hundreds of forms, could grasp the import of that command of God. Moses continued “Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say; Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’’ It is quite evident that in the development of church practice, there continues to be a wide diversity of interpretation and understanding. That is quite detrimental to the view of the world to “the church”. Adding to and taking away from the word, as best fits the particular emphasis of the leadership, is common. The multiplication of different groups each claiming to have “the truth” only serves to emphasise the error. It would surely make Moses ‘blush’. Please take time to ponder this in your heart, asking God to reveal the relevance of these statements of Moses to you today. It could well be that the division of the Hebrew Scriptures and the Apostolic Scriptures by the descriptors “OLD” and “NEW” has much to answer for! Just read John 1:1,11, and 14 to gain some perspective.
Of all the commandments the LORD gave Moses, of which he again reminds the people, and which he here describes as the covenant they are expected to keep (Exodus 24:7), he initially singles out the “Ten Commandments”. Yes, there are TEN of them, even though most Christians recognise only nine. (The remembrance and observance of the Sabbath being considered optional for christian believers). Idolatry in its many forms, but specifically the making of carved images as objects of worship is forbidden. “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” said Moses. And that too is a commandment largely ignored by large sections of the christian church. But all is not lost. God knows the heart of man. He was aware way back then of the frailty and propensity of man to deviate from His ways. From those very practices Moses declared “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice (for the LORD your God is a merciful God) He will not forsake you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.” That is a highly qualified statement (highlighted) What a mighty God we serve. And we have this word, His word, as our guide and instruction to know what He expects, and what is right in His eyes. But it would be remiss of me to not also quote the psalmist David, with specific reference to the comments in then first paragraph of this ‘reflection’ about God closing doors. “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us. Nor will He keep His anger forever.” (Psalm 103:8,9)
There is always so much teaching in these Scriptures. But perhaps the part which has been of greatest value to the Jewish community, in particular. is what has become known as “The Shema” in Chapter 6:4-9. The injunction is to “teach these words diligently to your children and to talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Can there be a more comfortable and safe place to learn the word of God? But no-one can teach what one does not know. It is such a sadness for christian believers that the chords of connection between these basic roots of our faith were so comprehensively broken at the Council of Nicaea about 1700 years ago. They can be restored.
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sachs, former chief Rabbi in UK, has written “Shema Yisrael does not mean “Hear, O Israel”. It means something like “Listen, Concentrate. Give the word of God your most focussed attention. Strive to understand. Engage all your faculties, intellectual and emotional. Make His will your own. For what He commands you to do is not irrational or arbitrary but for your welfare, the welfare of your people, and ultimately for the benefit of humanity.”
God does and will bless those who diligently seek Him. He has made Himself known in His word. Selah.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 41
Devarim (Words)
As we begin to ‘reflect’ on this book of “words”, we remind ourselves of where we have come in the historic timeline. Our Bibles record that Abraham lived approx. 4,000 years ago. The events recorded in Numbers, on which we have just ‘reflected’, take us to roughly 3,300 years ago. And at this point Moses, in the knowledge that his life was soon to end, determined to make sure that the Israelites were reminded of all that God had accomplished for them since they left the slavery of Egypt a mere 40 years earlier. What Leviticus is to the priesthood, Deuteronomy is to the people. Both books are instructional. And neither involves any ‘journeying’. Numbers 33 contains the summary of the wilderness wandering of the Israelites.
When they left Egypt, and began their journey, the LORD had taken time to explain to Moses, on the mountain, what He expected of this people called by His name, as He led them to the land He had promised to Abram hundreds of years earlier. And now, by walking up into the hills on the eastern side of the Jordan River, it was possible for them to gaze back over their encampment below, directly into the land God had promised them. They had been within a few days walk of that land when Moses was on the mountain hearing from God, but their failure to trust God at that time was why that few day’s journey had stretched out to 40 years. We remind ourselves that when Moses had conveyed to them what the LORD required of them, they had willingly agreed to “all that the LORD has said and to be obedient” (Exodus 24:7) and thus had made a covenant with Him. A salutary lesson for us if we too have ourselves made a covenant with God. He expects that we keep that covenant. Because He does.
And now, in the twilight of his life, Moses provided a ‘modern history lesson’ for them. Starting with the selection of trusted men from each tribe to act in impartial judgement over them, and eventually the selection of men to spy out the land God had promised them. But in spite of the promise of God to go before them and to give them victory over the Canaanites, they trusted the report of those men who saw defeat ahead, rather than that of Joshua and Caleb, who trusted God that victory was assured if they went in immediately. It was their lack of trust in God’s word, which amounted to rebellion against Him, which caused God to be angry with them and deny them entry to the land (those above 20 years of age at that time) and cause them to die during the next 39 years of their journey. Moses was not “pulling any punches” here because he knew that there were many challenges still to be faced by them, and their absolute trust in God was paramount for their success in conquering the land. We might conclude that it is the same for us in our walk of faith. Our tendency is to expect understanding, with our mind, what God is saying, rather than to believe, with our heart, that He is faithful in all His ways. And where He leads, He will protect, guide, and keep. The issue for us is to know when we hear from God, and not be following our own ambition. A different ‘spirit’.
Moses reminded them of what happened when they (the ones who voted against Joshua and Caleb) tried to ‘go it alone’, in their own strength, against his counsel. They were soundly defeated by the Amorites. He even told them that he too was now forbidden to enter the land on their account. Then Moses recalled other encounters with the Edomites, and the Moabites. The Lord had told Moses that their lands were not to be taken because the LORD had given those lands respectively to the descendants of Esau and Lot (who was also given the land of the Ammonites) as an inheritance. And during this whole trek, God had provided them with food and water, even their shoes did not wear out! Our text also tells us that it took 38 years of the journey for all the ‘over twenty year olds’ to die. The ones now left had not incurred the wrath of God for the disobedience at Horeb, and would be the ones to shortly enter the land.
Moses encouraged the people that as a result of their recent battles, the LORD had put great fear into the various kingdoms through which they had, and would, pass. They had already acquired substantial wealth by way of gold, silver, cattle, sheep, donkeys and even people to work for them. More would follow as they moved to accomplish that which God had in store for them. Their task was to remain faithful to the covenant they had made with God. Yes there was more to be done. Yes there were battles to be fought. Yes there were difficulties to be overcome. BUT, victory was assured “You must not fear them, for the LORD your God Himself fights for you”, Moses told them.
Read the account for yourself. It is an encapsulation of significant events in which the Israelites had been involved, with various outcomes, from which we can all learn valuable lessons. And if we don’t learn those lessons, then it is just another interesting, but unusual, story! From all that Moses has written, the overwhelming lesson for me is to observe the amazing relationship Moses had with his God. He was not perfect, but he was faithful, obedient, committed, humble, and reliant on God. It is probably overly ambitious to expect such a relationship with God for oneself. But the elements within that relationship are available aspirations for all. These accounts of God’s leading the people to the land He promised them are written for our knowledge and understanding of God Himself. How He relates, and what He expects. “I am the LORD, I do not change”. (Malachi 3:6)
The blessing is ours if we are willing to commit ourselves to the reading, study, and understanding of His word.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 40
Mattot/Massei (Tribes/Journeys)
Our ‘reflection’ opens today with details about some laws and practices which concern the relationships, in respect of contract and vow authority, between men and women (daughters and wives). Also, the importance of words used in making those promises (vows). The late David Pawson, who wrote several books, said that the book which brought him the most adverse comment was the one entitled “Leadership is Male”. He might have, but didn’t, use this passage of Scripture as the foundation for that book title. Here, the passage is used to illustrate the onerous task of care and protection which God has charged to the account of men. And there is a valuable lesson for us today in this regard. Regrettably, we may all know people, men, who have substantially abused this Godly role of care and protection, turning it instead into an issue of possessive obsession of control. This passage of Scripture does not rule out, or forbid, reasoned discussion between the woman and the man on any substantive issue in the proposed ‘vow’ in advance. We also note that the relationships relate to a man and an unmarried daughter, or a wife, living in the same home. The role of the man is intended to be exercised in love. And that for the benefit and protection of the woman, not for her imprisonment.
The LORD then restated His instruction about harassing the Midianites. We earlier noted that these Midianites had a distant blood relationship with the Israelites through Abraham. They were once a nomadic group, who could “pop up” almost anywhere, but they had also built cities to live in under kings. In so doing they also acquired great wealth. They were traders who travelled widely. They evidently were quite familiar with the Moabites and lived among them. If they became widely dispersed in Canaan too, and we know from the story of Joseph that they travelled through the land of Canaan, then they would become an obstacle to the Israelites in conquering that land. So Moses put together an army of twelve thousand men to war against the Midianites. I am not sure how long the battles raged, but all the Midianite males were put to the sword, including the five kings of their cities. In addition, we are told that the infamous Balaam also was killed with them. The whole story is contained in chapter 31 of our text. The end result was that the Israelites were much richer. gold, silver, bronze, tin, lead, and wood, as well as leather and woven garments. Additionally they acquired 675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, as well as 32,000 young women who were unmarried. All this booty was equitably divided between the tribes. Half to the men who participated in the fight, and half to the remainder of the people. Then from each half, tribute was given to the High Priest, as a heave offering to the LORD, and a similar tribute to the Levites. Everyone thereby participated in the spoils of victory. And finally, the “icing on the cake” for the Israelites. The commanders of the fighting men came to Moses to report that they had not lost a single person in the fight. So they brought an offering of thanks and praise to God for His protection. A dress rehearsal. What an amazing illustration of God being among the people as they made the final preparation to go into the land. I can only find a simple lesson here. Moses. Obedient. Faithful. Speaking only that which God told him to speak. God give us grace to learn what you require of us, as Moses did.
The land on the Eastern side of the Jordan River was fertile and attractive to the heads of the tribes of Reuben and Gad, who, we are told had “a great multitude of livestock”. They decided that they would like to settle there, and came to an arrangement with Moses and Joshua which allowed them to so do. Their fighting men would accompany the other tribes when they eventually entered Canaan, to conquer it, but would then return to their families in their chosen place, which today is part of Jordan. Later they were joined by the half tribe of Manasseh in what is today part Jordan and part Syria. The whole journey of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan is recorded in Numbers 33. It is quite informative. The land God promised the Israelites, for occupation by the remaining 9 1/2 tribes is described in Numbers 34. Most modern Bible editions include a map supplement which allows the interested reader to follow the details visually. But there are some ‘reflections’ to be made about God’s instructions which were not observed by the Israelites and which have repercussions for them to this very day. It also provides us today with a solemn lesson if we wish to learn it.
The vast majority of believers are acquainted with the phrase “be sure your sin will find you out”. Most think it to be a quotation from “somewhere” in the Apostolic Scriptures. It is in fact a promise of God, made to the Israelites in the very circumstance of driving out the enemy before them as they seek to conquer and occupy the land of God’s promise to them. (Numbers 32:20-22). Then in verse 23 Moses told the people “But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out”. There is no question that God is well aware of the sin of man. But man is not always aware of, or does not appreciate, the often immediate, consequences of such sin.
“But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell. Moreover it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them.” (Numbers 33:55,56.) Our knowledge of the Scriptures tells that that is exactly what happened. The irritant, the thorns, the harassment, and later the expulsion from the land. Just as God said it would be.
How blessed are we that God gives us such warnings?
Shabbat Shalom
RS
TORAH REFLECTION
Torah Reflection 39
Pinchas (Phineas)
Balaam was hired by the Moabite king Balak to curse the Israelites. Under God’s control and direction, he was unable to so do. It is widely considered that he then offered counsel and advice to the Midianites and Moabites about the way in which their conduct with the Israelites could minimise the possibility of war between them. Idolatry and moral decadence, to put it politely. God’s anger was aroused, and Moses was instructed to hang those men of Israel who had so offended and compromised themselves with the women of Moab and Midian. Now Phineas, grandson of Aaron, was himself so angered that he took a javelin and personally killed Zimri, son of a family leader of the Simeonite tribe, together with Cozbi, a daughter of family head of the Midianites. At that the killing ceased, but by then, 24,000 men of Israel were dead.
As a result of the actions of Phineas, showing great zeal for righteousness as in “zeal with My zeal” said God to Moses, “I give to him My covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel”. (I am reminded here of that great “faith” chapter, Hebrews 11, where we read “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” I wonder if the writer to the Hebrews, in addition to the giants of ‘faith’ mentioned, might also have had Phineas in mind when he wrote that!). But God also had a word for the Midianites. They were descendants of the half brother of Isaac, same father, different mother. Moses was told to “Harass the Midianites and attack them; for they harassed you with their schemes by which they seduced you .. “ And as we will see again next week, Moses was faithful to God’s command of harassment of the Midianites thereafter. As we mentioned in our opening paragraph, Balaam was strongly suspected of being part of those schemes. I see an important lesson for us today right here. God had expressed His anger at the idolatry and other matters which were destroying the status of the Israelites in the eyes the people of Moab and Midian. They became almost indistinguishable from those around them. It might be called “assimilation”. As believers we are called to be ‘in the world’ but not ‘of the world’ aren’t we? And that is for “My holy name’s sake”. It is not for reward or acclamation (read Hebrews 11:6 in its entirety), but as a testimony to who we are in Him. Just like the Israelites of those days, we carry the mantle, the mark, the name, of Him who saved us. It’s not what we say that impresses the people we come in contact with. It’s what we DO, how we behave. And God sees everything.
Then Moses was instructed to take another census of the men who were 20 years old and above. Almost 40 years had passed since the last major census and there had been many people die in that time. There now were 601,730 fighting men remaining. Those under twenty year olds who were there at the start were now almost sixty year olds. And they were the oldest of them, apart from Joshua and Caleb, (Numbers 14:38 and 26:64,65) because Moses too, would not complete the journey into the land of God’s promise, which was now very close. But Moses had one more very important task. The fair division of the land. God instructed him in the principles of the division, but the precise location was to be decided by casting lots. Only the Levites were excluded from land allotment. They were excluded also from the census of the fighting men. And there were 23,000 of them from one month old and above. As these matters were being discussed, five daughters of Zelophedad, a descendant of Manasseh, approached Moses with the fact that they had no brothers, and under the existing arrangement they would be dispossessed of any land inheritance. Moses enquired of the LORD, and the women were very pleased to be assured they would get their land within their tribal allotment!
There is yet more work for Moses to accomplish by way of teaching, but the LORD wanted to show the one He described as “His friend” the land which He had promised the people so many years ago. From the plains of Moab, God told Moses to go to the heights of the Abarim Mountain range, to the east of the Dead Sea. Its highest peak today is about 850 m above the Dead Sea, and Mount Nebo is at the northern end of that range. It provided a good view westward across the landscape of Canaan. It is not difficult to imagine a day with no pollution giving extensive views over the land. And it was here that God told Moses that he would shortly be following his sister Miriam and his brother Aaron in death. I am always sad when I read that about Moses. Such a faithful servant of the LORD. But then I consider the crown of glory which surely awaits such a man. Another lesson. The writer to the Hebrews said “It is appointed to men to die once, but after this the judgement.” (Hebrews 9:27). Both parts of that statement are true. The death and the judgement. It was true for Moses, and it is true for us. The great lesson for us to understand is that God Himself is the Judge. He is gracious, merciful, and just. But He cannot look on unforgiven sin. (Revelation 21:27)
After that Moses spoke to the LORD about leadership succession. The LORD appointed Joshua, with the instruction that He would communicate through Eleazar the High Priest and the mysterious (to us) Urim. And finally, Moses was told to reinforce among the people the instructions relating to the “mo’edim’ of the LORD. The Sabbath, the beginning of months, Passover, Unleavened bread, Firstfruits (Feast of Weeks), Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Feast of Tabernacles. All are included. They must be important to God.
“So Moses told the children of Israel everything, just as the LORD commanded Moses”. What a faithful servant of God.
Shabbat Shalom
RS