Exo 22:25 “If you do
lend silver to any of My people, the poor among you, you are not to be like one
that lends on interest to him. Do not lay interest on him.
The Hebrew word for
“interest” is “neshech” means to strike with a sting like a serpent – to bite.
We see how banks and
loan sharks impose overwhelming burdens on so many, especially the poor who
struggle to repay loans because of the high interest rate.
In Dev/Deut 23:20-21
it is specifically permitted to charge interest (nashach) to a foreigner
(nochri). This may include business loans which carry some measure of risk.
Exo 22:26 “If you take
your neighbour’s garment as a pledge at all, you are to return it to him before
the sun goes down.
Exo 22:27 “For that is
his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What does he sleep in? And
it shall be that when he cries to Me, I shall hear, for I show favour.
Covering – “Chesutah”
covering used for protection. Note the use of the “ketiv” and “Qere” in the
Hebrew text – “Kesuto”
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כו כִּי הִוא
כְסוּתֹה לְבַדָּהּ, הִוא שִׂמְלָתוֹ לְעֹרוֹ...
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26 for that is her only covering, she is
his garment for his skin…
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Why femine nouns? There
is certainly a deeper Midrash hidden in this verse.
Exo 22:28 “Do not revile an elohim, nor curse a ruler of your people.
(The Scriptures 2009)
Here the sages
understand “elohim” to mean judges, who speak on YHVH’s behalf (Ex 21:6;
22:8,9)
…” insubordination to
YHVH’s appointed leaders is equivalent to insubordination to YHVH Himself.”
Ruler (nasi) – Yahshua
was a ruler and yet he was cursed by the people.
(When the context in
Hebrew is speaking of the title name of YHVH calling Him the ‘’Mighty One” then
it is in Hebrew Elohim, Eloha or El. In all English Bible versions except the
Restored Name Versions, it is translated as God.
Sometimes like in the
case above the context is speaking of judges but in the Hebrew the word is also
elohim. Then we see that the Hebrew word elohim are also used in many cases
when it speaks of ‘’false elohim’’, translated as idols or false gods in most
Bible versions when the context is speaking of false mighty ones.)
Exo 22:29 “Do not delay giving your harvest and your vintage.
Give Me the first-born of your sons.
“Honouring YHVH and
His appointed leaders is now linked to giving the first fruits of crops, herds
and even the first born of one’s sons (who were redeemed Ex 34:20)
In replacement
theology of the emerging church the bishops replaced the “Kohanim” (Priests)
with their own priestly order. Today many churches teach that the Torah has
been done away with, except the part where it comes to tithing to the church
leaders. This does not mean though that spiritual leaders who proclaim the
truth about YHVH’s word and His covenant are not entitled to be supported by
those whom they teach – see 1 Cor 9
Exo 22:30 “Likewise
you are to do with your oxen, with your sheep. It is to be with its mother
seven days. On the eighth day, you give it to Me.
Exo 22:31 “And you are
set-apart men to Me, and you do not eat any meat which is torn to pieces in the
field, you throw it to the dogs.
Exo 23:1
“Do not bring a false report. Do not put your hand with the wrong to be a
malicious witness.
Exo 23:2 “Do not
follow a crowd to do evil, nor bear witness in a strife so as to turn aside
after many, to turn aside what is right.
Exo 23:3 “And do not
favour a poor man in his strife.
5 Prohibitions of a
witness:
- Cannot give unfounded hearsay testimony
- Collusion on part of a witness with one of the
parties for fraudulent or deceitful purposes is prohibited.
- No consideration is to be given to one’s
social standing in the judicial process
- Not to pervert justice by referring to the
majority view, if majority view is wrong.
- Cannot favour a poor person just because he is
poor.
Exo 23:4 “When you
meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall certainly return it
to him.
Exo 23:5 “When you see
the donkey of him who hates you lying under its burden, you shall refrain from
leaving it to him, you shall certainly help him.
Yahshua taught much on
the issue of how to treat our enemies.
Luk 6:26 “Woe to you
when all men speak well of you, for thus their fathers did to the false
prophets.
Luk 6:27 “But I say to
you who are hearing: Love your enemies, do good to those hating you.
Luk 6:28 “Bless those
cursing you, and pray for those insulting you.
Luk 6:29 “And to him
who hits you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes
away your outer garment, do not withhold the inner garment either.
Luk 6:30 “And give to
everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away what is yours do not ask
it back.
Luk 6:31 “And as you
wish men should do to you, you also do to them in the same way.
Luk 6:32 “And if you
love those loving you, what favour have you? For sinners, too, love those
loving them.
Luk 6:33 “And if you
do good to those doing good to you, what favour have you? For even sinners do
the same.
Luk 6:34 “And if you
lend to those from whom you expect to receive back, what favour have
you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.
Luk 6:35 “Rather, love
your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting none in return. And your reward
shall be great, and you shall be sons of the Most High. Because He is kind to
the thankless and wicked ones.1 Footnote: 1Mt. 5:45, Acts
14:16-17.
Luk 6:36 “Therefore be
compassionate, as your Father also is compassionate.
Because you are
willing to pay whatever price is necessary for the truth to reach people. Truth
is most powerful when one realizes how undeserving one is to receive such
goodness and favour. This kind of truth most often requires a selfless
messenger who is willing to lay down their lives so that others may receive
life.
YHVH is seeking an
intercessory remnant that will become one with His son in bringing a lost
humanity back to Him.
Quote: ”In idiomatic
English, Luke 6:29 might read simply, “Don’t try to get even with evildoers.”
Not “competing” with evildoers is very different from not resisting evildoers.
Yahshua was not teaching that one should submit to evil, but that one should
not seek revenge. Yahshua’ statement has nothing to do with confronting a
murderer or facing an enemy on the field of battle. As Proverbs 24:29 says, “Do
not say, ‘I will do to him as he has done to me. I will pay the man back for
what he has done.’”
English
mis-translation of Luke 6:29 has created a theological contradiction, but when
Yahshua’ saying is correctly understood, it harmonizes beautifully with other
Second writing passages:
See that none of you
pays back evil with evil; instead, always try to do good to each other and to
all people. (1 Thess 5:15)” end quote.
2Co 4:7 And we have
this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the excellence of the power might be
of Elohim, and not of us –
2Co 4:8 being hard
pressed on every side,1 but not crushed; being perplexed, but not in
despair; Footnote: 1See 1:8.
2Co 4:9 being
persecuted, but not forsaken; being thrown down, but not destroyed;
2Co 4:10 always
bearing about in the body the dying of the Master יהושע, that the life
of יהושע might also be manifested in our body.
2Co 4:11 For we, the living, are always delivered to
death for the sake of יהושע, that the life
of יהושע might also be manifested in our mortal
flesh,
2Co 4:12 so that death indeed is working in us, but the
life in you.
How does one know where to draw the line? Midrash. Luke
13:6-9 &
Where are the
intercessors?
Isa 59:14 And
right-ruling1 (mishpatim) is driven back, and righteousness1
stands far off. For truth has fallen in the street, and right (truth and
integrity) is unable to enter. Footnote: 1Amos 5:7.
Isa 59:15 And the
truth is lacking, and whoever turns away from evil makes himself a prey. And יהוה saw, and it
displeased Him that there was no right-ruling.
Isa 59:16 And He saw that there was no man, and was
astonished that there was no intercessor. So His own arm saved for Him, and His
righteousness upheld him.
Eze 22:30 “And I
sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the breach
before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it – but I did not
find one!
Eze 22:31 “Therefore I
have poured out My displeasure on them, I have consumed them with the fire of
My wrath. And I have put their way on their own head,” declares the Master יהוה.
Only as the fullness
of Messiah is established in us (Eph 4:13) and as we are conformed to his image
(Rom 8:29) can we become the kind of intercessors YHVH seeks to bring redemption
to the world. This may happen before Messiah returns.
Exo 23:6 “Do not turn
aside the right-ruling of your poor in his strife.
Exo 23:7 “Keep
yourself far from a false matter, and do not kill the innocent and the
righteous, for I do not declare the wrong right.
Exo 23:8 “And do not
take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the seeing one and twists the words of the
righteous.
Exo 23:9 “And do not
oppress a sojourner, as you yourselves know the heart of a sojourner, because
you were sojourners in the land of Mitsrayim.
Exo 23:10 “And for six
years you are to sow your land, and shall gather its increase,
Exo 23:11 but the
seventh year you are to let it rest, and shall leave it, and the poor of your
people shall eat. And what they leave, the beasts of the field eat. Do the same
with your vineyard and your oliveyard.
Exo 23:12 “Six days
you are to do your work, and on the seventh day you rest, in order that your ox
and your donkey might rest, and the son of your female servant and the
sojourner be refreshed.
Exo 23:13 “And in all
that I have said to you take heed. And make no mention of the name of other
mighty ones, let it not be heard from your mouth.
Exo 23:14 “Three1
times in the year you are to observe a festival to Me: Footnote: 1The
Festivals of יהוה are grouped in three, for three different
times of the year.
Exo 23:15 “Guard the Festival of Unleavened Bread. Seven
days you eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the
month of Aḇiḇ – for in it you came out of Mitsrayim – and do not
appear before Me empty-handed;
Exo 23:16 and the Festival of the Harvest, the
first-fruits of your labours which you have sown in the field; and the Festival
of the Ingathering at the outgoing of the year, when you have gathered in the
fruit of your labours from the field.
Exo 23:17 “Three times in the year all your males are to
appear before the Master יהוה.
Exo 23:18 “Do not offer the blood of My slaughtering with
leavened bread, and the fat of My offering shall not remain until morning.
Exo 23:19 “Bring the first of the first-fruits of your
land into the House of יהוה your Elohim. Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
Exo 23:20 “See, I am sending a Messenger before you to
guard you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
There is much speculation and differences of opinion
regarding the “pre-incarnate” ministry and mission of Yahshua. The book of
Hebrews, chapter one plainly states that Yahshua is superior to the Messengers.
Note also how the translation uses a capital “M” in “messengers” this
distinction does not appear in the Hebrew text.
It is logical to assume that if Yahshua was this special
“Messenger” he would not have failed in his task to bring the children of
Yisrael into the land of Yisrael to be established in YHVH’s Torah, forever and
ever. We know this will only happen in the future when the Messiah returns.
Exo 23:21 “Be on guard before Him and obey His voice. Do
not rebel against Him, for He is not going to pardon your transgression, for My
Name is in Him.
Exo 23:22 “But if you diligently obey His voice and shall
do all that I speak, then I shall be an enemy to your enemies and a distresser
to those who distress you.
Heb 1:13 And to which
of the messengers did He ever say, “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your
enemies a footstool for Your feet”?
Heb 1:14 Are they not
all serving spirits sent out to attend those who are about to inherit
deliverance?
Exo 23:23 “For My Messenger shall go before you and shall
bring you in to the Amorites and the Ḥittites
and the Perizzites and the Kenaʽanites and the Ḥiwwites
and the Yeḇusites, and I shall cut them off.
Exo 23:24 “Do not bow down to their mighty ones, nor
serve them, nor do according to their works, but without fail overthrow them
and without fail break down their pillars.
Exo 23:25 “And you shall serve יהוה your Elohim, and He shall bless your bread
and your water. And I shall remove sickness from your midst.
Exo 23:26 “None shall miscarry or be barren in your land.
I shall fill the number of your days.
Exo 23:27 “I shall send My fear before you, and cause
confusion among all the people to whom you come, and make all your enemies turn
their backs to you.
Exo 23:28 “And I shall send hornets before you, which
shall drive out the Ḥiwwite, the Kenaʽanite,
and the Ḥittite from before you.
Exo 23:29 “I shall not drive them out from before you in
one year, lest the land become a waste and the beast of the field become too
numerous for you.
Exo 23:30 “Little by little I shall drive them out from
before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.
Exo 23:31 “And I shall set your border from the Sea of
Reeds to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River, for
I shall give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive
them out before you.
Exo 23:32 “Do not make a covenant with them nor with
their mighty ones.
Exo 23:33 “Let them not dwell in your land, lest they
make you sin against Me when you serve their mighty ones, when it becomes a snare
to you.”