Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, who has made us set apart through His commandments and commanded us to actively study Torah. Please YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your desire. Blessed are You, YHVH, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, YHVH, Giver of the Torah.
Septenial
cycle portion 155 – Deut. 12:20–13:12 = 24v. כִּי-יַרְחִיב Heshvan 10 5882
Due to the length of this portion in the Triennial Torah cycle (3years) I have chosen to follow the Septennial cycle (three and a half years)/
This Torah portion focuses on the very essence of our relationship with YHVH, His Anointed One Messiah, the Covenant-community and the nations. Sadly, history shows that the instructions were seldom obeyed. The one thing we learn from history is that we do not learn from history.
However, the reality of Covenant life in the Kingdom remains a prophetic promise to a small end-time remnant who receive favour to walk in His Covenant truth:
Presently, we are relatively ‘’barren’’ regarding His Covenant life.
Isa 54:1 “Sing, O barren one, you who did not bear!
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not been in labour! For
the children of the deserted one are more than the children of the married
woman,” said יהוה.
Isa 54:2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let
them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not. Lengthen your
cords, and strengthen your stakes.
Isa 54:3 “For you shall break forth to the right
and to the left, and your seed inherit the nations, and make the deserted
cities inhabited.
Isa 54:4 “Do not fear, for you shall not be put to
shame, nor hurt, you shall not be humiliated. For the shame of your youth you
shall forget, and not remember the reproach of your widowhood any more.
Isa 54:5 “For your Maker is your husband, יהוה
of hosts is His Name, and the Set-apart One of Yisra’ěl is your Redeemer. He is
called the Elohim of all the earth.
Isa 54:6 “For יהוה has called you like a
woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when you were
refused,” declares your Elohim.
Isa 54:7 “For a little while I have forsaken you,
but with great compassion I shall gather you.
Isa 54:8 “In an overflow of wrath I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting loving-commitment I shall have compassion on you,” said יהוה, your Redeemer.
Col 3:6 Because of these the wrath of Elohim is coming upon the sons of disobedience,a Footnote: a Eph_2:2, Eph_5:6.
The
Greek word for ‘’disobedience’’ is ‘’apatheias’’- its root implies ‘’unpersuadable,
refusing to apologise, stubborn’’
This same word is used in - Heb 4:6 “Since then it remains for some to enter into it, and those who formerly received the Good News did not enter in because of disobedience….”.
Once
again this week’s Portion calls Yisrael to see ‘’re eh’’ all that Covenant life is and
as we embrace and guard the Words of the Torah – His Covenant with Yisrael- it
will become a blessed legacy for all nations - Deu 12:28
“Guard, and obey all these words which I command you, that it might be well
with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good
and right in the eyes of יהוה your Elohim.”
Deu 12:20
“When(not if) יהוה your Elohim
enlarges your border as He has promised you, and you say, ‘Let me eat meat,’
because you long to eat meat, you eat as much meat as your being desires.
Yisrael will not only return
to the land but after they have returned to the land the borders will be
enlarged.
Even in their increase and
prosperity Yisrael is given strict instruction – This teaches us that in our
abundance and prosperity we must especially be on our guard-to-guard YHVH’s
Words – His Covenant.
Deu 12:21 “When (not if)the place where יהוה your Elohim chooses to put His Name is too
far from you, then you shall slaughter from your herd and from your flock which
יהוה has given you, as I have commanded you,
and you shall eat within your gates as much as your being desires.
Deu 12:22 “Only, as the gazelle and the deer are eaten,
so you are to eat of it. The unclean and the clean alike eat of it. (refers to
a person’s state of ritual cleanness or uncleanness regarding the Temple altar)
Deu 12:23 “Only, be firm not to eat the blood, for the
blood is the life, do not eat the life with the meat.
Deu 12:24 “Do not eat it, you pour it on the earth like
water.
Deu 12:25 “Do not eat it, that it might be well with
you and your children after you, when you do what is right in the eyes of יהוה.
Deu 12:26 “Only, the set-apart gifts which you
have, and your vowed offerings, you are to take up and go to the place which יהוה chooses. (Yerushalayim)
Deu 12:27 “And you shall make your burnt offerings, the
meat and the blood, on the altar of יהוה your Elohim.
And the blood of your offerings is poured out on the altar of יהוה your Elohim, and you eat the meat.
Deu 12:28 “Guard, and obey all these words which I
command you, that it might be well with you and your children after you forever,
when you do what is good and right in the eyes of יהוה your Elohim.
Deu 12:29 “When יהוה your Elohim
does cut off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you
dispossess them and dwell in their land,
Deu 12:30 guard yourself that you are not ensnared to
follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not
inquire about their mighty ones, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their
mighty ones? And let me do so too.’1 Footnote: 1See also
18:9, Lev. 18:3, Jer.10:2, Ezek. 11:12 & 20:32, Eph. 4:17, and 1 Peter 4:3
Deu 12:31 “Do not do so to יהוה your Elohim, for every abomination which יהוה hates they have done to their mighty ones,
for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their mighty ones. (abortion)
Deu 12:32 “All the words I am commanding you, guard to
do it – do not add to it nor take away from it.1 Footnote: 1See
also 4:2, Prov. 30:6, Rev. 22:18-19.
Deu 13:1 “When there arises among you a prophet or a
dreamer of dreams, and he shall give you a sign or a wonder,
Deu 13:2
and the sign or the wonder shall come true, of which he has spoken to
you, saying, ‘Let us go after other mighty ones – which you have not known –
and serve them,’
Deu 13:3
do not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams,
for יהוה your Elohim is
trying you to know whether you love יהוה your Elohim
with all your heart and with all your being.
Deu 13:4 “Walk after יהוה your Elohim and fear Him, and guard His commands and obey His voice, and serve Him and cling to Him.
There are approximately 14
references in chapter 12 as to the ‘’places’’ where ‘’offerings’’ are made.
Special offerings were to be
made in Yerushalayim.
Other offerings were to be
made on other designated places – within
the gates ..
Deu 12:12 “And you shall
rejoice before יהוה your Elohim, you and your sons and your
daughters, and your male servants and your female servants, and the Lěwite who
is within your gates, since he has no portion nor inheritance with you.
Deu 12:13 “Guard
yourself that you do not offer your ascending offerings in every place that you
see,
Deu 12:14 except in the
place which יהוה chooses, in one of your tribes, there you
are to offer your ascending offerings, and there you are to do all that I
command you.
Deu 12:15 “Only,
whatever your being desires you shall slaughter and eat, according to the
blessing of יהוה your Elohim which He has given you, within
all your gates. The unclean and the clean do eat of it, of the gazelle and the
deer alike.
Quote: ‘’The English word “sacrifice” comes from the Latin,
sacrificare, “to make sacred,” that is, to permanently transfer something from
the human (common) realm to the divine/supernatural (sacred) realm. This basic
meaning is quite appropriate for the sacrifices in the Hebrew Bible (Old
Testament), since they involve the transfer of offerings from the common to the
sacred, from human beings to YHVH our Elohim. In the Hebrew Bible, the primary
Hebrew term for a sacrifice is qorbān (something brought forward, offering),
which indicates the basic ancient Yisraelite understanding of this activity. In
the Hebrew Bible, Yisrael’s Mighty Onv, Yahweh, is always recipient of
legitimate Ysraelite sacrifice (offering).
In the Hebrew Bible, sacrifice always involves
transformation. One of the most common ways to transform something as a
“sacrifice” is to destroy it. Destruction removes the animal from the ordinary
realm to a transcendent one. Biblical texts tell us that what Elogim received
from a sacrifice was the smoke of the burning, as a “pleasing aroma” (see, for
example, Lev 1:13). By receiving the smoke, the transformed sacrifice, Elohim
enjoyed a fellowship meal with human beings. This meal took place at YHVH our
Elohim’s dwelling—the temple.’’
Places of Offerings took place in dedicated places in
homes, cities and in Yerushalayim.
1Sa 1:3 Now this man
went up from his city year by year to worship and to slaughter to יהוה of hosts
in Shiloh. And the two sons of Ěli, Ḥophni and Pineḥas, the priests of יהוה, were
there.
1Sa 9:11 As they went up
the hill to the city, they met some young women going out to draw water, and
said to them, “Is the seer here?”
1Sa 9:12 And they
answered them and said, “He is. Look, ahead of you. Hurry now, for he came to
this city today, for the people have a slaughtering on the high place
today.
1Sa
16:1 And יהוה said to
Shemu’ěl, “How long are you going to mourn for Sha’ul, seeing I have rejected
him from reigning over Yisra’ěl? Fill your horn with oil, and go, I am sending
you to Yishai the Běyth Leḥemite. For I have seen among his sons a sovereign
for Myself.”
1Sa 16:2 And Shemu’ěl
said, “How would I go? When Sha’ul hears it, he shall kill me.” And יהוה said, “Take
a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to slaughter to יהוה.’
1Sa 16:3 “And you shall
invite Yishai to the slaughtering, then let Me show you what to do. And you
shall anoint for Me the one I say to you.”
1Sa 16:4 And Shemu’ěl
did what יהוה said,
and went to Běyth Leḥem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and
said, “Do you come in peace?”
1Sa 16:5 And he said, “In
peace. I have come to slaughter to יהוה. Set
yourselves apart, and you shall come with me to the slaughtering.” And he set
Yishai and his sons apart, and invited them to the slaughtering.
1Sa 6:15 And the Lěwites
took down the ark of יהוה and the chest that was with it, in which
were the objects of gold, and put them on the great stone. And the men of Běyth
Shemesh offered ascending offerings and slaughtered slaughterings the same day
to יהוה.
1Sa 7:5 And Shemu’ěl
said, “Gather all Yisra’ěl to Mitspah and let me pray to יהוה for you.”
1Sa 7:9 And Shemu’ěl
took a suckling lamb and offered it as an ascending offering, completely, to יהוה. And
Shemu’ěl cried out to יהוה for Yisra’ěl, and יהוה answered
him.
1Sa 7:10 And it came to
be, as Shemu’ěl offered up the ascending offering, the Philistines drew near to
battle against Yisra’ěl. But יהוה thundered with a great noise on that day
on the Philistines, and troubled them, and they were smitten before Yisra’ěl.
Sha’ul's (Saul’s) Unlawful Offering
1Sa 13:8 And he waited
for seven days, according to the appointment with Shemu’ěl. But Shemu’ěl did
not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him.
1Sa 13:9 And Sha’ul
said, “Bring an ascending offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he
offered the ascending offering.
1Sa 13:10 And it came to
be, as he had finished offering the ascending offering, look, Shemu’ěl came.
And Sha’ul went out to meet him, to bless him.
1Sa 13:11 Then Shemu’ěl
said, “What have you done?” And Sha’ul said, “Because I saw that the people
were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed,
and that the Philistines gathered at Miḵmash,
1Sa 13:12 so I said, ‘The
Philistines are going to come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not appeased the
face of יהוה.’ So I
felt compelled, and offered an ascending offering.”
1Sa 13:13 And Shemu’ěl
said to Sha’ul, “You have been foolish. You have not guarded the command of יהוה your
Elohim, which He commanded you. For now יהוה would
have established your reign over Yisra’ěl forever.
1Sa 13:14 “But now, your
reign is not going to stand. יהוה shall seek for Himself a man after His own
heart,[b] and יהוה shall
command him to be leader over His people, because you have not guarded what יהוה
commanded you.” Footnote: b Act_13:22.
Threshold covenant –
https://www.hopefaithprayer.com/books/The%20Threshold%20Covenant%20-%20Henry%20Clay%20Trumbull.pdf
Midrash
on Covenants:
The midrash of Covenant life
is more important than the text itself, because true midrash involves the very embodiment
of the text itself – ‘’the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us …Jn1.
The blessing of marriage
covenant is best understood between a husband and his wife, it is not meant to
be broadcast to all. So too with YHVH’s Covenant- its best understood within
His Covenant Community.
In this regard the powers of darkness seem to have more understanding than the children of light in this matter.
Let us consider the six verbs
of vs 4
|
ה אַחֲרֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם תֵּלֵכוּ, וְאֹתוֹ תִירָאוּ; וְאֶת-מִצְוֹתָיו תִּשְׁמֹרוּ וּבְקֹלוֹ תִשְׁמָעוּ, וְאֹתוֹ תעֲבֹדוּ וּבוֹ תִדְבָּקוּן. |
In the above passuk (verse)
are embedded are six commands – six imperfect Hebrew verbs that Yahshua came to
make perfect – six verbs that teach us who we are and how we were called to
live.
You shall follow (halach) YHVH and fear (yara) Him, and
you shall keep (shamar) His commandments, listen (shemah) His Voice, serve
(avad) Him, and cling (davak) to Him.
Lets us consider each of these six verbs:
“Halach” lit. the text reads “after YHVH your Elohim you shall
walk” This literally means that your covenant walk is NOT ACCORDING TO THE
CUSTOMS OF CHRISTIANITY OR JUDAISM OR THE NATIONS.
Every other way is wrong and will lead to loss and destruction. In fact according to the BDB definition “halach” can also mean “death”- (BDB 1980)
“Yara” – fear – “tiroo” – this word does not only imply awe and respect but implies a genuine “trembling” and the frightening prospect of the severe consequences of disobedience and ignorance of YHVH’s Torah.
Heb 10:26 For if we sin
purposely after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer
remains a slaughter offering for sins,d Footnote: dSee also Heb_6:6.
This type of sinning is in contrast with sinning ignorantly – Heb_9:7, Num_15:15-28.
Heb 10:27 but some
fearsome anticipation of judgment, and a fierce fire which is about to
consume the opponents. Isa_26:11.
Heb 10:28 Anyone who has
disregarded the Torah of Mosheh dies without compassion on the witness of two
or three witnesses.
Heb 10:29 How much worse punishment do you think shall he deserve who has trampled the Son of Elohim underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was set apart as common, and insulted the Spirit of favour?
“Shemah”- hear, listen and obey -
Joh 10:26 “But you do not believe, because you are not
of My sheep, as I said to you.
Joh 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and
they follow Me.1 Footnote: 1Rev. 14:4-5.
Joh 10:28 “And I give them everlasting life, and they
shall by no means ever perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.
Joh 10:29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is
greater than all. And no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
Joh 10:30 “I and My Father are one.”1 Footnote: 1See 17:11, 17:21-23.
Amo 8:11 “See, days are coming,” declares the Master יהוה, “that I
shall send a hunger in the land, not a hunger for bread, nor a thirst for
water, but for hearing the Words of יהוה.
Amo 8:12 “And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east – they shall diligently search, seeking the Word of יהוה, but they shall not find it1. Footnote: 1Jer. 5:13, Hos. 8:12, Ezek. 34:3-10.
“Avad” serve Him – “avad” in Hebrew can mean both to serve and to worship.
To understand service and worship to YHVH we need to understand the core reason for our existence and calling in life – ACCORDING to His Covenant.
“Davak” to cling to His Covenant Life–Act 17:28 For in Him we live and move and
have our being…..
Modern Hebrew – ‘’davak mahir’’ is super glue.
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chay-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe,
you have given us your Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting life within
our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah – Ameyn
Further
info in Septennial Cycle: