Post by alon on Jul 28, 2018 8:46:34 GMT -8
This week’s readings:
Date of reading- July 28, 2018
Name of Par’shah- 45. V’Etchanan; I Pleaded
Par’shah- Deuteronomy 3:23 – 7:11
Haftara- Isaiah 40:1-26
Brit Chadashah- Luke 3:2-15
D’rash: I am writing this ahead of time and with little in the way of research because I am scheduled to go in for eye surgery soon, and recovery is expected to be long. As it is I have severe eyestrain, so my efforts are limited. I apologize, and hopefully will be back on track soon.
Deuteronomy3:7-8 (ESV) For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?
Many nations had similar laws to those of the Hebrews. However the comprehensive nature of the Hebrew laws as well as their fairness and respect for everyone set them apart. But what really set the Hebrews apart was their nearness to their Elohim. Each had a personal walk with their Creator. One of the things our churches have done is to make God distant again. Oh, they talk of a personal walk, and some show signs of actually having it. But as a whole Christian theologies tend to make God distant: at best a God they have free access to, but Who remains aloof.
We as Meshiachim need to get back to this point where our halacha is not just a set of rules on how to obey
. is above all else, El Elohe Yisro’el’s instructions to us in how to live a holy life and walk with Him. Halacha, how we walk out those instructions when and where we are at is also how we draw close to El-Roiy, God Who Sees Me (Genesis 16:13).
Deuteronomy4:21-22 (ESV) Furthermore, the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he swore that I should not cross the Jordan, and that I should not enter the good land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. For I must die in this land; I must not go over the Jordan. But you shall go over and take possession of that good land.
Moshe seems to still blame the people for his act of disobedience at Kadesh (Num 20:11). And rightly so. We’ve all had injustices done to us that resulted in a temporary lapse in faith and obedience. However we are still responsible for those responses to others, and it is we who will bear the consequences of our own actions. So this is a warning to all of us not to let others control our emotions. (special note to self here)
Deuteronomy 4:23-24 (ESV) Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
We go through every year from start to end, so we have no excuse. We know what is expected of us.
In this reading we have the Shema, the cornerstone of Jewish faith:
Devarim 6:4 (OJB) Shema Yisroel Adonoi Eloheinu Adonoi Echad.
Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV) “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. [Or The Lord our God is one Lord; or The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; or The Lord is our God, the Lord alone]
It would stand to reason then that the words which follow would be of extreme importance:
Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (ESV) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 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.
It is also important to note that this is given to us right after the popular list of the Ten Commandments. Rav S did a teaching on this, how Ex 34:10-26 is the list the Bible calls the Ten Words/Ten Commandments. Both the lists share some important commonalities, but there are differences as well. However I will refer you to his teaching on that instead of rehashing it here. All I will say is that both are God’s instructions, and both in their own way are made prominent; so we are beholden to obey all that is on both lists.
Isaiah 40:3-5 (ESV)
A voice of one crying
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
We see the fulfillment of this prophecy in our B’rit Chadashah portion:
Luke 3:2-6 (ESV) during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“The voice of one crying, Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
One thing strikes me over and over doing these par’shot is that Yeshua did not step into a vacuum. The people were looking fervently for ha’moshiach at this time, and every possible candidate was scrutinized; even those who did not claim (as many did) that they were the Anointed of the Most High.
Luke 3:15 (ESV) As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ,
Note too it says here “”the Christ.” This is a title, Greek for “The Anointed,” not a name. I always tell Christians who insist on using this as Yeshua’s last name that yes: and there was his father, Joseph Christ, and Mary Christ His mother … It’s an old Messianic joke, but very a’propo.
The rest of the haftara is a treatise on the greatness, the consistency, and the eternal nature of El HaNe’eman, The Faithful God (Deu 7:9). A good summary might be:
Numbers 23:19 (NKJV) “God is not a man, that He should lie,Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Mekorot: this one was off the cuff, however I’d be remiss in not mentioning the influences and teachings of Rav S, my father and many others
Date of reading- July 28, 2018
Name of Par’shah- 45. V’Etchanan; I Pleaded
Par’shah- Deuteronomy 3:23 – 7:11
Haftara- Isaiah 40:1-26
Brit Chadashah- Luke 3:2-15
D’rash: I am writing this ahead of time and with little in the way of research because I am scheduled to go in for eye surgery soon, and recovery is expected to be long. As it is I have severe eyestrain, so my efforts are limited. I apologize, and hopefully will be back on track soon.
Deuteronomy3:7-8 (ESV) For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?
Many nations had similar laws to those of the Hebrews. However the comprehensive nature of the Hebrew laws as well as their fairness and respect for everyone set them apart. But what really set the Hebrews apart was their nearness to their Elohim. Each had a personal walk with their Creator. One of the things our churches have done is to make God distant again. Oh, they talk of a personal walk, and some show signs of actually having it. But as a whole Christian theologies tend to make God distant: at best a God they have free access to, but Who remains aloof.
We as Meshiachim need to get back to this point where our halacha is not just a set of rules on how to obey
. is above all else, El Elohe Yisro’el’s instructions to us in how to live a holy life and walk with Him. Halacha, how we walk out those instructions when and where we are at is also how we draw close to El-Roiy, God Who Sees Me (Genesis 16:13).Deuteronomy4:21-22 (ESV) Furthermore, the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he swore that I should not cross the Jordan, and that I should not enter the good land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. For I must die in this land; I must not go over the Jordan. But you shall go over and take possession of that good land.
Moshe seems to still blame the people for his act of disobedience at Kadesh (Num 20:11). And rightly so. We’ve all had injustices done to us that resulted in a temporary lapse in faith and obedience. However we are still responsible for those responses to others, and it is we who will bear the consequences of our own actions. So this is a warning to all of us not to let others control our emotions. (special note to self here)
Deuteronomy 4:23-24 (ESV) Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
We go through
every year from start to end, so we have no excuse. We know what is expected of us.In this reading we have the Shema, the cornerstone of Jewish faith:
Devarim 6:4 (OJB) Shema Yisroel Adonoi Eloheinu Adonoi Echad.
Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV) “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. [Or The Lord our God is one Lord; or The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; or The Lord is our God, the Lord alone]
It would stand to reason then that the words which follow would be of extreme importance:
Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (ESV) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 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.
It is also important to note that this is given to us right after the popular list of the Ten Commandments. Rav S did a teaching on this, how Ex 34:10-26 is the list the Bible calls the Ten Words/Ten Commandments. Both the lists share some important commonalities, but there are differences as well. However I will refer you to his teaching on that instead of rehashing it here. All I will say is that both are God’s instructions, and both in their own way are made prominent; so we are beholden to obey all that is on both lists.
Isaiah 40:3-5 (ESV)
A voice of one crying
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
We see the fulfillment of this prophecy in our B’rit Chadashah portion:
Luke 3:2-6 (ESV) during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“The voice of one crying, Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
One thing strikes me over and over doing these par’shot is that Yeshua did not step into a vacuum. The people were looking fervently for ha’moshiach at this time, and every possible candidate was scrutinized; even those who did not claim (as many did) that they were the Anointed of the Most High.
Luke 3:15 (ESV) As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ,
Note too it says here “”the Christ.” This is a title, Greek for “The Anointed,” not a name. I always tell Christians who insist on using this as Yeshua’s last name that yes: and there was his father, Joseph Christ, and Mary Christ His mother … It’s an old Messianic joke, but very a’propo.
The rest of the haftara is a treatise on the greatness, the consistency, and the eternal nature of El HaNe’eman, The Faithful God (Deu 7:9). A good summary might be:
Numbers 23:19 (NKJV) “God is not a man, that He should lie,Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Mekorot: this one was off the cuff, however I’d be remiss in not mentioning the influences and teachings of Rav S, my father and many others
