Do not Forget ADONAI
8: 11-20

Do not forget ADONAI DIG: How is forgetfulness more than amnesia? How would ADONAI treat the idolatry of His own people? What are the three steps toward ruin? How was Isra’el’s “forgetting” deliberate? How would the Promised Land itself be a source of testing for the Israelites? When did the manna stop falling from heaven? How were the Israelites to remember God? Why was wealth given to the Israelites? What did Ha’Shem say would happen if the Israelites ended up forgetting ADONAI?

REFLECT: How might the warning here apply to you? What are the things which cause you to forget God? What will you do to make sure these things do not come between you and God? How are producing wealth and accumulating wealth different? What does this tell you about your capacity to produce wealth? Is it harder for you to maintain a proper relationship with God in prosperity or hardship? How are you doing in that regard? How should one deal with a sense of satisfaction that lacks humility? Who do you know that you can help with this?

Looking to Isra’el’s near future, Moshe warns the people against feeling proud and self-sufficient as a result of the prosperity and abundance they will experience in the Promised Land.

The danger of forgetting God (8:11-16): Take care that you do not forget ADONAI your God by not keeping His mitzvot, ordinances and statutes that I am commanding you today (8:11). Forgetfulness is not merely a matter of amnesia. To forget ADONAI means two things. First, it means forgetting all the history of what God had done for them, both the lessons of the hard times and the blessings of the good times (to see link click Cf – The Danger of Prosperity). The facts may still be remembered, in a literal sense, but they have ceased being a part of a living memory of the reality of YHVH, who no longer seems to be a living and real presence. Hence, “forgetting” is felt as deliberate rejection, not just a mental lapse. So much of the pain that Ha’Shem expresses through the prophets is the result of this kind of “forgetting.”

Moses delineates the setting in which this “forgetting” might take place. Otherwise, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and lived in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply, and silver and gold multiplies for you and all that is yours multiplies, then your heart might become haughty and you will forget ADONAI your God. He brought you out from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery (8:12-14). The anticipation of the good Land promised by YHVH had been a source of strength to the Israelites during their time of testing in the wilderness; following the conquest, however, the good Land itself could become a source of testing.²⁴⁵

He led you through the great and terrible wilderness – fiery serpents and scorpions, and thirsty ground where there was no water. He brought forth water for you from the flinty rock (8:15). He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, in order to afflict you and test you, to do you good in the end (8:16). Inside the Land, manna would not fall. Isra’el would need to perform eleven mitzvot just to make bread – sowing, plowing, reaping, binding sheaves, threshing, winnowing, selecting, grinding, sifting, kneading, and baking (Shabbat 74b).

The danger of presumption (8:17-18): For any member of the covenant community, it would be gross presumption to say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand has made me this wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:17; also see Psalm 127:1; Proverbs 30:9; Hosea 13:6). Yet precisely because the purpose of God is achieved through the cooperation of mankind, there was, and is, the inevitable temptation for us to boast of our achievements. Do not forget ADONAI! How easy it would be for Isra’el to become proud, to forget how helpless they were before the LORD rescued them, and to think that their success was due to their own strength and wisdom – and that they deserved it!²⁴⁶

God grants power and ability to His people for a special purpose: Rather you are to remember ADONAI your God, for it is He who gives you power to make wealth, in order to establish His covenant that He swore to your fathers – as it is this day, when the covenant was being renewed on the plains of Mo’ab (8:18). Such dependence on YHVH is humbling. Mankind does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of ADONAI (8:3b). The people could avoid pride in their power to make wealth if they would constantly remember ADONAI and the lesson of the wilderness: all of life is a gift from God and nothing is possible apart from Him.²⁴⁷

This lesson for Isra’el has wide implications for us today. Wealth and prosperity can never be regarded as a natural right. People with this ability to make wealth are good at building a business, making deals or sales and reaping a profit. If you have this business ability, you should be using it for God’s glory? How? First, realize your ability came from ADONAI and give him the credit. Second, use your business to serve a need of others and to share your faith with unbelievers. Third, return a tithe of the profit to YHVH as an act of worship. Finally, make it your goal to be a Kingdom builder, not just a wealth builder.²⁴⁸

Rejecting ADONAI’s authority (8:19-20): The section closes on a solemn note. Now if you do forget ADONAI your God, and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you will certainly perish. Like the nations ADONAI makes perish before you, so you will perish, since you would not listen to the voice of ADONAI your God (8:19-20). The climax of this anticipated spiritual decay is that the Israelites, now comfortable in a fruitful Land that had graciously been given to them, would then turn from the living YHVH and start worshipping the false gods of their neighbors. Idolatry begins in the heart when gratitude to the Giver is replaced by greediness for His gifts. For even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give Him thanks (Romans 1:21a). An ungrateful heart can quickly become a haven for all sorts of sinful attitudes and appetites that gratify the flesh. What would Ha’Shem do? He would treat His own people’s idolatry the way He treated the idolatry of the Canaanites that they had conquered. He would destroy Isra’el and her false gods. Before Moshe finished his speech, he outlined the terms of the LORD’s covenant with Isra’el and the discipline He would send if the apple of His eye persisted in worshipping other gods. Prosperity, plus ingratitude, plus idolatry are three steps toward ruin. But these aren’t ancient sins, for they are present in hearts, homes, businesses, and our places of worship today.²⁴⁹

Dear Wonderful Heavenly Father, You are so special and wonderful! It is a joy to remember all You have done. It is amazing that in all Your great power, You have: never once lost control of Your anger, never once lashed out in unkindness, never had the slightest unclean thought. You are amazing and it is such a comfort to know You and to call You my Father (John 1:12). I love to praise and to obey You. I worship You with my whole heart. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Danger of Prosperity
8: 1-10

The danger of prosperity DIG: What should the Israelites have learned through receiving manna daily for forty years? What blocked their full learning? What does it mean to be disciplined by God “as a man disciplines his son?” What is the intended effect of God’s actions in the wilderness? What does the phrase “to test you” mean? What stage of life were the Israelites in during the wilderness wanderings for forty years? Why do you think the Israelites needed to experience this discipline before entering the Promised Land?

REFLECT: When, if ever, have you experienced, “God’s wilderness” in your life? How did it reveal who you were? What do you think your life would be like now if God had never tested you? In what ways is life different because of that? How has ADONAI cared for you? How would you like Him to care for you? What is the purpose of Ha’Shem’s discipline? Who and how does God discipline? The wilderness experience either makes, or breaks us? Do you remember how ADONAI led you through a wilderness experience? What did you learn?

ADONAI warns the Israelites to be aware of the danger of prosperity, causing them to forget the LORD their God by not obeying His mitzvot.

A. The danger of prosperity (8:1): You are to take care to do the whole mitzvah that I am commanding you today, so that you may live and multiply and go in and possess the Land that ADONAI swore to your fathers (8:1). This verse serves as an introduction to the entire chapter by calling Isra’el to obedience that will produce tremendous blessings, all according to YHVH’s promise to His people. But another way of looking at the chapter is to see that the wilderness, which was a place of testing, produced blessing in the end (8:16b), whereas the Land, which should be a place of blessing, would also be a place of testing the people’s loyalty and humility to ADONAI (to see link click Cg – Do Not Forget ADONAI).

B. ADONAI tests us (8:2-3): The desolation of the wilderness in stark contrast to the richness of the Promised Land. YHVH had led His people through the wilderness, however, for a particular purpose. You are to remember all the way that the LORD your God has led you these 40 years in the wilderness (8:2a). The act of remembering prompts obedience to God’s Word, for it brings to the forefront of the mind the reality and faithfulness of ADONAI; forgetfulness, then, is the same as disobedience, for the self and human concerns have pushed into the background the mind and the reality of the claims of God.²³⁸

Dear Great and Awesome Heavenly Father, We love You! Prosperity on earth lasts for but a moment, however worshiping You will go on for all eternity! Though life is busy, how wonderful to make time to meditate on how awesome You are! I love to picture the 10 plagues of Egypt and then you safely bringing Isra’el through the Sea of Reeds. I remember with joy Isra’el’s victory though their enemy was much greater in technical skill – chariots and in man power having men as numerous as the sand on the seashore (Joshua 11:4) – yet it is Your power that is most important. Isra’el was victorious and won because of your Almighty power (Joshua 11:1-11).

He led the Israelites through the wilderness for 40 years in order to humble them, to test them, to know what was in their hearts, whether they would keep His mitzvot or not (8:2b). How we respond to the tests of life reveals what’s really in our hearts, especially when those tests involve the everyday experience of life. The people of Isra’el were frequently hungry and thirsty and weary from the journey, and it was on those occasions that they became worried and critical. The Adversary tempts us to bring out the worst in us, but YHVH tests us to bring out the best in us. When God allows a difficult circumstance to test us, we will either trust Him and become more mature, or we will tempt Him and become more miserable. The difference? Believing the promises of God and relying on the Lord to care for us and bring us through for His glory and our good.²³⁹

When the people were hungry, YHVH fed them manna; the provision of manna was not simply a miracle, because it was designed to teach the Israelites a fundamental principle of their existence as the people of God. The basic source of life was God, and the words of God to the Israelites was more important to their existence than was food (8:3).²⁴⁰ He afflicted you and let you hunger, then He fed you manna – which neither you nor your fathers had known – in order to make you understand that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of ADONAI (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bj – Jesus is Tempted in the Wilderness). Those who obeyed Ha’Shem in the daily responsibility of gathering manna would be more inclined to obey the rest of His mitzvot. And our relationship to the Word of God (manna) reveals our relationship to the God of the Word.

C. ADONAI cares for us (8:4): Neither did your clothing wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these 40 years (8:4). A further illustration of the care of YHVH for Isra’el is couched in vivid symbolic language, which simply means that God supplied their every need. There are three critical questions in life for most people (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Dt – Do Not Worry About Your Life, What Your Will Eat or Drink, or What You Will Wear), and ADONAI met all these needs for forty years. For your Father in heaven knows that you need all these (Matthew 6:32b). God doesn’t miraculously deliver bread, water, and clothing to our front doors today, but He does give us jobs and the ability to earn a living (8:18). The same Lord who provided Isra’el’s needs without human means can provide our needs using human needs.²⁴¹

C. ADONAI disciplines us (8:5): God saw the children of Isra’el as His own children whom He greatly loved. Isra’el is My son, My first born” (Exodus 4:22; Hosea 11:1). Now you know in your heart that as a man disciplines his son , so ADONAI your God disciplines you (8:5). After years of slavery in Egypt, the Jews had to learn what freedom was and how to use it responsibly. We commonly think of discipline only as a punishment for disobedience, but much more is involved. Discipline is “child training,” the preparation of the child for responsible adulthood. A judge justly punishes a convicted criminal in order to protect society and uphold the law, but a father lovingly disciplines a child to help that child mature. Discipline is evidence of God’s love and our membership in His family. My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my mitzvot (Proverbs 4:11-12).

When you think of the Lord’s discipline of His children, don’t envision an angry parent punishing a child. Instead, see a loving Father challenging His children to exercise their physical and mental muscles so they will mature and be able to live like dependable adults. When we’re being disciplined, the secret of growth is to humble ourselves and submit to God’s will (see the commentary on Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children). To resist ADONAI’s discipline is to harden our hearts and resist the will of the Father. Like an athlete in training, we must exercise ourselves and use each trial as an opportunity to grow.²⁴²

B. ADONAI tests us (8:6): The “key” that opened the door to the Promised Land was simple: So, the new generation was urged to keep the mitzvot of ADONAI their God – to walk in His ways and to fear Him (8:6). The fear of ADONAI is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:7). The wilderness period was therefore a time of testing. It was a time of adolescence in Isra’el’s history, when the people learned to understand by experience the way in which the LORD wanted them to walk. Adolescence and education in the ways of God may involve testing and hardship, but there was a goal beyond the growing pains. It was the good Land that was promised to the descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If the people were obedient to Ha’Shem and feared to disobey the One who is so powerful and holy, then, they would mature from adolescence to adulthood, the time anticipated in the following verses.²⁴³

A. The danger of prosperity (8:7-10): Moses’ description of the Land stands in stark contrast with what Isra’el had seen and experienced in the wilderness. When ADONAI your God brings you into a good Land – a Land of wadis with water, of springs and fountains flowing out in the valleys and hills, a Land of wheat and barley, vines, figs and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey, a Land where you will eat bread with no poverty, where you will lack nothing (Hebrew: chaser). The verb is the same that David used when he said: ADONAI is my Shepherd: I shall not want (Hebrew: chaser). The Land contained additional mineral deposits. It was a Land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills south of the Dead Sea you can dig copper. So, you will eat and be full, and afterwards you will bless ADONAI your God for the good Land He has given you (8:7-10). There’s danger in prosperity and comfort, for we may become so wrapped up in the blessings that we forget the One who gave us the blessings. For this reason, Moshe warned the Jews to praise YHVH after they had eaten their meals so they wouldn’t forget the Giver of every good and perfect gift (Deuteronomy 8:10; James 1:17).²⁴⁴

Depend Totally on God
8: 1-20

This is the chapter of testing. Isra’el’s loyalty to YHVH is the theme. Two tests are addressed; one past and one future. First, Moses reminded the nation that they were humbled in the wilderness through hunger and hardship, however, YHVH provided for all of their needs. And when He was tempted in the wilderness, Yeshua also responded by saying: man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of ADONAI (Deuteronomy 8:3). Opposed to Isra’el, Messiah knew that His provision came only from His heavenly Father. Secondly, another type of testing awaited the Israelites in the Promised Land. But there, the testing would be reversed. It would not be of hunger and hardship, but of prosperity and plenty: So, you will eat and be full, and you will bless ADONAI your God for the good land He has given you. Take care that you do not forget ADONAI your God by not keeping His mitzvot, statutes (Hebrew: hachukkim, meaning to write into law permanently) and ordinances (Hebrew: hammishpatim, meaning a judgment of the court) that I am commanding you today (8:10-11). Unfortunately, Isra’el failed both tests.

In this chapter Moshe focuses on ADONAI, the source of all blessings. The new generation of Israelites needed to know that truth. This will be emphasized until the end of the book. Yeshua’s quotation of Deuteronomy 8:3 is very significant. It is there that we are beginning to see the close relationship between Isra’el and her Messiah. When Jesus quoted this passage, both Isra’el in Deuteronomy, and Christ in Matthew 4:1-11, had just finished a period of testing. For Isra’el it was forty years; for Yeshua it was forty days.

The number forty symbolizes testing, or judgment. Moses lived in Egypt for forty years (Acts 7:23), he lived in Midian for forty years (Acts 7:30), and he lived in the wilderness for forty years (Exodus 16:35; Numbers 32:13; Deuteronomy 29:5); King Sha’ul ruled for forty years (Acts 13:21); King David ruled for forty years (First Kings 2:11); and Solomon ruled over Isra’el for forty years (First Kings 11:42). The Flood lasted forty days (Genesis 7:17); the twelve spies were in the Promised Land for forty days (Numbers 13:21); Goliath came out and challenged the Israelites for forty days (First Samuel 17:16); and the Ninevites were given forty days to repent (Jonah 3:4).

Regarding this relationship between Isra’el and Yeshua, both shared the title of the Son of God. In the TaNaKh those who are called the Son of God are those who were created directly by God Himself. First, the angels (Job 2:1); second, Adam (Luke 3:38); third, Yeshua (Micah 5:2; Psalm 2:7 and Proverbs 30:3); and forth, Isra’el (Hosea (11:1). Hosea’s prophecy: When Isra’el was a youth I loved him, and out of Egypt I call My son, is quoted by Matthew about Yeshua, “He stayed there until Herod’s death. This was to fulfill what was spoken by ADONAI through the prophet [Hosea], saying: Out of Egypt I called My son” (Matthew 2:15). Therefore, both Isra’el and Jesus shared the same title, the son of God. But where Isra’el failed, ultimately, Messiah would succeed (see the commentary on Isaiah, to see link click Hl – The Cone of Isaiah). But once Christ’s word of redemption is done, Isra’el is reestablished as God’s servant (see the commentary on Isaiah In – He Made My Mouth like a Sharpened Sword).²³⁷

Show No Pity
7: 16-26

Show no pity DIG: What kind of life do you think the Israelites had in the wilderness, as compared to the more urban population of Canaan? How might this affect the Israelites’ will to conquer the nations of Canaan? If the Israelites viewed these nations as strong, how did it affect their opinion of the gods of these nations? What problems might this create for the Israelites as they attempted to establish themselves in Canaan? About how long did it take to control the whole Land? What is the cherem judgment? Why did God impose it?

REFLECT: We aren’t supposed to isolate ourselves from the world (First Corinthians 5:9-13) because the world needs our witness and service. We cooperate with different people at different times for different reasons, but we’re careful not to compromise our witness for Messiah. We do some things because it’s for the good of humanity and other things because we’re citizens or employees. But whatever we do, we seek to do it to the glory of God. How are you doing with this balance of being a light to the world, yet separate from the world?

The Isrealites were to utterly destroy the pagans of Canaan and show no pity. If they would not do so, Isra’el would become ensnared by their gods and would not experience the blessings that ADONAI intended for them.

A. You must utterly destroy all the Canaanites (7:16): You will devour all the peoples ADONAI your God gives over to you. Your eye is not to pity them. You are not to serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you (7:16). Moses reminded the Israelites of their God-given task, the extermination of all the Canaanites and their gods (to see link click Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh). Moshe warned them against the natural sympathy they would feel for those pagans and pressed them to carry out Ha’Shem’s bidding. If the Israelites would not do so, they would become ensnared by the pagans and their gods (Exodus 34:12-14), and as a result, would not experience the blessings just mentioned (see Cc – Because You are Listening).²³²

B. ADONAI will destroy them (7:17-21): The remedy for fear would be a good memory. Remembering God always gives evidence of His continuing faithfulness. For Isra’el, the victory in the coming holy war was already assured because the commander of YHVH’s army (Joshua 5:14), the pre-incarnate Yeshua Messiah, was leading them. But Moses knew the hearts of his fellow Israelites. He remembered how forty years earlier the Anakites had made their hearts melt (see An – Isra’el’s Lack of Faith). The Israelites were to concentrate not on the strength of their enemies but on the greatness of their LORD, and how He had already provided for them, especially their deliverance from Egypt.²³³ Suppose you say in your heart, “These nations are more numerous than I – how can I drive them out?” You are not to be afraid of them. You are to be sure to remember what ADONAI your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs and wonders, and the mighty hand and outstretched arm by which ADONAI your God brought you out. So will ADONAI your God do to all the peoples you fear. Moreover, YHVH would cause Isra’el’s enemies to run from her in battle as if they were attacked by a swarm of hornets. ADONAI your God will send the hornets against them, until the survivors and those in hiding perish before you. There would be no hiding place from the victorious pursuit of God’s people. The enemies of Isra’el were already afraid of them (Exodus 15:15; Numbers 22:3; Joshua 2:9-11 and 24, 5:1 9:24). You should not be terrified of them, since ADONAI your God is in your midst – a great and awesome God (7:17-21). Therefore, far from being afraid of the enemy, it was God Himself that the enemy needed to fear!

C. ADONAI will remove the nations before you (7:22): The process of settlement and complete control of the Land would be gradual. ADONAI your God will drive away those nations before you little by little – you will not be able to put an end to them all at once, or else the beasts of the field will multiply on you (7:22). The enemies of YHVH would be driven out only gradually, so that the wild beasts might be kept under control. Practical reasons would also slow down the speed with which Isra’el could separate themselves from the Canaanites. On the one hand, she was separated from the world. But, on the other hand, she could not live outside the world. The conquest would take time.²³⁴ According to the book of Joshua, it took Isra’el about seven years to control the whole Land. First, Joshua cut straight across Canaan and divided the Land (Joshua Chapters 1-8); then he conquered the nations in the south (Joshua Chapters 9-10); and then those to the north (Joshua Chapter 11). But this left “mopping up” operations for the individual tribes, some of them never did eliminate the enemy from their territory (Judges Chapters 1-2).²³⁵

B. ADONAI will destroy them (7:23-24): But ADONAI your God will give them over to you, and He will throw them into great confusion until they are destroyed. A divinely inspired panic would overwhelm the Canaanites and render them helpless in battle (Exodus 23:28; Joshua 24:12; Judges 7:17-24). He will hand over their kings to you, and you will blot out their name from under the heavens (see 12:2-3). No man will stand up to you, until you have destroyed them all (7:23-24). The historical reality ended up somewhat differently, but the clear message is the conquest of Canaan was the act of God, a holy war, not merely an arbitrary territorial aggression. However, Isra’el’s eventual inability to conquer the Canaanites completely does not reflect on Isra’el’s God, but on the nation’s unwillingness to take their God at His word.²³⁶

A. You must utterly destroy all the idols of the Canaanites (7:25-26): Finally, the chapter returns to its opening concern (see Ca – Warning Against Idolatry), the vital importance that Isra’el remain unimpressed, untempted, unsnared, and uncontaminated by the idolatry of Canaan. It was a very serious matter. Not only were the memory of the kings to be wiped out, but also the carved images of their gods were to be burned with fire. You are not to covet the silver or gold on them or take it for yourself – or you could be snared by it, for it is an abomination to ADONAI your God. Coveting silver and gold is something which brings a curse. Far from the silver and gold bringing prosperity, they will lead to the destruction of legitimate possessions. You are not to bring an abomination into your house – for you, like it, will be a banned thing. It wasn’t enough for the Jews to merely obey the command to destroy what God had condemned. They needed to obey from their hearts. You must utterly detest and utterly abhor it; otherwise, the Israelites themselves would become the objects of the LORD’s holy war, for the idols of Canaan were devoted to destruction (7:25-26).

A telling illustration of what would happen if the thing devoted to destruction was kept for one’s self is provided in the story of Achan at Ai. This is the concept of the cherem judgment, which means to be devoted to destruction. Even though Jericho was devoted to destruction, when Achan took a beautiful robe from Shin’ar, five pounds of sliver shekels and one-and-a-quarter-pound wedge of gold (Joshua 7:21), he became devoted to destruction. He chose the spoils of war over the blessings of obeying God’s Word (Psalms 119:14, 72, 127, 162). As a result, Joshua, together with all Isra’el, took Achan, with the sliver, the robe, the gold wedge, his wife, his sons, his daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and everything he had, and brought them up to the Achor Valley . . . then all Isra’el stoned him to death and burned them to ashes. Over him they piled a great mound of stones. Finally, ADONAI turned away from His fierce anger (Joshua 7:24-26a). Those seven nations who occupied the Land promised to Isra’el were to be utterly destroyed, which meant they were devoted to destruction, and were to be dealt with just like Achan was dealt with. The Israelites were supposed to deal with them like they had done when they defeated Og earlier. They captured all his cities and killed everyone who was devoted to destruction – men, women and children. They left no survivors (2:34). Little Canaanites would grow up to be big Canaanites. They were to show no pity.

Dear Holy Heavenly Father, You are 100% Holy – perfectly pure! In today’s world nothing is a sin and everyone thinks they are right to do whatever they want to do. That is just like the time of the judges. In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 17:6, 21:25). Mankind is so full of pride at their own success that they worship themselves, instead of bending the knee to You. They do not realize that there is safety and joy in making You the King of our lives. So now, O kings, be wise, take warning, O judges of the earth! Serve Adonai with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish along your way – since His wrath may flare up suddenly. Happy is everyone taking refuge in Him (Psalms 2:10-12)! We joyfully give You our total obedience and willing suffer any mocking or derision that others may give us for following You. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). We love You and delight in worshiping and praising You. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Because You are Listening
7: 12-15

Because you are listening DIG: What are the main events of this parashah? Did the promises of God as a nation depend on Isra’el’s faithfulness? Did the blessings or cursings of Ha’Shem depend on her obedience to the Torah? Do these verses teach a “prosperity gospel?” Explain how fruitfulness and the Promised Land expand together as a result of obedience.

REFLECT: Are you doing your best to live your life according to biblical standards. It’s not that “bad things can’t happen to good people” (Psalms 37 and 73), but since God has set up in the world a “stream of blessing,” and a “stream of cursing” using the Torah as our blueprint for living, which “steam” are you in right now. Are you ready to cross over your Jordan?

Parashah 46: ‘Ekev (Because) 7:12-11:25
(Click to see Af – Parashah)

The Key Person is Moshe, speaking to all Isra’el.

The Scene is the wilderness east of the Promised Land. Moses continues his final speech to the Israelites just before they were to enter the Promised Land.

The Main Events include more speech from Moshe: future blessings for obedience, reminders from past signs and wonders, and encouragement to follow ADONAI now; remembering the golden calf incident, new tablets of stone, and the ark; phylacteries and mezuzah as reminders; anticipating prosperity in rain-fed Land as a result of super-obedience.²²⁷ The people were to have no tolerance for idols of any kind.

What God promises does not depend of Isra’el’s strength or merit. Rather, it resides in the character of their God. Obedience to the Torah was not the means of gaining the covenant, but the means of maintaining and enjoying it.

Because (Hebrew: ‘ekev) you are listening to these rulings, keeping and obeying them, ADONAI your God will keep with you the covenant and mercy that He swore to your ancestors (to see link click Cb – God Has Chosen Isra’el). In other words, as long as the Israelites obeyed the commandments of the Torah, they would prosper in the Land they were about to conquer, just as the LORD had promised to their forefathers. These words describe YHVH’s choice to make Isra’el His own, and His tender care of them. He will love you, bless you and increase your numbers (7:12-13a). God’s promise to multiply their population (Genesis 17:2 and 20, 48:4; Exodus 32:13; Leviticus 26:9; Deuteronomy 1:10) contrasts with the way He found them, small and insignificant.

‘Ekev comes from the root akav (meaning to take by the heel), as does the name Jacob, who had grabbed the heel of his twin brother Esau while still in the womb of Rebekah. Jacob was later named Isra’el in commemoration of his struggle with the Angel of the LORD at Peniel (see the commentary on Genesis Hw – Jacob Wrestles with God). The Lord then declared to him, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob (“heel holder” of Esau) , but Isra’el (“contender with God“); because you have shown your strength to both God and men and have prevailed (Genesis 32:28). The first occurrence of the root word appears in Genesis 3:15, where ADONAI prophesied that even though the Messiah’s heel would be bruised, the very head of the serpent would be crushed (see the commentary on Genesis Be – He Will Crush Your Head and You Will Strike His Heal). Therefore, in this parashah, Isra’el is called to grapple with the commandments and to perform them diligently, lest they find themselves driven out of the Land.

ADONAI will also bless the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground – your grain, wine, olive oil and the young of your cattle and sheep – in the Land He swore to your ancestors that He would give you. You will be blessed more than all other peoples; there will not be a sterile male or female among you, and the same with your livestock (7:13b-14). 

In this passage, as in many others in the TaNaKh, a close relationship between the people and the Land is pictured. An obedient people enjoy the blessing of God on their Promised Land, while those who are disobedient discover that the curse would touch their crops and flocks (also see Deuteronomy 27:11 to 28:68 and Leviticus 26).²²⁸

How literally are we to take verses 12-15? At face value it promises Isra’el an idyllic, poverty-free, sickness-free life. It is easy to see how such scriptures can be taken up by supporters of the so-called “prosperity gospel” as the biblical justification for believing that “health and wealth” are guaranteed to believers today. It certainly has to be said that the words have a literal meaning in their context. This is to say, Moses is talking about real crops, animals and children, and should not be spiritualized into some metaphor for any other kind of blessing.

However, there are two factors that put these verses into a wider biblical perspective that rules out a simplistic “prosperity gospel.” First, in the TaNaKh itself health and wealth were not in themselves a reliable sign of faith and obedience. Some people gained property through the oppression of others, as the prophets point out repeatedly, And the lack of, or loss of, the good things of life may have nothing to do with personal sin or disloyalty to God, as the book of Job teaches us. On the other hand, it is easy to see the often the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer, and Ha’Shem seems strangely distant (Psalms 37 and 73).

Secondly, a strictly literal approach to YHVH’s response to sin does not fit 7:10b, where Moses declares: He will not be slow to discipline those who hate Him; He will repay those to their faces. Yet in our human experience, not only do evildoers sometimes have delayed justice, sometimes generations later, but the very fact of the delay can be interpreted as ADONAI leaving time for repentance. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some consider slowness. Rather, He is being patient toward you – not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance (Second Peter 3:9). Therefore, 7:10b must be understood in general principle that God’s judgment awaits the wicked. But it is not instant. And it is not automatic, in that ADONAI leaves room for repentance.

In the same way, verses 12-15 need to be taken as a true principle. The LORD loves to bless those who are obedient and loyal to His covenant, and their lives they enter into a “stream of blessing,” not excluding material blessings. But the connection between faith, obedience, and material blessings is neither instant and automatic, nor experienced by all believers. Sickness and barrenness are not exclusive experience of the wicked even in the Dispensation of the Torah (see the commentary on Exodus Da – The Dispensation of the Torah).²²⁹

This positive message of abundant, divine blessing on Isra’el also represents a veiled rebuke against those who worshiped the false god Ba’al. What YHVH promised to Isra’el, here, are the very things the Canaanite gods were supposed to provide for their worshipers. Ha’Shem, the only living God, is the One to whom the Israelites must look rather than any dead, pagan, god.²³⁰

ADONAI will remove all illness from you – He will not afflict you with any of Egypt’s dreadful diseases, which you have known; instead, He will lay them on those who hate you (7:15). The reference to Egypt is particularly appropriate for Moses’ audience, for some of them, if they were old enough, and their parents would still have been able to remember the particular diseases associated with that land. In ancient Egypt, such diseases as elephantiasis, various types of boils, and diseases of the eyes and bowels were especially common and unpleasant. The Israelites would no longer be plagued with such sickness, but God would inflict it on their enemies.²³¹

Dear Heavenly Father, It is a joy to listen to You, for You are always wise and loving. Thank You for giving us mitzvot that will help us be happier as we follow them. Thank You that when someone is selfish and sins – and there is no one who does not sin (First Kings 8:46; Second Chronicles 6:36; Romans 3:23), you forgive when we confess and turn back to You in repentance. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (First John 1:9). Praise You that You are never too busy to listen (First John 5:14-15) to Your children (John1:12). You are always there with us whenever we need a friend: For God Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:5c). Praise You for being so wonderful and always available. We love You! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

God Has Chosen Isra’el
7: 7-11

God has chosen Isra’el DIG: Why did God choose Isra’el? Why do you think God reminds them of this? Who are the partners in the B’rit Chadashah? Where do the Gentiles fit into God’s plan? What is replacement theology? What two categories do the LORD’s subject fall into? What does He guarantee?

REFLECT: What is the danger of a hardened heart? In what sense has God chosen you? Why do you think He has done this? Since God has kept His promises to Isra’el, what does that mean regarding His promises to you? If Yeshua returned today, what would He find in you? How can you honor Him today through being faithful to His Word?

Here, Moses pursues one of the deep mysteries of the entire Bible . . . the unexplained, self-motivated love of God for humanity in general, and for Isra’el in particular.

YHVH’s choice of Abraham was an act of sovereign grace. He came from Ur of the Chaldees, where his family worshiped other gods (Joshua 24:2c), and the God of glory appeared to him there (Acts 7:1-3). Abraham and his wife Sarah had no children, but were promised descendents as numerous as the sands of the seashore and the starts in the sky. Later, they had one son Isaac, who had two sons, Esau and Jacob, and from Jacob’s twelve sons came the twelve tribes of Isra’el. When Jacob’s family gathered in Egypt, there were only a couple hundred of people (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Km – Jacob’s Genealogy), but by the time they were delivered from Egypt, they had become a great nation. Why did this happen? Because ADONAI loved them and kept the promise that He had made to their ancestors.

But, we must not overlook the body of Messiah. The wall of division has been broken down between Jew and Gentile. Paul teaches us: But now in Messiah Yeshua, you [Gentiles] who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah. For Yeshua is our shalom, the One who made the two into one [body] and broke down the middle wall of separation (Ephesians 2:14). Although the B’rit (Covenant) Chadashah (New) is made with the whole house of Yisra’el and with the whole house of Judah (see the commentary on Jeremiah Eo – The Days are Coming, declares the LORD, When I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el), Gentiles can now participate in the blessings of being grafted into the Olive Tree (Romans 11:17). Now, all those who are born again through faith in Yeshua are chosen in Messiah before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:4). Like the Jews, the Gentiles are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession (First Peter 2:9a), and are called to be a light to the lost world (Matthew 5:14-16).²²¹ However, Isra’el has a different national destiny (see the commentary on Revelation Fi – The Government of the Messianic Kingdom).

There are Gentiles who teach that because of Isra’el’s sin, she had forfeited all the blessings of her covenant with ADONAI, and they have been transferred to the Christian Church. This is called replacement theology, where the Christian Church has replaced Isra’el in God’s plan. They believe that Jews are no longer God’s chosen people, and God does not have specific future plans for the nation of Isra’el.²²² This is a heretical teaching because it is another gospel (see the commentary on Galatians Ak – The Hebrew Roots Movement: A Different Gospel). YHVH is the Promise Keeper and is faithful to His covenant. ADONAI’s choice of Isra’el is not based her actions, it is based on His faithfulness.

Dear Loving Heavenly Father, How wonderful you are! You are Holy and all loving! Praise You that You never stop loving Your firstborn, the Israelites (Exodus 4:22). Even when You had to discipline them and allowed Assyria to scatter them, and Babylon to take them to Babylonia for a seventy-year exile – it was Your love that was seeking to correct them and to bring them back into a loving relationship with You as their Master. Praise You that the Gentiles never replaced Isra’el in any way; but were grafted in to Israel’s vine (Romans 11:17). One new body was created out of the two. But now in Messiah Yeshua, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. For He is our shalom, the One who made the two into one and broke down the middle wall of separation. Within His flesh He made powerless the hostility – the law code of mitzvot contained in regulations. He did this in order to create within Himself one new man from the two groups, making shalom, and to reconcile both to God in one body through the cross – by which He put the hostility to death (Ephesians 2:13-16).

It is such a comfort to know that You continue to love Isra’el, even using the last seven years on earth before the Messianic Kingdom to break her pride so she finally calls Yeshua her Lord, and when You return all Isra’el will be saved (Romans 11:26a). Then it will happen – it is a declaration of ADONAI – that in the entire land two-thirds will be cut off and die, but a third will be left in it. This third I will bring through the fire. I will refine them as silver is refined, and will test them as gold is tested. They will call on My Name and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will answer, ‘ADONAI is my God.’ (Zechariah 13:8-9). You are an Awesome God whom we love to worship and serve! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

However, just like the teaching in the B’rit Chadashah (Ephesians 2:8-9), there is no room for the Jews to boast because they are the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:12). The Ruach ha-Kodesh, speaking through Moses, said to them, “It is not because you are more numerous than all the peoples that ADONAI set His love on you and chose you.” The root meaning of the verb set is “to fasten together,” because God is married to Isra’el with an eternal bond. For you are the least of all peoples (7:7). The Land was promised to her only because of God’s love and mercy.

Rather, because of His love for you and His keeping the oath He swore to your fathers, ADONAI brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you (see the commentary on Exodus Bz – Redemption) from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt and bringing them to the present moment on the plains of Mo’ab (7:8). Isra’el needed to remember who she was and why she was chosen as a nation (see the commentary on Exodus De – You Will be For Me a Kingdom of Priests). But knowing that Isra’el might think that they deserved to be great, God would later tell them that it was not because of their righteousness that they would inhibit the Land (9:4-6).

But today the rabbis teach something entirely different. The Talmud declares, “This teaches us that the Holy One, blessed be He, offered the Torah to every nation and every tongue, but none accepted it, until He came to Isra’el who received it (Mas. Avodah Zarah 2b). Another rabbi in the same section said that God “suspended the mountain over Isra’el like a vault, and said to them: If you accept the Torah, it will be well with you, but if not, there you will find your grave.” How in the world did they come up with that story? Surely not from the Scriptures. No wonder there are repeated pleas for Isra’el to go back to her roots which are found in the TaNaKh. The election of Isra’el then, is exactly the same as it is for the believer today: Not by deeds of righteousness which we had done ourselves, but because of His mercy – He saved us through the mikveh of rebirth and renewing of the Ruach ha-Kodesh (Titus 3:5). Just like Isra’el, there is nothing intrinsic in us that makes us savable.²²³

But, because of her status as God’s chosen nation, Isra’el was considered a unique people committed to preserving a distinctiveness among the nations. On that basis, they were not to compromise with the idolatrous and perverted polytheism of the Canaanites.²²⁴ Thus, His subjects fall into two different categories: those who love Him and those who hate Him. The ones who genuinely obey His covenantal demands are the ones who love Him. Actions speak louder than words. God’s love and choice of Isra’el was not abstract; rather it was known through the experience of YHVH maintaining His covenant kindness. Know therefore that ADONAI your God, He is God – the faithful God who keeps covenant kindness (see the commentary on Ruth Af – The Concept of Chesed) for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His mitzvot (7:9).

However, the ones who reject this covenantal relationship and its demand for steadfast loyalty will meet a different fate. For Ha’Shem repays those who hate Him to their face, to annihilate them. He will not be slow to discipline those who hate Him; He will repay those to their faces (7:10). None of these covenantal rebels will escape. YHVH is a zealous God and will not tolerate any challenge to His sovereignty (6:10-15). The focus here is on the personal consequences for those Israelites who hardened their hearts towards ADONAI.²²⁵ The writer to the Hebrews said it another way (see the commentary on Hebrews As – Today, If You Hear His Voice, Do Not Harden Your Hearts)

Therefore, in light of these factors, Isra’el is urged to keep the mitzvot – both the statutes and the ordinances – that I am commanding you today, to do them (7:11). This triad: mitzvot, statues, and ordinances appear in three other passages (5:31, 6:1 and 26:17), and embody everything that God commanded as a unit. This verse is like a pause to catch our breath. It represents a climax, and points to the fact that we have come to the chapter’s one main point.

Haftarah va’Et’chanan: Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 40:1-26
(see Af – Parashah)

The haftarah begins with ADONAI commanding Isaiah, and all who love Jerusalem, to comfort her (see my commentary on Isaiah Hc – Comfort, Comfort My People Says Your God). How much more during the trauma of bombings and the hopelessness of a life without the Messiah? Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6), and that the Prince of peace will return and establish His please plan. This haftarah reading always falls on Shabbat Nachamu (the Sabbath of Consolation), after the fast day on the ninth of Av (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Mt – The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
on Tisha B’Av in 70 AD). God commands the prophets to speak a message of comfort to the heart of Isra’el, even if she is in exile with her Temple destroyed (Isaiah 40:2).²²⁶

B’rit Chadashah suggested readings for Parashah va’Et’chanan:

Messiah spoke words of rebuke to Yerushalayim. These very same words of rebuke, however, become words of comfort when the hearers respond with repentance and faith (see the commentary on Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children). Messiah’s harsh words are motivated by a deep love that is clear in the final verses. Yeshua is pleading with God’s covenantal people to return. He has commissioned us to do the same (Mattityahu 23:31-39).

Also see Mattityahu (Matthew) 4:1-11, 22:33-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 4:1-13, 10:25-37; Acts 13:13-43; Romans 3:27-31; First Timothy 2:4-6; Ya’akov (James) 2:14-26; and all the readings for Parashah 17 (see the commentary on Exodus Cx – Now Jethro Heard Everything God Had Done for Moses and for His People Isra’el).

Warning Against Idolatry
7: 1-6

Warning against idolatry DIG: Why weren’t the Israelites to worry about the combined military strength of the various peoples of Canaan? What did Ha’Shem mean when He said to utterly destroy them? Which of these commands make you uncomfortable? Can this be reconciled with the picture of God as merciful? What happened to Achan? Why didn’t the Israelites obey Ha’Shem regarding His demands about them? What happened to them? What were the Israelites supposed to do with the many altars and idols they found in Canaan? What was the historical result of all her disobedience?

REFLECT: What in these verses tells you that sin is not a small matter to Ha’Shem? Can a holy God ignore such blatant disregard for His commandments? What eventually happens when we keep disobeying the clear instructions of Ha’Shem? When Ha’Shem told Isra’el to utterly destroy the inhabitants of the Promised Land, does that seem unusually cruel to you? Why? Why not? Who are those in the world today that God doesn’t want you to be unequally yoked with? Are you intermarrying with them? Are you handing your children over to them? In what sense can you destroy them? What will happen if you don’t?

After dispossessing of the various peoples of Canaan, the children of Isra’el were to avoid any friendly relationships with them; instead, they are to utterly destroy them and their idolatrous objects of worship, for YHVH has made Isra’el His special possession.

Utterly destroy them (7:1-2a): When ADONAI your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out many nations before you – the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites (7:1a).

The center of the Hittite empire (1800-1200 BC) was located in Asia Minor. It is unclear whether the Hittites mentioned here are directly related to that empire or migrated there much earlier and share a common ancestor. The Girgashites are mentioned several times in the TaNaKh (Genesis 10:16, 15:21; Deuteronomy 7:1; Joshua 3:10, 24:11; Nehemiah 9:8; First Chronicles 1:14). They seem to be mentioned in Egyptian texts as allies of the Hittites. The Perizzites (Genesis 13:7, 34:30; Joshua 3:10, 7:1; Judges 1:4-5), seem to have lived in unwalled villages both east and west of the Jordan River.²¹⁶ Although the Amorites and the Canaanites originated from different places (the Amorites being originally from the upper Euphrates region and having migrated to Canaan in the late third millennium, the Canaanites being the descendants of Ham and indigenous to Canaan), it appears that the Amorites generally occupied the hill country, while the Canaanites inhabited the coastal and lowland regions. The Hivites, or Horites lived in various parts of Canaan and Lebanon (Genesis 14:6, 36:20-22, 29-30; Numbers 13:5; Deuteronomy 2:12 and 22), and are associated with Shechem (Genesis 34:2), Gibeon (Joshua 9:7, 11:19), and Mount Hermon (Joshua 11:3). The Jebusites were descendents of Ham through Canaan (Genesis 10:16) and occupied the hill country of Canaan (Numbers 13:29; Joshua 11:3). Named after the city of Jebus, which remained in their hands until David conquered it and renamed it Jerusalem (see the commentary on the Life of David, to see link click Co – David Conquers Yerushalayim). As a group those seven nations were more numerous and mightier than Isra’el (7:1b). Various listings of nations occur twenty-seven times in the TaNaKh, with the number of nations ranging from two to twelve. Therefore, it is likely that seven reflects the number of completeness.²¹⁷

The strength and numbers of the enemy, however, were not to be cause for alarm for the Israelites, for the God of the covenant would grant His chosen people the strength to be victorious. ADONAI your God gives them over to you and you are to strike them down, then you are to utterly destroy them (7:2a). This is the concept of the cherem judgment, which means to be devoted to destruction. Even though Jericho was devoted to destruction, when Achan took a beautiful robe from Shin’ar, five pounds of sliver shekels and one-and-a-quarter-pound wedge of gold (Joshua 7:21), he became devoted to destruction. As a result, Joshua, together with all Isra’el, took Achan, with the sliver, the robe, the gold wedge, his wife, his sons, his daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and everything he had, and brought them up to the Achor Valley . . . then all Isra’el stoned him to death and burned them to ashes. Over him they piled a great mound of stones. Finally, ADONAI turned away from His fierce anger (Joshua 7:24-26a). Those seven nations who occupied the Land promised to Isra’el were to be utterly destroyed, which means they were devoted to destruction, and were to be dealt with just like Achan was dealt with. The Israelites were supposed to deal with them like they had done when they defeated Og earlier. They captured all his cities and killed everyone who was devoted to destruction – men, women and children. They left no survivors (2:34). Little Canaanites would grow up to be big Canaanites (see Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh).

Dear Heavenly Father, You are holy and You cannot live with sin. It is Your love that said, “Destroy the evil Canaanites.” It is your love that says, “Do not be unequally yoked.” Praise You for You are wise in what You permit and what You say no to. For Adonai Elohim is a sun and a shield. ADONAI gives grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly (Psalms 84:12). Praise You that You always want what is the very best for Your children. When we run to You asking Your guidance, we can trust that there is nothing better for us. Your no is a wise and kind no and Your yes is spoken with Your arm outstretched to help us. For God Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” so that with confidence we say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. (Hebrews 13:5c-6a). We love worshiping You, obeying You and look forward to praising You all day long in Your wonderful heavenly home of eternal peace and joy! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Unfortunately, Isra’el did not follow the LORD’s instructions, and did not utterly destroy the inhabitants of the Promised Land. And just like King Sha’ul, who failed to strike down Amalek and utterly destroy all he had because the Amalekites were devoted to destruction (First Samuel 15:1-35), it eventually led to spiritual adultery and discipline from Ha’Shem (see the commentary on Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children). Isra’el is God’s chosen people and treasured possession, and their separation from idolatry in Canaan was important to the nation’s spiritual health and political future.²¹⁸

Do not be unequally yoked (7:2b-7:5): You are to make no covenant with them because that would be disobeying God’s demand to devote them to destruction and show no mercy to them (7:2b). Why? Because of the wickedness of those nations (Deuteronomy 9:4). Sin has its limit, and sin needs to be punished. This suspicion of disloyalty to YHVH remained a potent theme in the later interaction between prophets and those kings of Judah and Isra’el who joined in the alliance-hunting policies of the ancient Near East international power games.²¹⁹ But we know from history that the Israelites did not utterly destroy those nations, and in the end, Isra’el ended up following them. That decision has haunted the Jews until today.

YHVH wanted to protect the young nation from being influenced by their godless neighbors. Intermarriage was a potent factor in the mixing of cultures and religions in Isra’el’s world. So, ADONAI said: You are not to intermarry with them – you are not to give your daughter to his heathen son, or take his heathen daughter for your son. For he will bring up your grandson and turn him away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of ADONAI will be kindled against you, and He will swiftly destroy you (7:3-4).

Notice the progression of these verses. First, they were told to utterly destroy the pagans (7:1-2a). But ADONAI knew that the Jews would fail to follow His command. So, next, the Ruach ha-Kodesh inspired Moses to tell them not to make a covenant with them (7:2b). Knowing that violate that command, God told them not to intermarry with them (7:3). Which, of course, they did. The result was that the anger of ADONAI was kindled against them, and they were destroyed, first by the Babylonians and taken into captivity (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule), and then by the Romans and scattered among the nations.

Instead, you are to deal with them like this: tear down their altars, smash their standing stone pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, which represented the goddess Asherah, and stood at Canaanite places of worship (Exodus 34:13) alongside the altar of Ba’al (Judges 6:25 and 28), and burn their carved images with fire (7:5). The poly-theism of many altars and idols cannot coexist with the God of the Sh’ma (see Bw – Sh’ma Isra’el).²²⁰ By doing this, it would remove any temptation of the Isrealites to follow the religious practices of the nations that they were to utterly destroy.

For God has chosen you (7:6): The actions that YHVH demanded up to this point were intended to protect Isra’el’s distinctiveness. However, even knowing that the Israelites would ultimately fail to follow His commands, nevertheless, ADONAI did not abandon them. For you are a holy people to ADONAI your God. Basically, holiness is an attribute of Ha’Shem that sets Him apart from everything else in creation. As a result, the holiness of Isra’el in Deuteronomy is always explained in terms of YHVH’s haven chosen them as His own people from all the peoples on the face of the earth, ADONAI your God has chosen you to be His treasured people (see Bf – God’s Chosen People). This is one of the clearest statements in Deuteronomy of Isra’el’s election (7:6).

The Conquest of Canaan
7: 1-26

Chapters 5 and 6 set out the fundamental requirements of the covenant of faith, stress the sovereignty of YHVH, and the need for absolute obedience. That being understood, some instructions about the attitude Isra’el should adopt towards the people of Canaan are given.²¹² God’s choice of Isra’el as His special nation must always be central to her identity. As a result, YHVH demanded the extermination of the seven nations living in the Land promised to Isra’el (to see link click Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh), because Isra’el’s identity needed to be guarded against corruption.

Look, she lives as a nation apart, said the prophet for hire Balaam about Isra’el, and does not consider herself as being like other nations (Numbers 23:9b). From the call of Abram to the exodus from Egypt, the people of Isra’el were expected to be a separated people, not because they were better than any other nation, but because they were different. They were God’s chosen people. ADONAI commanded Abram to leave Ur of the Chaldees and to go to the Land that He would show him (Genesis 11:31-12:4). But when Abram left that Land and went down to Egypt for help, YHVH had to chasten him (see the commentary on Genesis Dv – Now There Was a Famine in the Land, and Abram Went Down to Egypt to Live). Throughout her history, when Isra’el maintained a separated position by obeying God’s mitzvot and seeking to please Him, she succeeded in all that she did. But when she began to compromise with the other nations and to worship their gods, it led to failure and defeat.²¹³

The following outline lays out the chapter in chiastic fashion. Isra’el’s covenantal relationship with God (B) provides the rationale for the demanded extermination of the Canaanites (A).

A Warning Against Idolatry – 7:1-6 (Ca)

B God Has Chosen Isra’el – 7:7-11 (Cb)

B Because You are Listening – 7:12-15 (Cc)

A Show No Pity – 7:16-26 (Cd)²¹⁴

From Chapter 7 through Chapter 11 we find many commandments and warnings preparing the Israelites to enter the Land of promise. Moshe prepares them with some concepts that are hard to grasp, about God, about sin, about judgment and holiness.²¹⁵

Teaching the Covenant History
6: 20-25

Teaching of covenant history DIG: What did Moses anticipate? What were parents to do? What is the old, old story? Why was this so important to the nation of Isra’el? What was the condition of her blessing? What would be the result of Isra’el’s obedience to her suzerain’s demands? What meaning does this story give to the statutes and ordinances?

REFLECT: When our children are ignorant of the past, they have no hope for the future. What are you teaching your children? What do most Jews today base their knowledge of the TaNaKh on? How important is it to you that the children in your life grow up to love God and appreciate His role in their life? How can you help teach them about God’s love?

Anticipating the future, Moses urged the people to have their answer ready when their children asked why they kept the mitzvot that YHVH had given to Isra’el.

Moses knew the covenant was not intended for one generation only. Sooner or later the children were bound to ask why their parents lived the kind of life that was in contrast to the lives of those around them.²⁰⁷ Anticipating the question Moshe said: When your son asks you a probing question in the time to come, saying: What are the testimonies and the mitzvot that ADONAI our God commanded you? the child’s question becomes the springboard for teaching. The first thing to notice is that such questions and teaching opportunities would arise only if the parents themselves were conspicuously observing the mitzvot. No observance – no questions. If the parents had merely answered by saying: ADONAI commanded us (6:24a). Period. The son might very well have given Pharaoh’s response: Who is ADONAI that I should obey Him (Exodus 5:2a)? But even a child could understand a story. Therefore, the parents would tell the old, old story of YHVH and His love. This is virtually a summary of the Good News in the TaNaKh.²⁰⁸

Dear Great Sovereign Father, You are awesome! What joy to tell our children that the God of the universe loves mankind so much, that he ransomed us by becoming our Passover lamb (First Corinthians 5:7c)! “Holy, holy, holy, is Adonai-Tzva’ot” (Isaiah 6:3a) seraphim cry out in Isaiah’s vision of YHVH. You, God, are so holy that no man could ever be good enough to enter Your heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9) and so in Your gracious love made the way. In Him [Messiah Yeshua] we have redemption through His blood – the removal of trespasses – in keeping with the richness of His grace that He lavished on us (Ephesians 1:5b, 7-8a). We love and worship You . . . always!

Even when we are laughed at or put down, we do not give in. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18). We turn our eyes up to You to praise, worship and adore You for we rejoice in knowing with certainty that when we choose to trust and follow you as our Lord and Savior – then we become Your children (John 1:12), and will forever have joy and peace as we live with You in Your eternal heavenly home! For if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, and with the mouth it is confessed for salvation (Romans 10:9-10)! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The content of that story was simple. Then you are to tell your son, “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and ADONAI brought us out from Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes ADONAI showed signs and wonders, great and terrible – in Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his house” (6:20-22). The answer to the inquiring children is a reference to the miraculous deliverance from Egyptian slavery. The lesson derived from the deliverance is that ADONAI is not only the Creator of the universe but also the God Who alone in His omnipotence rules over the forces of nature. In recognition of this truth Isra’el has the duty to glorify the name of their Creator and Benefactor. And the special mitzvot which He had given to Isra’el were meant for her good and happiness.

“Then He brought us out from there so that He might bring us in, to give us the Land that He swore to our fathers.” Ha’Shem had brought them to their encampment on the plains of Mo’ab at the brink of the Promised Land by virtue of the pledge He had made to the patriarchs. In the light of all the LORD had done on Isra’el’s behalf – choosing them as a people, delivering them from Egypt, and giving them this divine inheritance – He had the right to demand their undivided loyalty. ADONAI commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear ADONAI our God – for our good always, to keep us alive by giving us the mitzvot, as is the case this day (6:23-24). The requirements that they obey and fear YHVH summarize the demands of God’s covenant with Isra’el. Prosperity and life have been, are, and will always be a result of Isra’el’s obedience to her suzerain’s demands (to see link click Ah – Treaty of the Great King).²⁰⁹

To that theme, mentioned both earlier, and later, in Deuteronomy, Moshe adds that obedience to the mitzvot will result in righteousness and blessing, if we take care to do all this commandment before ADONAI our God, just as He has commanded us (6:25). On the one hand, there is no doubt that this righteousness does not mean that Israelites were guaranteed to be with father Abraham in sh’ol after death. But on the other hand, the mitzvot were designed, not as a burden to be borne, but as the gracious provision by a compassionate Sovereign as a blueprint for living (see the commentary on Exodus Dh – Moses and the Torah). Obedience to His mitzvot would not guarantee salvation, because salvation is always by faith, whether in the Dispensation of Torah (see the commentary on Exodus Da – The Dispensation of the Torah) or the Dispensation of Grace (see the commentary on Hebrews Bp – The Dispensation of Grace), but it would result in blessing for Isra’el.

Compare Psalm 24:3-6, where the one who keeps the Torah of God receives blessing from YHVH, and vindication, or “righteousness,” from Him. Who may go upon the mountain of ADONAI? Who may stand upon in His holy place? One with clean hands and a pure heart, who has not trusted in an idol or swear by a false god. He will receive a blessing from ADONAI, and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob (Psalm 24:3-6). To seek ADONAI is an idiom for covenantal loyalty to, and fellowship with, Him. The reward for this walk of integrity is the enjoyment of the LORD’s presence, blessing, and vindication. This blessing is the extension of God’s favor to His loyal servants, who enjoy the promises of the covenant (Numbers 6:23-26). This man has the smile of God upon him: he is accepted, he is helped to live an upright life, and as with all those who seek fellowship with God, his affairs are under God’s blessing.²¹⁰ Therefore, the answer to the son’s question finally focuses on the proper relationship of a mankind to YHVH, and the fruit of that relationship in daily life.

In the first six chapters of Deuteronomy, YHVH reminded the Israelites of their past, to help them remember from where they came, see the purpose of their election, and what was expected of them. Today the Jewish people are blessed to have a book that speaks of their origins. Yet, few of them explore those roots. Those who do explore their past within the Jewish community often do so with a selection of slices of history. For the most part, they stop after the first century, and they are content finding their origin within the teachings of the sages. But Jewish history goes beyond the schools of Hillel and Shammai, and the eras when those men lived. Most Jews today do not know that the traditions of men (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law) which came from this era distorted very important biblical themes and concepts. They strayed from the faith of the righteous of the TaNaKh – to works righteousness. It is a different gospel (see the commentary on Galatians Aj – No Other Gospel). And because the bible teaches us to evangelize the Jews especially, and equally the Gentiles (Romans 1:16c), it is our responsibility to tell them.²¹¹

Do Not Forget ADONAI
6: 10-19

Do not forget ADONAI DIG: Yeshua quotes verses 13 and 16 when tempted in the wilderness by Satan. How does this show Moses’ words are not outdated, but can be seen as a foreshadowing of the armor of God in order to withstand all the flaming arrows of the Evil One? In what respect is YHVH a jealous God? Could Isra’el’s disobedience prevent God’s promise from becoming a reality?

REFLECT: Nothing dulls our sensitivity to God like independence. Do you tend to relax when things are going well for you? What is the three-step process for not forgetting God? When you are tempted by the Adversary, how do you resist him? How did Yeshua defend Himself? What is the antidote for being filled with a bitter spirit?

Looking toward the future (when Isra’el conquered Canaan), and in the light of all that God had done for Isra’el, Moshe urges the nation not to forget ADONAI, but instead, to display the fear of the LORD by obeying His mitzvot.

Moses equipped the new generation to enter and claim the Promised Land, and he knew that Canaan would be a place of temptation as well as a place of triumph. For one thing, when they conquered the nations that occupied Canaan, the Israelites would inherit vast wealth and would be tempted to forget ADONAI, who had made their victories possible. The second temptation would be for Isra’el to compromise with the pagan nations around them and not maintain their separated position as the people of the LORD (7:1-16).

Most people find it easier to handle adversity than prosperity (Philippians 4:10-20), because adversity usually drives us closer to YHVH as we seek His wisdom and help. When things are going well, we’re prone to relax our spiritual disciplines, take our blessings for granted, and forget to praise God. The material things that we wait for, and sacrifice for, seem to mean more to us than the gifts that fall in our laps without much effort on our part.²⁰¹

Now when ADONAI your God brings you into the Land that He swore to your fathers – to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – to give you great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns dug that you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant, and you eat and are full . . . then watch yourself so that you do not forget ADONAI, your Redeemer, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery (6:10-12). There is no justification for God’s people, then (and now) to live their lives as though He does not exist, living like practicing atheists.

You must fear ADONAI your God and serve only Him. Yeshua quoted from this passage when the deceiver tempted Him the third time with all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Bj – Jesus is Tempted in the Wilderness). The word slavery in verse 12 (Hebrew: ‘avadim) is in contrast to the word serve (Hebrew: to’avod); both come from the same root and contrast vividly the old and new masters of Isra’el. Pharaoh, who was considered a god in Egypt (see the commentary on Exodus Bc – Pharaoh as god and upholder of Ma’at), had for a long time been the suzerain lord of the Israelites; in the Exodus, the LORD had broken the old ties binding the people to Egypt, and had thus won the right to call them His vassals (see Ah – Treaty of the Great King). Since the basis of the people in their new Land was established by the power of their God, the Israelites were not to forget their liberation, but rather they were to continue to serve ADONAI and swear by His Name (6:13).²⁰²

Here, the Ruach ha-Kodesh introduces a three-step process for not forgetting ADONAI.

The first step is that we must fear ADONAI (6:13a). Our independent nature causes us to stray from God, thus obstructing our worship of Him. To prevent this from happening, we need to have a reverent fear of Ha’Shem. This is not the kind of fear that intimidates or causes us to withdraw, but rather the kind that causes us to appreciate the power of YHVH. It creates within us a desire to draw near for security and strength. It causes finite humans to cling to an infinite God.

The second step is that we must serve Him (6:13b). The visible evidence of our fearing ADONAI will be our service to Him. And, conversely, one of the first signs of forgetting ADONAI is our lack of service and ministry to others.²⁰³

The third step is that we must swear by His Name (6:13c). Swearing by YHVH’s name is an expression of loyalty to Him and recognition of Him as the Supreme Authority. A true worshiper of Ha’Shem in the TaNaKh was one who swore by His name (Psalm 63:11; Isaiah 48:1; Jeremiah 4:2, 5:2, 12:16). To swear by other gods represented a betrayal of His authority (Joshua 23:7 and Jeremiah 12:16).²⁰⁴

Not only that, but Moses declared: You must not go after other gods (see Bl – Have No Other Gods). Yeshua quoted this passage when the father of lies tempted Him a second time, saying: If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written, “He will command His angels concerning You to guard you carefully; and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone” (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bj – Jesus is Tempted in the Wilderness). But Yeshua defended Himself by quoting scripture: You are not to test ADONAI your God.

The way Messiah rebuked the old serpent is an important lesson for us today. He did not bind the devil. People today talk about binding Satan. Well, whoever thinks they are binding him is doing a really bad job because the ruler of demons is really active in my neighborhood, and I assume yours as well. No, Yeshua used scripture to rebuke the evil one. The bible says to resist the devil, and he will run from you (James 4:7b). How did Messiah resist him? He quoted Deuteronomy three times! We should follow His example and quote scripture.

Could Isra’el’s disobedience prevent God’s promise from becoming a reality? After all, the ultimate fulfillment of YHVH’s promises to them was beyond question (Genesis 13:14-17,15:18, 17:8) because Isra’el’s receipt of the Land of Promise was integrally connected to God’s character. What was “conditional” was which generation would enjoy the fulfillment of that promise. The Israelites hearing Moses’ voice at that time had seen their parents slowly die off in the wilderness. The question was not whether Ha’Shem would honor His promise, the question was which generation would the promise be fulfilled (Jeremiah 31:31-37, 32:36-40; Ezeki’el 36:22-31, 37:1-14).²⁰⁵

Moses told the second generation of the Exodus that they were not to go after the gods of the pagan peoples around them. For ADONAI your God in the midst of you is a jealous God. The reason that idols are not to be worshiped is that ADONAI is a jealous or zealous God, and Isra’el’s idolatry is looked upon as spiritual adultery. The Hebrew word qanna’ combines the two concepts of jealousy and zeal (not envy or suspicion). So, zeal, or zealousness, meaning a passionate devotion to, would be a better term to use than jealous, which has negative, even petty connotations. So, idolatry would cause God’s zeal to burn like a husband’s zealousness would burn against an unfaithful wife (Hosea 2:2-5). Because God and Isra’el are viewed as married, Isra’el is viewed as the wife of ADONAI (Deuteronomy 5:1-3, 6:10-15, 7:6-11; Isaiah 54:1-8, 62:4-5; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezeki’el 16:8; Hosea 2:14-23). For that very reason, the Israelites should not have worshiped other gods. God has a right to be zealous over what is rightfully His. As a result, this was not a petty jealousy, but a righteous zealousness.

They were not to go after the gods of the pagan peoples around them, otherwise the anger of ADONAI your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you from the face of the earth. This zealous God would remove Isra’el from the Promised Land if they continued to worship false gods as they had done in Egypt (Ezeki’el 20:8) and in the wilderness (Exodus 32:1-6; Acts 7:30-43). The incident at Massah (see the commentary on Exodus Cu – Strike the Rock and Water Will Come Out of It), in which Isra’el put ADONAI to the test, is now recalled as another warning (6:14-16). The attitude of their parents proved that they neither loved nor trusted Him. Their bodies were in the camp of Isra’el, but their hearts were still in Egypt.

Instead of testing YHVH, this younger generation was to diligently keep the mitzvot of ADONAI their God – the statutes (Hebrew: hachukkim, meaning to write into law permanently) and ordinances (Hebrew: hammishpatim, meaning a judgment of the court) that He had commanded them (6:17). The Land was essentially good, but they would only experience its goodness when they were obedient to the LORD.

You are to do what is right and good in the sight of ADONAI, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and possess the good Land that ADONAI swore to your fathers – to drive out all your enemies from before you, as ADONAI has spoken (6:18-19). Moshe demonstrates that YHVH was fully capable of fulfilling His promise that Isra’el would inherit the land of Canaan. The issue was whether Isra’el would enjoy a long life in the Land as the result of wholeheartedly embracing the LORD’s mitzvot.

ADONAI tests our faith, not just in the great crises of life, but even more in the small unexpected events, such as a travel delay, an irritating interruption, a sudden sickness, or a lost wallet. The way we respond in these situations will include what’s in our hearts, because what life does to us depends on what life finds in us. If we love and trust the Lord, we’ll leave the matter with Him and do what He tells us, but if we question the Lord and rebel because we’re not getting our own way, then we’re in danger of tempting Him. One of the best protections against tempting ADONAI is a grateful heart. If we’re in the habit of thanking God in everything, including the painful experiences of life, then the Ruach ha-Kodesh will fill our hearts with love and praise instead of the Adversary filling us with bitter spirit. Rejoice always, pray constantly, in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Messiah Yeshua (First Thessalonians 5:16-18). Instead of complaining about what we don’t have, let’s be thankful for what we do have, because YHVH always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.²⁰⁶

Dear Heavenly Father, How wonderful You are! Praise You that You allow tests and trials in the life of Your children like a coach guiding his team to victory by giving us strenuous workouts so that we can obtain the prize of victory. Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance (James 1:2-3), and though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (First Peter 1:6b-7), and I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (Romans 8:18). We long for the day when we leave behind all of life’s problems and will spend forever in Your home of eternal peace and joy!

Praise You that no matter how awful things get on earth, we know for sure where all who love and follow You will spend eternity. Praise You for Yeshua’s making such a wonderful home in heaven. Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.  In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may also be (John 14:1-3). We love You! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Sh’ma Isra’el
6: 4-9

Sh’ma Isra’el DIG: What does the Sh’ma mean to those who love the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? What is the difference between ekhad and yahid? What did the writers of the Zohar see in 6:4? How are we to love ADONAI? How can obedience be equated with love (see John 14:21; First John 5:2)? What is the difference between echad and yahid? What two rituals came from a literal interpretation of verse 8 and 9.

REFLECT: How have these six Hebrew words impacted your life? Why do believers face Jerusalem when reciting the Sh’ma? Read Deuteronomy 5:10 and explain how perfect love flows from gratitude and devotion (and thus, obedience). In what ways do you love ADONAI with all your heart, soul, and strength? What is the evidence that God’s mitzvot are written on your heart? What letter are you writing with your life?

Loving actions spring from loving obedience.

Dear Great Father, You are awesome! How wonderful to please You! Praise You for your gracious love and holiness, which are the guiding principles behind all You ask us to do. Even before creation, You knew that man could never be good enough to enter Your holy heaven, so You predestined the path of adoption into your family. He chose us in the Messiah before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before Him in love.  He predestined us for adoption as sons through Messiah Yeshua, in keeping with the good pleasure of His will – (Ephesians 1:4-5). All who chose Your path of loving God as first place (Romans 10:9-10) in one’s life are given Your own righteousness. Be reconciled to God. He made the One who knew no sin [Messiah] to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). Praise You that getting to heaven is not about perfectly obeying every rule – for no one is perfect and all have sinned (First Kings 8:46; Second Chronicles 8:36; Romans 3:23). Going to heaven is about loving God. Love makes us want to be obedient. Loving actions will spring from our loving obedience. You are a joy to please! We love to please You! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Sh’ma is recited on every Shabbat around the world. It is considered to be the heart of Isra’el’s confession, namely that YHVH was not a pantheon of gods, but one. To Jews and Gentiles alike, the Sh’ma is a well of blessing for us today. Thus, we tell the world that there is no pantheon of deities. God alone is the sole object of our allegiance and devotion.

Sh’ma Isra’el, ADONAI Elohaynoo, ADONAI ekhaD (6:4). The letters ayin (S) and daleth (d), beginning and ending the Hebrew words for Sh’ma and ekhaD are written large to draw attention upon the thought contained within. There are no verbs, and although verbless clauses occur throughout the Hebrew bible, the construction found here has no counterpart.

And in the Sedur, is added: Barook shem k’vod, malakhooto l’olam vaed, meaning, “Blessed is the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.”

Hear O Isra’el, ADONAI our God, ADONAI is one (6:4). When reciting the Sh’ma we face Jerusalem, no matter where we are on the earth. Shortly after King Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem, he prayed to ADONAI that Jerusalem be an eternal home for the Divine Presence, “When the skies are shut up and there is no rain . . . yet if [your people] pray toward [Jerusalem] and confess Your Name and turn from their sin . . . then ADONAI will send rain on the Land” (First Kings 8:35). The Talmud understands that Jews in the diaspora should face toward the Holy Land when praying, those in Isra’el should face toward Jerusalem, those in Jerusalem should face toward the Temple Mount, and those on the Temple Mount should turn toward the Most Holy Place (Talmud, Berachot 30a; Shulchan Aruch Harav, Orach Chaim 94:1). Indeed, Dani’el, who lived during the Babylonian exile, faced Jerusalem, “Now when Daniel learned that a written decree had been issued, he went into his house, where the windows in his upper room opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he knelt down, prayed and gave thanks before his God, just as he did before (Dani’el 6:11). Indeed, the notion that our prayers ascend to heaven through the Temple Mount is rooted in the book of Genesis, where Jacob states regarding the Temple Mount, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17 NIV). As a result, we see that it is important to face toward Isra’el, more specifically Jerusalem, the place where the Temple and the Holy of Holies once stood.

Hear O Isra’el: This cry is heard four times in Deuteronomy (5:1, here, 9:1 and 20:3), and each time these words called the people to consider something very serious, something that would challenge the very survival of their nation.

ADONAI our God: He alone is God. The Israelites could therefore have a sense of security that was totally impossible for their polytheistic neighbors. ADONAI is not merely first among the gods, as Ba’al in the Canaanite pantheon, Amon-Ra, in Egypt, or Marduk in Babylon; He is the one and only God and as such, He is omnipotent. It is the all-powerful unique God who imposed on Isra’el the charge to love Him, thereby revealing another aspect of His character.¹⁹⁵

ADONAI is one (6:4; also see Mark 12:29; John 10:30 and Ephesians 4:6): This verse became so ingrained in Judaism that Jews were commanded to say it in the morning and at night since the second century. In its fullness the Sh’ma is composed of three separate passages: here in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37-41. It is seen as an affirmation of the Oneness of YHVH, but here again, the veil of the curtain is torn. And behold, the curtain of the Temple was split in two, from top to bottom. And the earth quaked and rocks were split apart (Matthew 27:51). The great irony is that the Hebrew word ekhad points to a plurality within the Godhead. This is an important point for Jewish evangelism today.

There are two main words in Hebrew for one. The first is echad, referring to a compound one of essential parts. It is used over 850 times in the TaNaKh. Here are some examples: ADONAI Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall on the man and he slept; and He took one (echad) of his ribs (among other ribs) and closed up the flesh in its place (Genesis 2:21).

This is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife; and they become one (echad) flesh (Genesis 2:24). The two become one, a compounded unity.

So, Moses came and told the people all the words of ADONAI as well as all the ordinances. All the people answered with one (echad) voice of three-hundred-million people, saying, “All the words which ADONAI has spoken, we will do” (Exodus 24:3).

The second word is yahid, and refers to an absolute one. Here are some examples: An Angel of ADONAI called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By Myself I swear – it is a declaration of ADONAI – because you have done this thing, and you did not withhold your son, your only (yahid) son (Genesis 22:16). The force of this word declares that God had chosen Isaac, and only Isaac, as the son of promise. By using this word, God excluded all the other sons of Abraham, including Ishmael and Abraham’s six sons other through Keturah (Genesis 25:1-6).

Then I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication, when they will look toward Me whom they pierced. They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only (yahid) son and grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for a first-born son (Zechariah 12:10). This prophecy links the First and Second Coming. The Rabbis teach that there are two Messiah’s (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Mv – The Jewish Concept of Two Messiah’s). But here in the sh’ma, He is one (ekhad) and the same Person. He is the pierced one and our Savior.

However, many rabbis have seen and understood something quite unusual when they read: Sh’ma Isra’el, ADONAI Elohaynoo (plural), ADONAI ekhad (plural); barook shem k’vod, malakhooto l’olam vaed (6:4). The Zohar, a collection of rabbinical writings, and mystical commentaries on the five books of Moses, first appeared in the thirteenth century in Spain. There, in its commentary on Deuteronomy 6:4, it said something quite extraordinary. In fact, if you didn’t know it was the Zohar, you would think it was written by Messianic believers. Speaking of the three names of God mentioned in the Sh’ma, it reads: They are two, and one is joined to them, making three, and when they are three, they are one. He said to them, “These are two names of ADONAI in the Sh’ma; our God is, as it were, the signature, and when they are joined, they form one” (Soncino Zohar, Bemidbar, Section 3, page 162a).

Again, in the Zohar, “These three are one. How can the three Names be one? Only through the perception of faith: in the vision of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, in the beholding of the hidden eyes alone” (Zohar, Shemoth, Raya Mehemna, page 43b). These writers did not see the Trinity. They were not Messianic Jews, however, what that tells us is that the structure of the verse allowed them to see the possibility of the plurality within the oneness of YHVH. How could they come to the conclusion that the three, equals one? Because the Word of God itself, speaks to the nature of Ha’Shem who inspires these very words. YHVH is a compound One of essential Persons. If one does not allow for a plurality within the Godhead, then they will eventually be forced out of the Scriptures. Over and over again, in both the TaNaKh and the B’rit Chadashah, the Bible speaks of a plurality of the divinity. The Sh’ma comes just before speaking of our relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Ruach. Any deviation from this truth will darken our understanding of our God. We are to know who we worship.¹⁹⁶

Moses then develops the essence of covenantal obedience. He demands that Isra’el love YHVH with their total being. Love ADONAI your God: This appeal to love ADONAI is found ten times in Deuteronomy and nowhere else in the Torah. This wholehearted love for God is relational, like a husband’s love for his wife (Hosea 3:1), or a father’s love for his child (Hosea 11:1). Moshe piles up relatively synonymous terms to emphasize the totality of this allegiance.

With all your heart: The Jewish concept of heart refers to the core of one’s being. The book of Proverbs counsels: Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life (Proverbs 4:23).

And with all your soul: (Hebrew: nefesh). The term soul is the closest to what we would call emotion and is the word Yeshua used when He cried out in the Garden of Gethsemane: My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death (Mattityahu 26:38a).

And with all your strength (Hebrew: meod, meaning with all the you have) (6:5). When asked: Rabbi, which is the greatest commandment in the Torah,” Yeshua said: You shall love ADONAI your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind (Matthew 22:36-39), affirming that the bedrock of our obedience arises from a whole-hearted love for God alone. This love is not by choice; it is commanded! While spontaneous love may come naturally, the Torah labels it immature. Perfect love calls for more than spontaneity . . . it requires commitment!¹⁹⁷ Yeshua taught that the truths contained in these two verses constitute the central demand of the Torah (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Jb – Which is the Greatest Commandment?).

These words, which I am commanding you today, are to be on your heart (6:6). The mitzvot, which provided the framework within which the Israelites could express their love of God, they were to be upon your heart – that is, the people were to meditate on them and reflect on God’s Words. When ADONAI writes His Words upon our hearts, we become “living letters” that others may read, and our lives can influence others to trust Messiah. How we “walk the talk” is important because it backs up what we say.¹⁹⁸

You are to teach them diligently to your children. The book of Deuteronomy attaches a special importance to this task of teaching the family (4:9b, 6:20-25, 11:19). The mitzvot were to be the subject of conversation both inside and outside the home, from the beginning of the day to the end of the day. Speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up (6:7).¹⁹⁹ In addition to teaching, ADONAI’s expectations extended to every part of life. God’s people must make obedience to His mitzvot obvious priority.

Two rituals came from a literal interpretation of the next two verses (I wish that the Jews would take the Messianic prophecies with the same literal interpretation). The first ritual is the wearing of the frontlets. Moses said: Bind them as a sign on your hand, they are to be as frontlets (phylacteries) between your eyes (6:8). The frontlets are made of black leather, with straps on the left hand and on the head. Yeshua talked about the abuses of the Torah-teachers and the Pharisees wearing the frontlets which were already in use in the first century. The passages selected for the frontlets were Exodus 13:1-10; 11-16, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, and 11:13-21. These four scriptures were written in Hebrew on strips of parchment with ink prepared especially for the purpose. Speaking of those who idolized this ritual Yeshua said: All their works they do to be noticed by men. They make their frontlets (tefillin) wide and their garments (tzitziyot) long (Matthew 23:1-5).

The second ritual commanded that the Israelites write two of the above scriptures on the doorposts (Hebrew: mezuzot) of your house and on your gates (6:9). The mezuzah is made of a piece of parchment from a clean or kosher animal, on which Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21 are written. This parchment is rolled up and inserted in a case with a small opening on the side. On the back of the parchment, you find the word Shaddai, meaning Almighty. Then the parchment is then rolled up and inserted in such a way that the Hebrew letter shin, the first letter of the word Shaddai, is visible through a small opening. Then it is affixed to the right hand side of the doorpost of a room, or a house, or a gate.²⁰⁰

Dear Great Shaddai – our Father! We love You! It is awesome that You describe Yourself as a plurality when You created the world (Genesis 1:1-3). You did the same when You said: Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness (Genesis 1:26a), and when Elohim said about the Tower of Babel, “Come! Let Us go down and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand each other’s language” (Genesis 11:7). You are a wonderful and amazing God and it is with joy that we worship and obey You. In Holy Yeshua’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen.

Moses as Mediator
5:22 to 6:3

Moses as Mediator DIG: Were the Israelites in this passage present at Mount Sinai when the ten words were first given? How will this covenant help them to establish a new nation? How were the ten words given (5:4-5, 22 and 34)? What does this scene convey about the importance of these ten words to God? About the well-being of the Israelites? For whom and for what reasons are the statutes and ordinances intended? Why do you think Moses keeps emphasizing these points? What does 5:32-33 say in summary about the function of these ten words?

REFLECT: Why is it important to hold Ha’Shem in awe? How would you rate your walk with the LORD right now? What do you need to work on? How can you help others? Which of the Ten Words is the most difficult for you to keep? How can this struggle result in victory? Who is your Mediator today (First Timothy 2:5)? Why does God bless you?

Moses describes his role as mediator at the time of the giving of the Torah at Mount Horeb and points out ADONAI’s approval of their spirit of reverence. After rehearsing that stupendous revelation, Moshe gives attention to the response YHVH demanded from His chosen people – wholehearted obedience.

These words ADONAI spoke to your entire gathering at the mountain from fire, cloud and thick mist, in a loud voice; then it ceased. But He wrote them on two stone tablets, which He gave to me (5:22 CJB). This verse serves as a conclusion to the Ten Words (to see link click Bk – The Ten Words) and describes Moshe’s role as the mediator of the covenant. The event is described here in general terms, but is presented in more detail in 9:9 to 10:5. The emphasis in this verse is on the awe-inspiring phenomena that accompanied the revelation from Ha’Shem, which leads to the people, overwhelmed by their experience, bringing a request to Moses.

The people requested Moshe to act on their behalf and to continue in the presence of God to hear the words that YHVH intends for them. When you heard the voice coming out of the darkness, as the mountain blazed with fire, you came to me, all the heads of your tribes and your leaders, and said: Here, ADONAI our God has shown us His glory and His greatness! Their anxiety, specifically, arose from having heard God’s voice and survived to tell of the experience. We have heard his voice coming from the fire, and we have seen today that God does speak with human beings, and they stay alive. But they didn’t want to expose themselves to the potential danger of continued encounters with Ha’Shem, so they asked: Why should we keep risking death? This great fire will consume us! If we hear the voice of ADONAI our God any more, we will die! For who is there of all humanity that has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the fire, as we have, and stayed alive (5:23-26 CJB)?

A. The people wanted Moses to act as their mediator. Unlike unresponsive wooden and stone idols, their God is a living being. These leaders then committed themselves and the people to listen to YHVH’s mitzvot and live accordingly. You, go near; and hear everything ADONAI our God says. Then you will tell us everything ADONAI our God says to you; and we will listen to it and do it. ADONAI heard what you were saying when you spoke to me, and ADONAI said to me, “I have heard what these people have said when speaking to you, and everything they have said is good” (5:27-28 CJB).

B. Apparently, however, ADONAI was not convinced that their faithfulness would continue forever. But He was all too aware of their past (as well as their future). Oh, how I wish their hearts would stay like this always, that they would fear Me and obey all My mitzvot; so that it would go well with them and their children forever. Then God spoke through Moses saying: Go, tell them to return to their tents (5:29-30 CJB), thus publicly confirming Moshe’s role as mediator between God and His covenant people.

C. But you, stand here by me; and I will tell you all the mitzvot, the statutes (Hebrew: hachukkim, meaning to write into law permanently) and ordinances (Hebrew: hammishpatim, meaning a judgment of the court) which you are to teach them, so that they can obey them in the land I am giving them as their possession (5:31 CJB). YHVH once again makes a clear connection between expected obedience by Isra’el and their continued enjoyment of the Land given to them by their covenantal LORD.

D. Therefore you are to be careful to do as ADONAI your God has ordered you; you are not to deviate either to the right or the left from those divine expectations. You are to walk (Hebrew: telechu, like Enoch walked with God) the entire way which ADONAI your God has ordered you. This demonstrates that YHVH expects much more than external obedience to an unrelated collection of mitzvot. God demands the kind of obedience that affects every part of a person’s being.¹⁹² So that you will live, things will go well with you, and you will live long in the Land you are about to possess (5:32-33 CJB). Finally, to topics of a long life and ability to stay in the Land return as the consequence of continued obedience.

C. After encouraging God’s people to live in wholehearted obedience with His covenantal demands, Moses repeats the triad: Now these are the mitzvot, the statutes and ordinances that ADONAI your God commands to teach you to obey in the Land you are crossing over to possess (6:1). This triad: mitzvot, statues, and ordinances appear in three other passages (5:31 above, 7:11 and 26:17), and embody everything that God commanded as a unit.

B. So that you might fear ADONAI your God, to obey all His statutes and mitzvot that I am commanding you and your son and your son’s son all the days of your life, and so that you may prolong your days (6:2). Any blessings that followed would be the outworking of the patriarchal promise (see the commentary on Genesis Dt – I Will Bless Those Who Bless You and Whoever Curses You I Will Curse).

A. Hear, therefore, O Isra’el, and take care to do this, so that it may go well with you and you may increase mightily, as ADONAI the God of your fathers has promised you, in a Land flowing with milk and honey (6:3). There was always the danger that the new generation would become proud and think that God had blessed them because they were better than the previous generations. Moses reminded them that all their blessings came from ADONAI because of His covenant with their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In fact, it was this truth that opened Moshe’s address (1:8, 21 and 35), and he would mention it again several times (6:10, 9:5 and 27, 29:13, 30:20, 34:3 and also see Exodus 6:8 and 33:1). YHVH’s gracious promise to the patriarchs gave Isra’el ownership of the Land, but it was their own obedience to the LORD that guaranteed their possession and enjoyment of that Land.¹⁹³ God doesn’t bless us because we are good; God blesses us because He is good.

After a historical review was given in Chapters 1 through 4 (see Aj – The Historical Prologue), we were then given the Ten Words in Chapter 5. These 5 chapters are preparation for, and an introduction to, the details of the remaining 603 mitzvot of the Torah. But the actual details, which would normally follow the Ten Words, actually begin in Chapter 12 (see Cr – The Second Address: The Specific Stipulations of the Covenant). Six whole chapters separate the Ten Words from the details. In these six chapters Moses called on the Jews to consider their past, present and future. To the Jews of Moshe’s day, and to all believers today, we are reminded again and again that our entering into a stream of blessing or a stream of cursing is directly linked to our obedience to the Word of God in Deuteronomy, our blueprint for living.¹⁹⁴

Dear Great and Sovereign Heavenly Father, How Awesome You are! Praise You that the requirements for entering heaven are: not race, nor gender, nor how much money someone has, nor physical strength, but it is love for You (Matthew 22:37-40) shown by loving obedience to all You say. How wise You are! We don’t have to wonder: if what you say is the best or is there something better? Definitely what you say in Your Word is 100% the best! You are always looking out for Your children, to guide their path that you may bring them to their heavenly home to live with Your forever – and to richly reward them according to their heart attitude.  For no one can lay any other foundation than what is already laid —which is Yeshua the Messiah.  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear. For the Day will show it, because it is to be revealed by fire; and the fire itself will test each one’s work – what sort it is. If anyone’s work built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward (First Corinthians 3:11-14). Our trials on earth are really nothing compared to the awesome glory of eternal peace and joy in heaven. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). We love You and enjoy pleasing you. Obedience to You is not a rule to follow- but a joy to please You! We are so glad to lovingly do all that You ask. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Do Not Covet
5: 21

Do not covet DIG: This mitzvah has to do with satisfaction. Your joy should be in the LORD and not measured by your neighbor’s possessions. In what way is this mitzvah the climax of all the previous mitzvot? What is the fruit of covetousness?

REFLECT: Has my desire for another’s possessions or loved one turned into a preoccupation to get what I want no matter whose it is, or who it hurts? Where does covetousness start? What can you do about it? Are you the master of a slave of your desires?

Unlike all the other mitzvot, the tenth mitzvah places more direct emphasis on the inner disposition than on any outward act. This mitzvah serves as a power summary of the previous mitzvot as well as a clear indication of the nature of God’s clear expectations.

Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor (Deuteronomy 5:21). The climax of the Ten Words (to see link click Bk – The Ten Words) takes us to the heart of the matter, to the source of so much of what the previous mitzvot have prohibited, namely, human covetous desire. We should remember that the Ten Words is not a code of mitzvot in the legislative sense. They are never called “laws,” but words. They set the boundaries of required and prohibited behaviors for the covenant people as a matter of fundamental principle. The inclusion of coveting shows that covenant loyalty in Isra’el went far deeper than external conformity to statutes (Hebrew: hachukkim, meaning to write into law permanently) and ordinances (Hebrew: hammishpatim, meaning a judgment of the court). The God who claimed the people’s love also claimed the rest of their affections and desires. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar. For the one who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen (First John 4:20).¹⁸⁸

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor (Exodus 20:17).

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures (James 4:1-3).

Dear Heavenly Father, We worship and adore You from our hearts. We do not merely say the words “I love You”, but our heart delights in serving You, even in hard times. It is more important to us to please You than to please anyone else. Our heart delights in You. You are our treasure. “Out of the good treasure of his heart the good man brings forth good, and out of evil the evil man brings forth evil. For from the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). Even when others have more things/treasures than we do, we rejoice in you for You are our everlasting, ever loving treasure. We focus on pleasing You. We do not covet what any one has, but we desire a loving relationship with You always. Please draw us close to Yourself. We lovingly submit to You in our time, money, thoughts and all else. You are wonderful! In Your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

In some respects, the tenth and last mitzvah is the greatest of the last seven that are more horizontal and describe our relationship with one another. This last mitzvah gives the internal aspect because it focuses on the desires of the heart. If we keep this mitzvah, all the other mitzvot are more easily kept. No system of law has ever had a statute that deals with intent because there is no human way to enforce it. It goes beyond regulating outward acts to requiring us to control our inner thoughts. The apostle Paul said it this way: We demolish arguments and every arrogance that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey the Messiah (Second Corinthians 10:5 CJB).

We need victory over our thought life more than anything else. Covetousness makes people greedy and causes them to steal. Covetousness drives people to sacrifice the lives of others, even to kill, for what they want. Covetousness gives rise to that uncontrolled lust that plunges people into adultery. Covetousness endangers mutual trust and causes people to lie about themselves and each other to gain money, power, prestige or praise. In short, this mitzvah covers a multitude of sins.

So what does it mean to covet? Does it mean to desire something? Absolutely not. Desires are a normal and healthy part of human life. Our desire for food makes us hungry. That’s how we maintain our health. Our desire for sex is a vital part of love and marriage. This leads to the creation of life. We desire approval and respect. That’s what makes us bathe ourselves and brush our teeth. Another legitimate desire is to get along with others for common goals within society. Basically, without desires we wouldn’t have life.

So does coveting mean desiring something that we don’t have? Not exactly. For example, many people attend college because they desire an education, something they don’t have. But this is not coveting. Almost everything we call progress, improvement or civilization has come from a desire for something we don’t have. Desire is even important in spiritual matters. The Apostle Paul said in First Corinthians 12:31, eagerly desire the greater gifts. Yeshua also said: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. No, coveting is not merely a desire for something, even something we don’t have.

Covetousness is a desire that runs rampant over the rights of others and even over one’s own reason. It is out of control desire that will injure or destroy to get what it wants. It’s not wrong for a man to want a house, wife or a car. But it’s wrong for him to want his neighbor’s house, wife and car. This kind of desire is different because a desire for someone else’s belongings plants the seeds of a willingness to lie, steal or kill in order to fulfill that desire. When we feel this type of desire we may even destroy or injure ourselves to get what we want. Covetousness is a normal desire gone terribly wrong. It says, “I want this and I will get it whatever it costs me, whatever the consequences.” A practical substitute for the word covet might be greed. It’s hard to define, but you know it when you see it.¹⁸⁹

Nathan the prophet saw it in King David (Second Samuel 12:1-13). ADONAI sent Nathan to King David after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba, his neighbor, and murdered Uriah, her husband. But instead of confronting him with the actual crimes he had committed, he told him a story. There was a rich man who had a large amount of land with lots of sheep and cattle. One day one of his very best friends came to visit him and he wanted to have a great feast. But he didn’t go out and find one of his own sheep to slaughter, he took his sheep from a poor man who had only one little ewe lamb, a family pet. The rich man could have chosen a sheep from his vast herd, but he took the only lamb the poor man owned. Nathan pointed out that David was the rich man, and covetousness was David’s sin.

When Yeshua came He taught that the cure for covetousness was to surrender to the Lordship of Messiah. He wanted change from the inside out. He said that wrong ideas and wrong desires lead to wrong actions. No matter how pious our outer life may be, if we yield inwardly to covetousness, we are guilty of breaking the mitzvah. Only when we first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness will everything else be given to us (Luke 12:31). To accomplish this change we need a new birth, a conversion, a change of outlook and a change of values. Since covetousness is a sin of the inner life, our supreme need is to be set right within our hearts.

Are you master or slave to your desires? Sin always costs you more than you wanted to pay, and takes you further than you wanted to go. The only way to change, to become master, is to surrender to Yeshua Messiah. We must find a new Master who brings us peace so that we can agree with the apostle Paul and say: For to me, life is in the Messiah, and death is gain (Philippians 1:21 CJB). The only answer to covetousness is to find our delight in ADONAI. So, the B’rit Chadashah teaches us not to covet by being content in Yeshua Messiah.¹⁹⁰

Yeshua summarized the Ten Words by condensing them into two. He said that the first and greatest mitzvah was to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37). Then He went on to say that the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; Matt 22:39). He concluded by boldly claiming that all the Torah and the Prophets hang on these two mitzvot (Matthew 22:40). Messiah was saying essentially that love for ADONAI (that is, obeying the first four of the Ten Words) and love for neighbor (that is, obeying the last six of the Ten Words) form the basic teaching of the TaNaKh.

Messiah understood love, the most positive force in the universe, as the total intent and thrust of the Ten Words. Psychiatrist Karl Menninger once said much the same thing in his definition of love as “the medicine for the sickness of the world.” The combination of ingredients in God’s prescription for human happiness known as the Ten Words is guaranteed, if taken, to keep us spiritually strong and healthy. To obey His covenant stipulations is to receive His bountiful blessings.¹⁹¹

Do Not Give False Testimony
5:20

Do not give false testimony DIG: This mitzvah has to do with the tongue. Originally, what was the meaning of the mitzvah? How did Messiah expand and restate it? What are the three ways of lying? What does God want from us? Why?

REFLECT: Have I lied about another person or hidden the truth to protect myself at another’s expense? When I realize what I have done, how do I feel about it? Do I make amends? Has lying become a habit? What do I do about it? Am I living a lie?

The principle involved here undermines a basic characteristic of the covenant, namely, faithfulness – ADONAI to man, of man to ADONAI, and of man to fellow man.

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor (Deuteronomy 5:20). To help prevent giving false testimony, this mitzvah required at least two or three witnesses giving corroborating testimony. Originally, the mitzvah is not simply about telling the truth in general, but about telling the truth in the place where it counts the most, because that is where lying can cost the most – in the court of law. The protection of the process of justice was a major concern in Isra’el, and in the Ten Words (to see link click Bk – The Ten Words) the full weight of the identity, character, and action of YHVH is thrown behind it. Breaking the ninth mitzvah would frequently involve breaking the third, which increased its seriousness. A nation founded by an act of God’s righteousness must guard the righteousness of its own legal system, and every citizen was accountable for doing just that.¹⁸³

But the prophets, and later Jesus and the B’rit Chadashah writers, expanded and restated this mitzvah so that the Bible ultimately forbids every form of a lie. There’s a reason for this, the same reason we’ve discovered as the basis for all the other mitzvot. This mitzvah is founded on the very character of God Himself. He cannot tolerate sin or tell a lie. It is a vital part of His holiness.¹⁸⁴

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16).

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator (Colossians 3:9-10).

We live in a world full of lies and liars. Often lying is not even considered a vice, and some people think of it as a virtue, or at least an art. Advertisers lie to sell products, Politicians lie to get elected. Because of the relativism that has crept into our society today, most people believe that all truth is personal and nothing is absolutely true or false.

God is truth. The Son of God said: I AM the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6). Jesus proclaimed the coming Ruach ha-Kodesh as the Spirit of truth (John 14:17). That is why the Scriptures place such a high value on the truth. The Lord said that one of the basic characteristics of the Adversary is that there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). Therefore, because God is truthful He wants us to be truthful. In First Peter 1:16, Peter quotes from Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2 and 20:7, where ADONAI says: Be holy, because I am holy. Today we would say, “Be truthful, because I am truthful.” That is why the B’rit Chadashah emphasizes our truthfulness. Who do you follow? The father of lies or the Spirit of truth?

The ninth mitzvah and its restatement in the B’rit Chadashah forbid lying in three ways: telling a lie, spreading a lie and living a lie. There is no reason to believe that this mitzvah is exclusively limited to the judicial realm. It is a mitzvah that lays down fundamental principles; therefore, we would expect a wider application. It is likely that the mitzvah generally protects a person’s name and forbids harming one’s neighbor through slander and uncontrolled defamation. The Hebrew word shaqer means to give an empty promise. Therefore, to lie about your neighbor is forbidden. Such things as gossip, slander and needless flattery are also to be avoided.¹⁸⁵

First, it forbids telling a lie. Proverbs 6:16-19 says ADONAI hates seven things and two items on that list are a lying tongue and false witnesses who pour out lies. In the book of Revelation, John concludes his overview of the New Heaven and New Earth with a serious and solemn warning. He describes those who will be excluded from any participation in the blessings of heaven – all unforgiven sinners. And the list in Revelation 21:8 concludes with these words: and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur (see the commentary on Revelation Fr – Then I Saw a New Heaven and a New Earth). There are similar lists of the unredeemed in Revelation 22:15, Romans 1:28-32, First Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21 and Second Timothy 3:2-5.¹⁸⁶

The Bible tells the heartbreaking and frightening story of Ananias and Sapphira (see the commentary on Acts At – Ananias and Sapphira Lie to the Ruach), who sold their land and told the apostles that they had given all of the money to the church. But in reality, they had kept some of it for themselves. Before their sudden deaths, Peter said to them: How is it that Satan has filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit. You have not lied to men but to God.

The LORD, whose very nature is truth, who speaks only truth, who loves truth, cannot tolerate our lies. Our lies separate us from Him and hurt our fellowship. To be honest about it, lying is a sin. Before, coming to Messiah, many of us were habitual liars. Lying was as easy as falling off of a log and it took a great deal of the Holy Spirit’s influence in our lives to finally break that stronghold and establish a pattern of telling the truth. You see, telling the truth is not a sometimes thing, it is an all the time thing. It is a habit. Some of us have lied so long that we don’t know the difference between the truth and a lie. There is only one way to break the habit, as soon as the Ruach ha-Kodesh convicts you of lying, immediately tell the truth to the person you just lied to. It may be painful, but it works.

Dear Heavenly Father, How wonderful it is to have the privilege of running to You and telling You how much we love You! By our deeds of love we give You a big hug! Praise You for Your love and compassion that forgives us when we repent: If we confess our sins, You are faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (First John 1:9). You not only forgive, but you put our sins as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:12). Because we want to please You, we want to confess and make right our lies with both You and with the person we wronged. Please give us the courage to tell the person that was lied to , “I’m sorry. I was wrong. How can I make it right?” Though we can’t really make it right, sometimes there is something we can do or say that will help heal the wound. Thank You for Your love and forgiveness. We desire to love You in all we do and say. In the holy name of Your Son and the power of His resurrection. Amen

Second, the Bible forbids spreading a lie as well as telling one. In the final analysis, sins are marked by their effect on others. God’s blueprint for living is not merely a list of rules, but a practical guide on how to get along with other people. Giving false testimony against your neighbor is a sin because it hurts someone. Being very honest, many followers of Jesus do not see the harm in this. People who would never think of murder, adultery or theft, gossip their brains out. We need to be extremely careful about what we say to others. That is why James warns us against spreading a lie, calling the tongue a fire and a world of evil among the parts of the body (James 3:6). Proverbs also deals at length with the tongue because it’s capable of destroying a person’s reputation. Once a lie starts spreading, it is impossible to take back. If you have ever done this, you owe it to your victim to go back to the people you have lied to and set the record straight.

Third, and this is perhaps the greatest meaning or the ninth mitzvah, we are not to live a lie. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (First John 1:6). Therefore, when we live a lie, we deceive ourselves. When what we say is proven false by our life, we are living a lie. Jesus was extremely familiar with people who lived a lie. The scribes claimed to have knowledge they didn’t really possess. The Pharisees claimed to be righteous, but were not. False witnesses told stories of things they had neither seen nor heard. Judas was living a lie when he kissed Yeshua. And Pilate tried to wash his hands of the whole crucifixion, but ordered it nonetheless. You see, the greatest lies we tell are to ourselves. And the reason we do this is because of our pride.

For many people, the biggest lie is when they attempt to maintain a false image of themselves as sinless and not in need of salvation. They try to convince themselves that their lie is true and they try to persuade others that they are something we know they are not. This kind of living lie is described in First John 1:5-10, which ends by saying: If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives. The tragedy is that when people tell this kind of a lie to themselves over and over again, they tend to believe it. Once that happens it is very difficult to face the truth.

God faced the truth about you a long time ago. Maybe you’re just beginning to admit the truth about yourself and see that it’s not a pretty picture. Yet ADONAI knows everything about you and loves you anyway. All He wants you to do is admit the truth. Our sins don’t keep us from the LORD, but our attempts to cover up our sins do.

As we stand before the cross, we realize the truth that we are bad enough to crucify the Son of God. That’s the truth about the human heart. ADONAI has known it for a long, long time and perhaps now you know it also. Admit it to Him. Confess it. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (First John 1:9). The moment you do, the power of the lie, the hold of darkness over you, will be broken. Then the Spirit of truth can begin a miracle in your life, leading you away from lying and darkness to truth and light.¹⁸⁷

Do Not Steal
5: 19

Do not steal DIG: This mitzvah has to do with property. What is yours’ is yours’ but what is not, is theft. A healthy society is built on common respect. What are some subtle ways that people can steal today? From a believers’ standpoint, what is the most serious?

REFLECT: Have I taken things or ideas that were not mine? Do I consider cheating at school, in my business or on my taxes? If I think I could get away with it, is stealing or cheating an acceptable option for me? How is my giving to the LORD? What would He say?

Throughout the TaNaKh YHVH is seen as the ultimate owner of everything, but He entrusted His gifts to mankind, and the use of His property was to be respected.

You shall not steal (Deuteronomy 5:19). This mitzvah is distinctive in a way that is not immediately obvious from the Ten Words (to see link click Bk – The Ten Words). They do not prescribe legal penalties, but in the rest of Isra’el’s legislation, all the offenses that carry a death sentence can be related, either directly or indirectly, to mitzvot in the Ten Words. However, the eighth mitzvot is exceptional. Normally, no theft of property carried a death sentence. Only theft of persons, like kidnapping, was a capital offense (Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7).¹⁷⁹

You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15).

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need (Ephesians 4:28).

Of all the mitzvot in the Bible, this one seems to be the most clear-cut. On the surface it looks very simple. You would think it needs no explanation at all. To steal means the same thing today as it did when God wrote it on tablets of stone. It means the taking of something that belongs to someone else.

This mitzvah is probably the most universal of all the laws in the world. For example, some primitive cultures had no taboo against immorality as long as neither party was married. But if one of the parties were married, adultery was strictly forbidden, not because it was immoral but because it was considered a form of theft, or stealing another person’s spouse. Often the offender settled the matter by simply paying the husband in cows, goats, money, or the sum the husband originally paid for the wife.

Just as the sixth mitzvah: You shall not murder, safeguards life, and the mitzvah: You shall not commit adultery, safeguards love and the family, this eighth mitzvah safeguards property. It forbids theft, the taking or keeping of something that belongs to someone else. Consequently, this mitzvah is desperately needed today.¹⁸⁰

Dear Heavenly Father, We praise You for Your love. Let us not take that love for granted for You are holy and You hate sin. We desire to please You and that means to follow Your pattern of love. Let love be without hypocrisy – detesting what is evil, holding fast to the good. (Romans 12:9). We choose to follow Your commandment of no stealing at all, even when our friends or community says that it is “not really” stealing when we take something that is not ours. You are our Shepherd and we are your people (Psalms 100:3). Your love is what dictates what is the best for us and so we submit to each of your mitzvot, knowing that they were given for our good. Praise You that though we cannot perfectly obey them on our own, You have sent Your Spirit into our hearts (Romans 5:5) to help and guide us to the perfect Jewish Messiah (Hebrews 7:28) of the world.  Therefore, the Torah became our guardian to lead us to Messiah, so that we might be made right based on trusting (Galatians 3:24). His perfect blood paid our sin’s penalty, how much more will the blood of Messiah – who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God – cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14). We choose to follow You in not stealing because we love and trust You with all our hearts. In the holy name of Your Son and the power of His resurrection. Amen

Today theft is at an all-time high. The cost of crime is now in the billions of dollars a year just in the United States alone. Many teenagers today think stealing from department stores is like a video game. But when they end up in jail with a felony count it is no laughing matter. Amazingly, most of the theft comes from the employees themselves! Therefore, in today’s society honesty is a quality that is highly valued by employers because it is so rare. In fact, many godly employees will find security and advancement in their jobs, merely because they follow the eighth mitzvah.

In our schools and colleges plagiarism on papers and cheating on tests are almost the norm today. Students are infected with the “everyone is doing it” mentality. When caught, most have a “what’s the big deal” attitude. Plagiarism is more and more common because of this fact. Often in my lifetime different people have said to me, “Do you think that posting the Ten Words in our classrooms would make any difference at all.” My answer is, “Yes, I do.” ADONAI has said: The word that goes out of My mouth will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11).

The Bible is clear that stealing can also be taking advantage of someone in need. From the biblical standpoint, to overcharge, to undersell or to deceive is to steal. It’s trying to get something for nothing. It’s trying to gain something at the expense of another person. This is exactly why Jesus drove out the moneychangers from the Temple of His day. Yeshua entered the Temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. He said to them: It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers (Matthew 21:13). The Temple was supposed to be a place of worship, quiet meditation, contemplation, praise and devotion, a place where God’s people could draw close to Him in worship, sacrifice, and offerings and could seek His will and blessing. But all of that was stolen from them by people who carried on their greedy schemes under the guise of serving and worshiping God.¹⁸¹

To cheat is to steal anything, including an honor, which is not rightly yours. Stealing is getting the reward without paying the price, collecting the dividend without making the investment. It’s receiving money without working, it’s making good grades without studying, it’s getting to the top of the ladder without climbing the rungs. Like the other mitzvot, the eighth mitzvah is written from the nature of God into us because we were created in His image. Our lives are an investment. Life involves putting something into it and receiving something in return. Stealing, however, is the shortcut philosophy of life that contradicts this basic principle of God.

The human desire to take shortcuts formed the basis of Christ’s three great temptations in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus knew that there would be no crown without the cross, and no redemption without the suffering of a redeemer, and no resurrection without a crucifixion. But Satan tempted Him to get all of that without paying the price for them, to steal them, if you will. Satan knew people were eagerly looking for a king so he told Yeshua to turn stones into bread, to throw Himself down from the highest point of the Temple so the angles would catch Him, and finally to bow down to Satan himself. In other words, to take a shortcut to the kingship without making the sacrifice. But Jesus would have none of it. He knew there could be no shortcuts when He redeemed us; He was willing to pay the price and be nailed to a cross to die as our substitute.

The Bible also describes another way of stealing, which, from a believer’s standpoint, may be the most serious of all. This is stealing by failing to give our talents or our tithe to ADONAI. This is perhaps the highest level of trying to get something for nothing. We steal by accepting something and giving nothing in return. This sin is not doing wrong acts but failing to use our God-given talents and gifts for Yeshua’s service. These were the people in the parables of Jesus who were condemned and punished most severely. We can also steal from God Himself. Malachi 3:8 asks: Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. It goes on to explain that we rob God when we fail to give our tithes and offerings. Like his grandfather Abraham who gave tithes to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:40) before him, Jacob acknowledged that everything he had belonged to ADONAI (Genesis 28:22). Later, tithing would become an obligation under the Torah (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:21-24). Today, in the Dispensation of Grace, believers should tithe and it should be done cheerfully and gratefully, not grudgingly or with a selfish attitude (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Do – When You Give to the Needy, Do Not Do It to be Honored by Others).

What seems to be a great help in understanding the original purpose of the Ten Words is their function within the community. These are mitzvot given by a redeeming God to recently redeemed people for whom He had a national purpose. As God’s people, His special possession, the Israelites had to know what He required of them. Being an Israelite was not a matter of private, personal faith. It had vertical and horizontal dimensions. After all, if Isra’el could not treat ADONAI with respect and treat each other as a special people, how could they be a light to the Gentiles? How could they ever be a kingdom of priests in a world that did not know the true God?¹⁸²

Do Not Commit Adultery
5: 18

Do not commit adultery DIG: This mitzvah has to do with purity. Why is adultery treated so prominently and given such severe punishment in the TaNaKh? How was it viewed as an attack on the nation’s relationship with ADONAI? How is sex like fire? What is the difference between love and lust? How can you tell the difference? How is adultery related to idol worship? How did Yeshua restate the seventh mitzvah?

REFLECT: Have I been unfaithful to my spouse? Am I involved in pornography? Are lust and a wandering eye affecting the relationship with my mate? Do I take that second look? Am I conscious of what I am looking at? Am I aware that others, co-workers or family members, are following my eyes? What is my witness in this area?

The reason this mitzvah is regarded as such a serious offense is because it most closely parallels our relationship with God. The sin of adultery uniquely strikes at the heart of a committed relationship, and thus, opens the door to spiritual adultery with ADONAI.

You shall not commit adultery (Deuteronomy 5:18). Adultery was clearly a very serious offense in ancient Isra’el. The mitzvah that supports the seventh mitzvah made it a capital offense for both parties involved (Leviticus 18:20, 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22). The prophets attack it as a social evil (Hosea 4:2; Jeremiah 7:9, 23:10; Ezeki’el 18:6ff, 22:11, 33:26; Malachi 3:5), and use it as a metaphor for Isra’el’s spiritual adultery (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click At – Unfaithful Isra’el).

Now all human societies, including Isra’el’s ancient Near East neighbors, have sanctions to protect whatever marital arrangements are customary there. But why was adultery treated so prominently and given such severe punishment in the TaNaKh? The nature lies in the nature of the Ten Words (see Bk – The Ten Words), in which this mitzvah is combined with the central importance of the family in Isra’el. As moderns, we have difficulty understanding this context of the family and society because we have largely consigned adultery to the realm of private morality. In Isra’el, however, adultery was anything but a private concern. Adultery was a crime against YHVH inasmuch as it was a crime against the relationship between God and His people Isra’el. Any attack on the stability of the family unit was a potential threat to the nation’s relationship with God.¹⁷⁴

You shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14).

The body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. God raised up the Lord, and He will raise us up too by His power. Don’t you know that your bodies are parts of the Messiah? So, am I to take parts of the Messiah and make them parts of a prostitute? Heaven forbid! Don’t you know that a man who joins himself to a prostitute becomes physically one with her? For the Scriptures say: The two will become one flesh; but the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.

Therefore, run from sexual immorality (see Genesis 39:12)! Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the fornicator sins against his own body. Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who lives inside you, whom you received from God? The fact is, you don’t belong to yourselves; for you were bought at a price. So use your bodies to glorify God (First Corinthians 6:13-20 CJB).

We live in a sex-saturated society today. Sins that used to be kept in the dark are now flaunted in public. Our sense of shame has been replaced with brazen defiance. Norms that used to be accepted are now being challenged; people living abnormal lifestyles now want to be accepted as normal. Sex sells everything today. It is in every industry, all the time, year after year, day after day, every minute, every second. We cannot escape it. Like Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah, we are swimming in an ocean of sexual excess and perversion while trying to stay clean. Sex crimes are at all-time highs, while infidelity, divorce, and perversion are now commonplace. We are obsessed with sex to a degree perhaps never seen before in the world.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that Your love is better than life (Psalms 63:4) and better than the love of anyone else. God says to Isra’el, For your Maker is your husband – Adonai-Tzva’ot is His Name – the Holy One of Isra’el is your Redeemer. He will be called God of all the earth. (Isaiah 54:5). In the B’rit Chadashah scriptures Paul writes to followers of Yeshua, “For I betrothed you to one husband, to present you to Messiah as a pure virgin” (Second Corinthians 11:2b). Praise you that everyone has a fantastic lover- You! May we never take Your love for granted for You have said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:21). “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and trusts in Him may have eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40). May we love You back with more than mere words; but with actions that show our trust of You is with our whole heart for we desire to use our money, our thoughts and our time to Your glory. You are wonderful! In the name of Your holy Son and the power of His resurrection. Amen

We have the seventh mitzvah exactly because sex is God’s idea. Your generation didn’t invent sex. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). The mitzvah, “You shall not commit adultery,” is God’s response to our obvious abuse of His great gift of sexuality. He recoils at the thought of a woman leaving her home in the middle of the night to sleep with her neighbor’s husband. He is disgusted at prostitution. He is angry with the teenager who seeks to satisfy unrestrained lust. The seventh mitzvah is the LORD’s desire to protect us from ourselves.

ADONAI approves of sex within the confines of a marriage. Adultery is the abuse of this great gift. Like fire, it can be used for good or it can destroy. Fire in my fireplace can be a good thing. It warms my family and can cook our food. But fire in my living room can destroy both my house and my family. The same can be said for sex. Within the confines of marriage sex is a good and godly thing. But outside of marriage it can destroy your family. When Paul wrote the church at Corinth he reminded them that since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of sexual self-control (First Corinthians 7:1b-5).

When Yeshua restated the seventh mitzvah in Matthew 5:27-28, He broadened it, just as He had the sixth, to include thoughts. You have heard that it was said, “Do not commit adultery.” But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Looking at a woman lustfully does not cause a man to commit adultery in his thoughts. He already has committed adultery in his heart. It is not lustful looking that causes the sin in his heart, but the sin in his heart that causes lustful looking. The lustful looking is but the expression of a heart that is already immoral and adulterous. The heart is the soil where the seeds of sin are embedded and begin to grow.¹⁷⁵ The point that Yeshua made is this: the fact that you may not follow through and act upon your thoughts does not make you guiltless.

The Biblical standard is simply this: you shall not lust in thought, word, or deed. Faithfulness to your marriage partner is mandatory. This is the believer’s ethic of sex. You may not agree with it. The world certainly doesn’t like it. You may choose to reject it. But as a believer, you cannot repeal it or revise it.

The word adultery comes from the Hebrew word which means adulteration. The term was first used when the Israelites were worshiping idols, thereby adulterating the true worship of God with godless idols. They had perverted that which was originally pure and clean. That’s what adultery is. It is when we wipe our feet on the pure and clean love that God has given us. When we understand this deeper meaning of adultery, faithfulness and commitment in marriage makes sense; anything else seems unreasonable.¹⁷⁶

What does the seventh mitzvah have to say to those who are not married? The New Covenant uses the term adultery to refer to sex outside of marriage. It uses a different word for sex between two unmarried people: sexual immorality (First Corinthians 5:1, 10:8; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3). And the prohibition against sexual immorality is just as strict as it is against adultery. Many unmarried people today believe that they are in love, but they are actually in lust. Once the sex starts, they cannot tell the difference. Sexual immorality refers to premarital relations and adultery refers to extramarital relations, but the message is exactly the same. If you have no discipline in your sex life before you get married, you will have no discipline in your sex life after you get married. God doesn’t make mistakes on His counsel regarding sex in our lives.

Do you take that second look? Your eyes will see what they see. You can’t do anything about that. But once you see something provocative, you don’t have to take that second look. It’s the second look that will get you in trouble. King David was not at fault for seeing Bathsheba bathing. He could not have helped noticing her, because she was in plain view as he walked on the palace roof. His sin was taking that second look, dwelling on the sight, and in willingly giving in to the temptation. He could have looked away and occupied his mind in other ways. The fact that he had her brought to his chambers and committed adultery with her showed the immoral desire that already existed in his heart (see the commentary on the Life of David Dc – David and Bathsheba).

A popular proverb goes, “Sow a thought and reap an act. Sow an act and reap a habit. Sow a habit and reap a character. Sow a character and reap a destiny.” That process perfectly illustrates the point that, no matter where it ends, sin always begins when an evil thought is sown in the mind and heart.¹⁷⁷

In the 1920s American society whispered, “Follow your libido,” in the 1960s it boldly pronounced, “If it feels good do it,” and in the 1980’s our society screamed proudly, “Love the one you’re with!” Today, it’s, “Do you want to hook-up.” But why was it wrong then, and why is it wrong now? You can’t swim in the toilet and come up smelling like a rose. Thousands of years ago Moses claimed that YHVH gave him a command and he wrote: You shall not commit adultery. And this mitzvah came out of the holy nature and character of ADONAI Himself. Since you and I are created in the image of God, this mitzvah is written for our own good. If we follow God’s blueprint for living, we can prevent a multitude of health problems. But wrong choices always have their consequences. The explosion of pregnancies outside of marriage, in addition to the proliferation of AIDS and STD cases today proves that God’s plan is meant to insure our happiness and well-being.¹⁷⁸

Do Not Murder
5: 17

Do not murder DIG: This mitzvah has to do with the value of life. What is the difference between killing and murder? Why does Ha’Shem alone have the right to take a life? But what about taking the life of an animal? What about suicide? What about abortion?

REFLECT: Have I taken the life of another human being out of greed, malice, jealousy, or negligence? Is anger or rage a regular part of my life? If so, what steps can I take to overcome this problem? If not, who do I know that has this problem, and how can I help?

The verb used in this mitzvah operated in the sense of premeditated murder by a member of the covenant community for personal and illegitimate reasons.

You shall not murder (Deuteronomy 5:17). The high value of individual human life permeated every aspect of the moral values of Isra’el in the TaNaKh. The shedding of innocent blood was one of the most severely condemned crimes in the prophets, the Psalms, and in the Wisdom literature. But it wasn’t only the overt action itself that was condemned. All the actions that led up to acts of violence and murder were also recognized in the stories of Cain’s jealousy (Genesis 4:1-8), David’s lust (Second Samuel 11:1-4), Joab’s treachery (Second Samuel 24:22-39), in Wisdom’s portrayal of murderous greed (Proverbs 1:10-19), and in the penetrating mitzvah of YHVH, “You are not to hate your brother [or sister] in your heart . . . you are not to take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against your people, but love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:17-18).¹⁶⁸ Involuntary manslaughter, which involves accidental death, required a different mitzvah. Moses illustrates this later (to see link click Dm – Three Cities of Refuge).

You shall not murder (Exodus 20:13).

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment”. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother, Raca (an Aramaic term of contempt) is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell. You have heard it said: Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:21-22, 43-45a).

The sixth mitzvah elevates human life to the highest possible level, because it recognizes that life is sacred. Life is God’s gift, and we must not tamper with it. No person can restore life once it has ended. To kill is a wrong that, once done, cannot be undone. The finality of taking a human life has caused every civilization, no matter how seemingly primitive, to surround it with prohibitions and regulations. The basic principle is that God alone has sovereignty over physical life and death. After Hannah gave birth to her son Samuel, she praised God with this great truth: ADONAI brings death and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and raises up (First Samuel 2:6). Because God alone is the creator of life, He alone has the right to end it.

The Hebrew word here does not mean killing in general; the Hebrew word murder here, always stresses premeditation and deliberateness. It did not forbid the death penalty as some wish to make it today. In Genesis 9:5-6, God instituted the death penalty: And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too. I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made human beings in His image.” This was never repealed but stated another way in the Torah: If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death (Numbers 35:16-21).

Do not confuse this mitzvah with taking the life of an animal. Murder means the ending of a human life. No other book than the Bible calls for more mercy towards animals, and the mitzvot were given at a time when even the most “advanced” civilizations of the day abused animals terribly. So, this mitzvah has nothing to do with animal life as much as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) would like to have us think. It does not abolish the authority that man has over animals. As God Himself said: Everything that lives and moves upon the earth will be food for you (Genesis 9:3). As a result, humans and animals are not equals, because man was created in the image of God, and the animals, birds, fish, and insects were not (see the commentary on Genesis Ao – Let Us Make Man in Our Image, In Our Likeness).

As always, to understand this sixth mitzvah we must remember the first two mitzvot, which tell us that only ADONAI will be the God of our lives. History is full of examples, from ancient Rome to Adolph Hitler, only when ADONAI is truly God is mankind truly human. And only when God counts for everything, does man amount to anything. We must maintain this important hierarchy. With this in mind, let us see how this mitzvot guides us amid some of the complexities of modern life. It forbids killing a person directly, as when Cain murdered Abel; or indirectly, as when David killed Uriah by ordering someone else to do it.¹⁶⁹

First, what about suicide? You have no right to murder yourself. The omission of the object shows that the prohibition includes not only the killing of another person, but also the destruction of one’s own life.¹⁷⁰ Life is something that ADONAI does not treat lightly, and it is thus binding on His people to do likewise.¹⁷¹ The same principle applies, ADONAI gives life and He is the only One who has the right to take it. Suicide isn’t a basic human right. If it is not right to murder other human beings, it is not right to murder ourselves. Our life belongs to God, as the Scriptures clearly point out. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body (First Corinthians 6:19-20).

Nevertheless, we should not condemn those who commit suicide either. The Psalmist Asaph knew only too well the deep distress of human life when he cried out: My flesh and my heart may fail (Psalm 73:26a). And sometimes they do fail. But who is our judge? God alone! Sometimes the circumstances of life drive some people to despair and they are no longer capable of making responsible decisions. However, on a scriptural basis, suicide is murder and murder is not an option if we are accountable to God for our bodies.

Secondly, what about war? Is war wrong? Some believers say that Yeshua addresses this when he tells us that we must love our enemies (Matthew 5:39-45), and all who draw the sword will die by the sword (Matthew 26:52). But others say that just as a judge has the right to condemn a murderer, the government has the right, indeed the responsibility, to protect its citizens from evil men and nations. In fact, the Hebrew word murder is never used in the Bible for executing someone who has been condemned to death or for killing an enemy in war. Jesus is described as Commander of the army of the LORD (Joshua 5:13-15). Who is the King of Glory? ADONAI, strong and mighty, ADONAI, mighty in battle (Psalm 24:8). This is not an easy question. This is something you must decide in your own heart, between you and God. No one else can make this decision for you.

Yet, one thing is certain – Christ never gives us, under any circumstances, the right to hate our enemies. If you opt for war, it must be done in agony of spirit and only as a last resort. It must be done regretfully, repentantly, and realizing that it is not a second best decision but a last choice. Those who love the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will not indulge in hatred, a revengeful spirit, bitterness or gloating over a fallen enemy. A believer will instead show love, forgiveness and mercy, even in the midst of war.

But sometimes you find yourself staring into the face of evil, and you are the only person standing between a Charles Manson, an Adolph Hitler, or a terrorist and someone you love. That is the moment of truth.¹⁷² What about abortion? Scripture says: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:13-16; also see Psalm 22:10; Isaiah 44:2 and 24; Jeremiah 1:5 and 20:17). So, abortion should never be used to ease the emotional or financial pain of an unwanted pregnancy. In the case of rape, adoption should be an option if the mother cannot see her way clear to raise the child.

But the Scriptures do not cover every situation in our lives. On our website, in our Statement of Faith under Faith and Practice, we state that Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. We recognize the local church cannot bind the conscience of individual members in areas where Scripture is silent. Rather, each believer is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to whom he or she alone is ultimately responsible (First Corinthians 8:9; Romans 14). The case of saving the life of the mother because of a pregnancy, or during childbirth, is a difficult one because Scripture is silent. Therefore, the most important thing to do is to bring it before the Lord. Pray about it. Seek God.

Let’s look at a hypothetical situation. Say a young married believer has a five-year-old, a two-year-old, she’s pregnant, and she has cancer. The doctor comes in and tells her that she needs chemotherapy to live. But if she has chemotherapy it will kill the baby – abortion or not. She prays about it for several days. If she decides not to have chemotherapy does that mean she is a very godly woman? If she chooses to go ahead with the chemo does that mean she lacks faith? If she chooses not to have the radiation treatment does that mean God will save her life because she exhibited faith? If she says, Lord, “Your will be done,” does that mean that she will live?

Would you judge someone who went ahead and had an abortion under these circumstances? No. But there still are no easy answers. Some would say if she didn’t have the chemo that she is acting in a suicidal manner. Others would say she is displaying great faith. Is it right to make a decision to end someone’s life? No. Is it God who determines who should live and who should die? Of course it is. However, should a person choose to die to save another’s life? Are we commanded to do that? No! Taking your own life is wrong and taking another person’s life is wrong. No easy answers there! None of us really knows what we would do unless we were actually confronted with the situation. The bottom line is that when it comes down to making a difficult decision like this, it’s between you and God.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise you for Your mercy, For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy for those who fear Him. (Psalms 103:11), and grace that offers eternal life to all who love and follow Yeshua as Lord and Savior (Romans 10:8-9). Praise You for Your infinite forgiveness: As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalms 103:12). How wonderful You are! Praise You that You forgive all sins when we confess them to You, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (First John 1:9). How awesome is Your promise to forgive when there is confession of sin to You – whether killing of the unborn, suicide or killing by the tongue. Death and life are in the control of the tongue. Those who indulge in it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21). Your forgiveness is such a great gift to us that we desire to repay You with a life that loves You in all we do. We worship and love You! In your holy Son’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

When Yeshua came He restated the sixth mitzvah and raised it to a much higher level, penetrating deep into our hearts. The Torah only prohibited the outward violence that would kill; however, Messiah expanded it to include the inward thoughts and feelings of anger that lead to physical violence. But there is a righteous anger, Yeshua Himself got angry at the right time, at the right place, and about the right things. We should do likewise. However, God did condemn that personal, out-of-control type of feeling. The only difference between anger and murder is in degree. Isn’t that the order in which killing occurs? Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death (James 1:14-15). First comes the seething resentment, an insult, the hatred, and finally murder.¹⁷³ But ADONAI said: You shall not murder.

Honor Your Parents
5: 16

Honor your parents DIG: How does this fifth mitzvah transition from the fourth mitzvah? Just what does it mean to honor your father and your mother? What is our greatest example of honoring our parents? What does the book of Proverbs have to say about honoring your parents? How do the blessings and the sins of the parents have an impact on the following generations?

REFLECT: Have I shown disrespect for my parents, or withheld my care for them? Have I been unable to appreciate them as gifts from God and refuse to consider their viewpoints as valid? What can you do if you have been deeply hurt by your parents? Do I exasperate my children? Am I raising them in the training and instruction of ADONAI?

As with all these mitzvot, this exhortation for the Israelites to respect their parents would have included children.

Honor your father and your mother just as ADONAI your God commanded you, so that your days may be long and it may go well with you in the land of ADONAI your God is giving you (Deuteronomy 5:16). The sequence of thought from the fourth mitzvah to the fifth is clearly from society as a whole to the family that forms the basic unit of society. The close link between the two mitzvot is also seen by their pairing in Leviticus 19:3. Just as the fourth mitzvah does not merely describe a cultic taboo day, but governed Isra’el’s social and economic life as a whole society under God, so here, the fifth mitzvah forms part of the structure and fabric of Isra’el’s covenantal relationship with ADONAI and is not merely a recipe for happy families.¹⁶³

Honor your father and your mother, so you may live long in the Land ADONAI your God is giving you (Exodus 20:12).

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first mitzvah with a promise, “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:1-4).

As far as Isra’el was concerned, the fifth mitzvah had a promise of longevity that referred to the nation as a whole. Instead of meaning a long life for each individual Israelite, it meant that the nation itself would live long in the land of Canaan if they honored their fathers and mothers. On the other hand, cursing one’s parents, the same as rejecting their authority, was a capital offense. ADONAI commanded: Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother, and his blood will be on his own head (Leviticus 20:9 and Proverbs 20:20).

The Scriptures direct every child to honor his or her father and mother. But just what does it mean to honor your father and your mother? The Hebrew word honor literally means to be heavy, weighty, to honor. Today we would say that his or her words “Carry a lot of weight.” Someone whose words are weighty is someone worthy of honor and respect. However, we can learn even more about what it means to honor someone by looking at its opposite in the Scriptures. The literal meaning of the word curse is to make light of, of little weight, to dishonor. We would say their words “Carry very little weight.” Therefore, when Ha’Shem commands us to honor our parents, He is telling us that they are worthy of high value and respect.¹⁶⁴ We don’t have to agree with our parents to honor them.

Our greatest example is Messiah Himself. Even though God the Father would wake God the Son, morning by morning and teach Him that He was destined to go to the cross (Isaiah 50:4-7), Jesus was still obedient to His earthly parents (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Bb – Jesus Grew in Wisdom and Stature, and in Favor with God and Other People). Imagine that, the sinless God of the universe honoring His earthly parents! One of the ways that we are conformed into the likeness of Messiah (Romans 8:29) is by honoring our parents.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being the best father that there ever could be! It is so peaceful and full of joy to spend time to meditate on Your characteristics (Psalms 63:6-7), holiness (Leviticus 11:45), love (Psalms 63:6, 103:17; First John 4:16), compassion (Psalms 103:13), kindness (Romans 2:4; Titus 3:4), righteousness (Psalms 103:13), greatness (Psalms 104:1), power ( Psalms 29:4,66:3; Matthew 24:30, 26:64; Luke 1:37), infinite understanding (Psalms 147:5), lives in our hearts by His Spirit (Romans 5:5; Galatians 4:6; First John 4:8-15), never leaves His child (Hebrews 13:5) and has a home of perfect peace and great joy in heaven (Revelation 21:4) that Yeshua is preparing (John 14:1-3) for all who love and follow Him as Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10). We love You and desire to follow You in all we do and say, including honoring our parents. In the holy name of Your Son and His power of resurrection. Amen

Without a doubt, there are some parents whose insensitivity and unloving actions have hurt their children deeply. What if you had a father or a mother who was physically or psychologically abusive? What about the parent who has chosen to be a friend of the world and therefore become an enemy of God (James 4:4)? That parent loves everything that God hates. How can you honor that parent? I know that from a human perspective some mothers and fathers don’t appear to deserve honor. I am not saying their actions were not hurtful, nor am I rationalizing the negative effects they may have caused over the years. And if you are in physical danger, of course you need to get to a safe place away from them. You don’t have to subject yourself to abuse. However, I am saying that the only way to be free from the hurt is to honor them. Because every time we lower their value and cut them down, we’re dishonoring a part of ourselves. So, if you are in that situation, what can you do? You can make an unconditional decision to treat them (or their memory) as a valuable treasure, and granting them a position of respect and honor in your life. I am not saying this is always easy, but the alternative isn’t very good either. In that way you can stop chasing past hurts and be at peace in the present.

Besides the fifth mitzvah, the book of Proverbs has much to say about honoring our parents. We honor our parents when we listen carefully to their godly counsel (Proverbs 1:8, 2:1, 4:1, 5:1, 9:8, 10:1, 13:1 and 15:5). We honor our parents when they see us acting wisely (Proverbs 27:11). Praising our parents brings light to our lives, but cursing them will snuff out our lamp (Proverbs 20:20). We dishonor our parents and bring grief to them when we act foolishly (Proverbs 17:25). Involvement in immoral relationships not only affects us, but also causes our parents to grieve (Proverbs 5:1-23, 31:3). Being prideful, critical and judgmental dishonors our parents (Proverbs 30:12-17).¹⁶⁵

What happens if a parent has died and you cannot speak face to face? The memory of an absent father or mother can be just as vivid as real life. We carry those mental pictures around with us all our lives. Some people loved their parents deeply but never told them so. Others struggle with a painful past and have horrible feelings and memories of them. May I suggest that you write a letter to that person and share your feelings as if he or she were with you in person. Or if writing a letter is too difficult, make a recording that you can play back and listen to. Love the sinner, hate the sin. You can still be completely honest, and yet not sin with your words.¹⁶⁶

Paul broadened the mitzvah to include both children and parents. This mitzvah deals with the consequences of family behavior. Families are a part of God’s plan. No one is an island and God makes a home for the lonely when He places us in families (Psalm 68:6 NASB). The nature of human life is that each generation begins where the previous generation places it. That’s not some ancient, religious code. That’s an indisputable fact of history. This means that both the blessings and the sins of the parents have an impact on the following generations. This is true genetically, physically, socially, psychologically and spiritually. Each generation starts where the previous generation leaves off. And because this is the nature of humanity, we need a mitzvah to guide us.¹⁶⁷

Observe Yom Shabbat
5: 12-15

Observe Yom Shabbat DIG: This mitzvah has to do with time. What is the difference between observing the Sabbath and worshiping on Sunday? Are there differences between the way Hebrew Christians and Messianic Jews observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy? Why is the Sabbath a sign of the everlasting covenant between God and the Israelites? What is replacement theology? What is the difference between the first four mitzvot and the last six?

REFLECT: Do I choose to observe the Sabbath or to worship on Sunday? Do I fail to take time off for rest, spiritual rejuvenation, and worship? Is my day of worship just like any other day of the week? Is a Christian Gentiles’ worship on Sunday any better, or worse, than a messianic Jew observing the Sabbath? Why or why not?

This is one of two mitzvot that are expressed positively (the other is the mitzvot to honor parents). God demands that His chosen people observe this special day.

Observe Yom Shabbat to keep it holy, as ADONAI your God commanded you. Six days you are to labor and do all your work, but on the seventh day is a Shabbat to ADONAI your God. In it you are not to do any work – not you or your son or your daughter, or your slave or your maid, or your ox, your donkey or any of your livestock or the outsider within your gates, so that your slave and your maid may rest as you do. You must remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and ADONAI your god brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, ADONAI your God commanded you to keep Yom Shabbat (Deuteronomy 5:12-15). Deuteronomy calls on Isra’el to remember the historical events of their redemption (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Bz – Redemption) from Egypt. The phrases a mighty hand and an outstretched arm occur repeatedly throughout the TaNaKh (twenty-six and fifteen times respectively), as references to God’s powerful intervention in Isra’el’s affairs.

The focus on the exodus event rather than God’s creation of the universe in the Exodus account below, provides one of the major differences between the writing of this mitzvah in Deuteronomy and in the book of Exodus. Exodus focuses on God’s finishing the creation week as a background for the mitzvah. Deuteronomy, however, looks to God’s redemption of Isra’el from bondage as slaves in Egypt as the background for the mitzvah. The fact that the audience of Deuteronomy is the children of the generation of the exodus, lends itself to an emphasis on redemption, and the intervention of ADONAI on Isra’el’s behalf.¹⁵⁸

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath for ADONAI your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For six days God made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Thus, God blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy (Exodus 20:8-11).

Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and ADONAI your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, ADONAI your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day (Deuteronomy 5:15).

Of the Ten Words (see Bk – The Ten Words), nine of them are fulfilled in the Torah’s true meaning, which Messiah upholds, and often made more stringent, so we are obligated to obey them. However, this particular mitzvah regarding the Sabbath day, or Shabbat as it is called in Hebrew, is not found in the New Covenant and as a result, while Gentile Christians may obey it for the blessing (Genesis 12:3a), most choose not to observe it. It is not for the Church. But while keeping the Sabbath saves neither Gentile believers nor Jewish believers; for the Jew, just as the rainbow was the sign of the Noahic Covenant (Genesis 9:12-13) and circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 17:11),¹⁵⁹ Shabbat on Saturday is a special sign between God and the Israelites forever (Exodus 31:13-17; Ezeki’el 20:20). In other words, this passage explicitly states that the Israelites are to keep the Sabbath.

Gentiles worship on Sunday, the first day of the week, to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Jews and Messianic Gentiles observe the Sabbath on Saturday, the seventh day of the week, for the blessing, and to be obedient to the Torah. Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote when speaking of the Day of Atonement: This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. It is a Sabbath rest (Leviticus 23:31b-32a). Israelites were to keep the book of the Torah on their lips, and meditate on it day and night, so that they would act according to everything written in it (Joshua 1:8). The Sabbath is the most important appointed feast day on the Jewish calendar, even greater than Yom Kippur (see the commentary on Leviticus Ef – Yom Kippur). For messianic Jews, the messianic synagogue is a practical way to express the New Covenant faith within the Jewish cultural framework from where it originated.

An allegory. At the beginning of time was One, eternal. But time undivided, time eternal, would be unrelated to the world of space. So, time was divided into seven days and entered into an intimate relationship with the world of space. With every single day, another realm of things came into being, except the seventh day.

The Sabbath was a lonely day. It may be compared to a king who had seven sons. To six of them he gave his wealth, but to the youngest he gave nobility, with the privilege of royalty. The six older sons, who were commoners, found their mates, but the noble one remained without a mate.

After the work of creation, the seventh day pleaded: Master of the universe, all that You have created is in couples; to every day of the week You have given a mate. Only I was left alone. And God answered: The community of Isra’el will be your mate. That promise was not forgotten. When the people of Isra’el stood before Mount Sinai, the Lord said to them: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Here is your mate.¹⁶⁰

Are there differences between the way Hebrew Christians and Messianic Jews observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy? Yes, most certainly. Historically Hebrew Christians are those believers in Christ that are Jewish but are not affiliated with Messianic Judaism. As a result, they faithfully attend church but do not keep Shabbat. Messianic Jews, on the other hand, are those Jewish believers in Messiah who fully keep and retain their Jewishness in theology and practice. In this context, a “Messianic Jew” would never consider himself or herself either a “Christian” or “Hebrew Christian”. Paul defines the Christian for us in Acts 11:26 as being a person or congregation of Gentile believers. The Antioch church of Acts 11:26 was exclusively a Gentile congregation, while the Messianic Jews of the first century were commonly called followers of the Way (Acts 24:14), or simply The Way (Acts 9:2).

In the messianic Siddur, or prayer book, it states that, “The children of Isra’el shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Isra’el forever, that in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he ceased from work and rested”. For the Jew, it is not a question of salvation, but a question of blessing. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy (Gen 2:3; also see Exodus 20:11b and Isaiah 56:2-7). If a Jew is saved and chooses to worship in church on Sunday, it has no affect on his or her salvation, but he or she will lose the blessing of Sabbath worship. If a Gentile chooses to worship with a Messianic congregation on Saturday, he or she will also be blessed greatly. The blessing will be a result of the Abrahamic Covenant where ADONAI said: I will bless those who bless you (Genesis 12:3a). It is interesting to note that the Sabbath day rest will be reestablished during the Messianic Kingdom (Ezeki’el 44:24, 45:17, 46:1-4, 46:18).

The fourth mitzvah was given to the Jews in the Torah to set apart the seventh day of the week, which would be Saturday, as a day of rest. God ceased His work on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-3), and He wanted them to do the same. There was to be no gathering of manna (16:25-30), no traveling (16:29), no plowing or reaping (34:21), no lighting a fire for cooking (35:3), no gathering wood (Numbers 15:32-36), they were not to make wine or transport it (Nehemiah 13:15), no burden bearing (Jer 17:21-22), and no trading (Amos 8:5). In the Torah, the Sabbath was a day of individual or corporate worship.

Dear Heavenly Father, How Awesome you are! Thank You for designating a special day of rest. It is so wonderful to have a day to not just stop normal activities, but to focus on You, Your great love, and on heaven’s eternal peace and joy for those who love Yeshua as Savior. Your children (John 1:12) can look ahead, far beyond the next week’s activities to eternal joy and great peace (Revelation 21:4) in heaven in the home Yeshua is preparing for us (John 14:1-3). Praise You for making an eternal rest for all who love and follow You (Hebrews 4:11-14). We love You! In the holy name of Your Son and His power of resurrection. Amen

In the Gospels, there were three major areas of conflict between Yeshua and the Pharisees and Sadducees: First, His claim that He was the Messiah; secondly, the authority of the Oral Law, or the traditions of the men (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law); and thirdly, the correct way of observing the Sabbath. In the day of Jesus, the Sabbath had become an end to itself. In fact, certain Jewish religious leaders had developed a theology that Isra’el had been created to observe the Sabbath. But by adding so many rules and regulations, the Pharisees made the Sabbath a burden instead of a blessing. By building ‘the fence around the Torah’ with the Oral Law, they detracted from its true meaning. It was supposed to help man, not enslave him. The Jewish religious leaders missed the human element, because the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). Furthermore, Jesus was, and continues to be, Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8).

There is no question that Yeshua observed the Sabbath in the manner given by the Torah, though not always in the manner given by the rabbis. However, this is not sufficient ground to insist that Jewish or Gentile believers be obligated to keep the Sabbath today for salvation. Yeshua lived under the Torah and perfectly obeyed every one of the 613 mitzvot applicable to Him, be they moral, civil, or ceremonial. To insist that Jewish or Gentile believers keep the Sabbath today to be saved would also require them to perfectly keep all of the same mitzvot, down to the smallest letter, or tiniest part of a letter of Scripture (Matthew 5:18), including the civil and ceremonial laws.¹⁶¹

For the Gentile believer, Sunday, or the first day of the week (Acts 20:7), is not the same as Saturday, the seventh day. Although Sunday is the most common day of worship for the Christian today, no specific day is assigned. One man considers one day more sacred than another; but another man considers every day alike. Each one should be convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord (Romans 14:5-6a). We are commanded to come together in fellowship (Hebrews 10:25), but today the local church determines what day we choose to worship, and most churches have chosen Sunday. For the first early believers, the first day of the week was the day chosen to gather together to break bread. Now on the first day of the week, we gathered to break bread (Acts 20:7). Paul designated the first day of the week for followers of Yeshua to set aside their tithe and offerings. Now concerning the collection for the kedoshim, as I directed Messiah’s communities in Galatia, you do likewise.  On the first day of the week, let each of you set something aside, saving up whatever is gained, so no collections take place when I come.  (First Corinthians 16:1-2). John the apostle placed special emphasis on the first day of the week calling it the Day of the Lord for that was when Yeshua rose from the grace conquering death forever (Matthew 28:1)! I was in the Ruach on the Day of the Lord, and I heard behind me a loud voice like that of a trumpet (Revelation 1:10). Messianic synagogues worship on Saturday. But there are Gentiles whose jobs require them to work both Saturday and Sunday. They should take a day of rest on some other day of the week. The point is that, for our own well-being, we need to take a rest from our normal work every week.¹⁶²

So, are Gentile believers obligated to rest and abstain from work on the Sabbath? No. If you take one day of the week to rest and do something other than your normal work, will you have a richer, fuller, and more rewarding life? But for the Jew, Shabbat can only be celebrated on Saturday.

Although the Christian should have their day of rest, whether Sunday or any other day, it should never be called a “Christian Sabbath”, in that, it does not exist. Certainly, they should all have a designated day or time to rest and be with the Lord in worship, ministry, and service – still that would never be the prescribed Sabbath of the Torah. To call Sunday worship at a church, the “Christian Sabbath”, is a subtle form of replacement theology, where Gentile believers take that which was given to Isra’el and claim it as their own in replacement of the covenant with Isra’el. Thus, because of its great importance, Sabbath worship and Sunday worship cannot be compared.

The first four mitzvot are more vertical and describe our relationship with God, but the last six are more horizontal and describe our relationship with each other.

Do Not Misuse God’s Name
5: 11

DIG: This mitzvah has to do with reverence. What is the most common way of misusing God’s name in the modern world? How is God’s name trivialized in commercialized religion? How can people who are even involved in organized religion subtly misuse ADONAI’s name?

REFLECT: Do I use God’s name in contexts other than prayer, worship, teaching or evangelism? This mitzvah doesn’t say not to mention God’s name, but when you do, do it with respect. Has ADONAI’s name become separated from His person in my everyday life?

YHVH prohibits His children from making use of His Name, a substitute for God Himself, for ends that stand opposed to His purposes.

You must not take the name of ADONAI your God in vain, literally, You must not lift up the name of YHVH your God as worthlessness, for ADONAI will not leave unpunished anyone who takes His Name in vain (Deuteronomy 5:11). In the modern world, the most common misuse of God’s name is in its trivialization used in blasphemy, in common speech, and in the media. A secularized society feels free to use the personal names of God and Messiah with no concern for who they belong to. Then there is the equally trivialized use of God’s name in the commercialization of religion, whether by the overt forces of money, or the more subtle damaging forces of organized religious empires, the “televangelists” and other latter-day Tetzel’s (Tetzel was the man whose blatant selling of indulgences sparked Martin Luther’s protest, which in turn launched the Reformation) with their prosperity gospel and unscrupulous marketing of hopes and promises. By “giving God a bad name,” by blatantly using His name out of their own selfishness, power, or pride – they are, in principle, breaking the third mitzvah.¹⁵²

You shall not misuse the name of ADONAI your God, for ADONAI will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name (Exodus 20:7).

This, then, is how you should pray. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9).

What’s in a name? Plenty! God’s name is comprised of the four Hebrew letters that in English are YHVH. It was this name that was explained to Moses at the burning bush (3:13-22). The Jewish scribes would take extraordinary precautions when writing His name. They would never dip their pen in the ink in the middle of writing His name. If even the king spoke to them while writing the name of YHVH, the scribe would ignore him. In fact, the Jews took this mitzvah so seriously that they refused to pronounce God’s name so they wouldn’t accidentally misuse the name of YHVH. For that very reason, the exact pronunciation of God’s name has been lost. Even today, many Jews make no attempt to use or even pronounce the name, referring to God simply as Ha’Shem, Hebrew for The Name, or ADONAI, like Abba.¹⁵³

Some view this third mitzvah as merely a prohibition against using God’s name as a swear word. The Israelites themselves took it as such. Leviticus 19:12 says: Do not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am ADONAI. But there is a lot more to this mitzvah than that. The word profane comes from the Latin word pro, which means in front of, and fane, which means the temple. Those who profane the name of God have taken the holy out of the temple and permitted their hearts, minds and mouths to be put in the gutter out in front of it. Do you know anyone who loves God and is close to Him that thinks His last name is damn? Of course not. God will hold us responsible if we profanely use His name.

On another level, this third mitzvah is a ban against dishonesty of speech, perjury, false promises and the breaking of our word. Early in human history people came to lie so often that no one could trust a person’s common word. In order to be believed one had to call upon god to witness to the truth. We think the cover-ups and evasions going on today in the political arena and elsewhere are modern phenomena, but the problem is really as old as civilization. The idea also surfaced that if you didn’t swear by God, then you didn’t have to tell the truth. But slowly people became such liars that even that didn’t help. People felt that unless they took a certain elaborate oath they were not required to tell the truth.

By the time Yeshua was born the situation was much worse. People used many different kinds of oaths but still lied. It became impossible to tell if they were telling the truth or not, even though they used God’s name in an oath. That’s why Yeshua said: Do not swear at all, simply let your “Yes” be “Yes” and your “No” be “No” (Matthew 5:34 and 37). His point was that we shouldn’t have to use God’s name to be believed. As believers, our lives should be our witness. We are united in Messiah (Ephesians Chapter 1), meaning we belong to Him. We take His name as our name and we should never profane it by breaking our word, or using His name for selfish or evil purposes (Psalm 139:20; Deuteronomy 5:11).¹⁵⁴ Not that we are perfect, but honoring God all the time including all we say, should be the desire of our hearts.

Dear Heavenly Father, You are holy and awesome! Praise you that every word that You speak can be trusted and totally counted on. Praise You for Your love that is forever for those who revere You (Psalms 103:17). We, Your children, respect You and desire to show You our love by being truthful in all we say and do. Our time on earth to show You our love is short, for you will soon return to rapture those who love You (First Thessalonians 4:15-17, First Corinthians 15:51-57) Then we will live forever in great joy and peace (Revelation 21:4) in heaven in the home Yeshua is preparing for us (John 14:1-3). We love You! In the holy name of Your Son and His power of the resurrection. Amen

This third mitzvah has an even deeper meaning. The third mitzvah also warns us against the misuse of God’s power. In both the TaNaKh and the B’rit Chadashah a person’s name was thought to be an extension of their character. Similarly, throughout the Bible ADONAI’s name represents the nature and character of God Himself. So, to speak for ADONAI is to speak in His name (Deuteronomy 18:19-20). To praise God is to praise His name (Psalm 96:2, 100:4). To worship God is to call upon the name of ADONAI (Genesis 4:26; Isaiah 55:6). To serve God is to love His name (Psalm 5:11). The Temple of God was the place ADONAI chose . . . to put His Name (Deuteronomy 12:5). The Bible teaches that those who know ADONAI’s name will trust in Him (Psalm 9:10). Therefore, to know the name of ADONAI is in some way to know the power of God.

Acts 4:7 tells how the religious leaders questioned Peter and John about their healing of a lame man, asking: By what power or what name did you do this? And Peter answered: It is by the name of Yeshua ha-Mashiach of Nazareth . . . (Acts 4:10). Eventually the high court angrily let them go, warning the apostles not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus (see the commentary on Acts, to see link click Ar – Peter and John Stand before the Sanhedrin). You see, God’s name includes His character, His will, and His power. That’s why we are to pray in the name of Messiah and why God’s name has special power and meaning for us. It is as if the third mitzvah is saying, “Be very careful. Don’t use the name of God for your own selfish ends. Don’t attempt to use God’s power for your own will and your own ways. Don’t try to cosign God’s name to a lot of things in your life that are totally unworthy of His name.¹⁵⁵ In this age of grace, the believer is encouraged not to swear by any oath. Echoing what Yeshua had said earlier, James said: Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No” be no, or you will be condemned (James 5:12). We need to exhibit truth on all occasions and should not need the name of God to verify our lifestyle of telling the truth.¹⁵⁶

What’s in a name? Everything. Does your life profane His name or honor His name? Can God sign His name to your body? How about your money? Does ADONAI co-sign His holy name to your checkbook? What about your home, your habits, your mood, your manners, your work, your disposition? Can God sign His name to your life? If so, you are keeping the third mitzvah.¹⁵⁷