God Hates Sorcery
18: 9-14

God hates sorcery DIG: What was the gift that ADONAI gave Isra’el? What was the aim of false prophets, and the goal behind the abominations of other nations? What the purpose behind the practice of sorcery by the ancients? Why does God hate sorcery? Who else in the TaNaKh does God say was blameless? Are you surprised at any of those listed? Why?

REFLECT: How can you protect yourself from these evil practices today? How hard is it to be blameless or righteous in such an evil world that we live in today? How can you protect your family, especially your children (Proverbs 22:6)? Who, caught up in sorcery, can you pray for today? How else can you help them? Why does YHVH want you blameless?

The Land ADONAI was giving to the Israelites was a gift, in which God’s covenantal people were to conduct themselves as loyal citizens of His Kingdom.

For the second time in Deuteronomy we are warned about the false prophets and teaches. The first time was in Chapter 13 (to see link click Cv – Do Not Inquire or be Trapped by Foreign Gods), right at the beginning of the specific stipulations of the Covenant. And here, also, it is very strategically placed. It is right after the description of God’s selected teachers of the Torah, the Levites, and right before a foreshadowing of the coming of the Messiah.

A. The Land (18:9): When you enter the land ADONAI your God is giving you, you are not to learn to do the abominations of those nations living in Canaan (18:9). This section of scripture is framed, like to book ends, by the idea of God’s gift of the Land. This gift should not be abused. The whole person needed to be committed to YHVH, and not chasing after the gods and practices of the Canaanites, which would be spiritual adultery.

Dear Heavenly Father, You are so awesome and You have planned such a wonderful time in heaven for all who love You. Everyone wants to go to heaven, but there is only way to heaven – thru loving and following as Lord, Yeshua as the sacrificial death for our sins (Second Corinthians 5:21) and the resurrection to eternal life (Romans 10:9-10).We want keep our hearts focused on Your holy love and to follow you always. No idols allowed in our lives, even the idol of self. You are the most wonderful Father! Following You is the wisest! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

B. Detestable practices (18:10-12): The prophets of God were not called to talk about the personal business of individuals. Therefore, here we see the Enemies’ plan to pray on the weak by speaking of their personal dealings. Because the need to hear a word from their god(s) was universally felt in the ancient world a whole array of occultic arts and practices grew up. The magicians of Pharaoh (Exodus 7:11); the wise men of Nebuchadnezzar (Dani’el 2:2); and even the magi in the B’rit Chadashah (Matthew 2:1) echo that world thought. Ezeki’el also, has a mocking picture of the king of Babylon consulting his means of divination as he conducted a campaign of conquest. He shook his arrows at a fork in the road, consulted his idols, and looked at the liver of an animal (Ezeki’el 21:26). The sacrifices of these ancients were intended to prod their gods to do what they wanted. The epitome of playing God. Kings, in particular, resorted to such means in order to make important decisions, as in times of war. The list of forbidden activities covers a wide range of such practices.

1. There must not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire (18:10a): The context here indicates that the reference is not simply child sacrifice, but to the offering of a child with the specific purpose of discerning the outcome of events. This was practiced by the worshipers of Molech (Second Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 32:35). The king of Mo’ab, losing ground in a battle against Isra’el, made a burnt offering of his son and heir, to try to persuade the deity by the act of self-sacrifice itself, or to discern how to turn the tide of events (Second Kings 3:26-27).⁴⁰¹

2. Or practice witchcraft (18:10b): The expression includes a participle and a noun both derived from the Hebrew root qesem. A variety of devices were used in various lands but all were designed to discern the will of the gods. When Balak, king of Mo’ab, hired the false prophet Balaam to curse Isra’el, when his curse turned into blessings, he said: There is no witchcraft effective against Jacob (Numbers 23:23); when King Sha’ul did not destroy Agag of Amalek as Ha’Shem had instructed him to do, Samuel said his action was rebellion against YHVH, like the sin of witchcraft (First Samuel 15:23).

3. Or a soothsayer (18:10c): It is derived either from the root anan, in which case it seems to refer to casting spells by reading clouds, or from a root with occurs in Arabic, meaning to make casual noises, croon, or hum, in which case it may refer to some kind of incarnation. It was practiced by the Philistines (Isaiah 2:6) and the apostate King Manasseh of Judah (Second Kings 21:6). It is the attempt to control people or circumstances through the power given by demons.

4. Or an omen reader or fortune-teller (18:10d): Like the horoscope readings of today, the ancients used various means to try to predict the future based on “signs” such as the movements of birds, fire, rain, or water. When Joseph pretended to practice divination with the silver bowl he had hidden in Benjamin’s sack, he said to his brothers when they returned to his house: Don’t you know that a man like me can discern by divination (Hebrew: nachash, meaning tell the future)? This is how those silver bowls were used. Clean water would be poured into such a bowl, then particles of gold, silver or precious stones would be dropped into the clean water. Then oil would be added to the clean water. Then depending on how light would shine between the oil and the particles, a prediction would be made.

5. Or a sorcerer (18:10e): This involved practicing magic, and derived from the Hebrew root kashaph, meaning to cut up, and may denote one who cuts up herbs and brews them for magical purposes. When Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and it became a snake, the sorcerers of Egypt did the same thing with their secret arts (Exodus 7:11). When King Nebuchadnezzar had troubling dreams, so he summoned his magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers in order to explain to the king his dreams (Dani’el 2:2).

6. Or one who casts spells (18:11a). In Psalm 85:3-5, David wrote: The wicked are strangers from the womb. Speaking lies, they go astray from birth. Their venom is like a serpent’s venom, like a deaf cobra shutting it ear – not hearing the voice of charmers, or one who casts spells (Hebrew root: chabar, meaning to unite, to be joined, to tie a magic knot or spell, to charm, thus one who binds other people by magical mutterings).

7. Or a medium, a spiritist, who calls up the dead (18:11b): The last secret art is communicating with the dead to predict future events, famously resorted to by King Sha’ul in the cave of a spiritist (see the commentary on the Life of David Bv – Sha’ul and the Medium at Endor). The medium supposedly communicates with the dead, but actually communicates with, and is controlled by, demons. Greek versions translate this term translate it engastgrimuthoi, meaning ventriloquists.

For whoever does these things is an abomination to ADONAI, and because of these abominations ADONAI your God is driving them out from before you (18:12). Not only are these practices an abomination to YHVH, but whoever practices them is likewise an abomination. They were forbidden in Isra’el precisely because they were a part of the reason for God’s judgment of the Canaanites, which would be seen in their being expelled from the Land. And if the Israelites adopted the same practices, they too would be expelled from the Land.⁴⁰²

All these practices were forbidden to the Israelites, as they are forbidden to us as well because they touch the demonic world. The aim of these false prophets was, and is, to drive a wedge between believers and ADONAI. It is not a coincidence that this precedes the section about the Messiah (see Dk – A Prophet Like Moses). These false prophets have the mission to blind people from the Savior and all that He has done for us.⁴⁰³

B. You are to be blameless (18:13): You are to be blameless before ADONAI your God. The essence of the covenant tradition appears once again. The LORD would give the Land to the Israelites as a gift, but the continuing possession of the Land would be dependent upon her faithfulness to her covenant obligations, namely, that her obedience to the mitzvot of ADONAI would make her blameless.⁴⁰⁴

The adjective blameless or righteous (Hebrew: tamim) occurs frequently to describe offerings that perfectly match the priestly requirements, in other words, they are whole, perfect, or blameless (Exodus 12:5; Leviticus 9:2, 22:21; Numbers 6:14, 28:19). It can also depict the serenity of a relationship between YHVH and the righteous of the TaNaKh that is without spot or blemish (Genesis 6:9, 17:1; Joshua 24:14). There are several people that ADONAI declares blameless, or perfect, in the TaNaKh. Noah was blameless (tamim) among the people of his time (Genesis 6:9); Abraham was to walk before ADONAI and be blameless (tamim) (Genesis 17:1); Job was a man who was blameless (tamim) and upright, he feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1); and Jacob was blameless! What? Can that be right? Most churches teach that Jacob was a supplanter who stole Esau’s birthright, but God blessed him anyway. However, the Bible doesn’t call Jacob a thief, it says Jacob was a blameless (tamim) man (see the commentary on Genesis Gn – Then Jacob Gave Esau Some Lentil Stew and Esau Despised His Birthright).

A. The Land (18:14): For these nations, which you are about to dispossess from the Land, listen to soothsayers and fortune-tellers, but as for you, ADONAI your God will not allow you to do so (18:14). Moses returns to where he began by reminding the Israelites of the fundamental issue before them. An exclusive relationship with YHVH leaves no room for any failed human attempts at discerning, or determining future human affairs. Ha’Shem is going to use His chosen people to evict the Canaanites (who were engaging in those detestable practices) from the Land they were occupying. God’s covenantal nation could trust ADONAI Himself was worthy of their absolute trust with regard to any future events.⁴⁰⁵

The Priests and Levites
18: 1-8

The priests and Levites DIG: Are all Levites priests? What was the difference between priests and Levites? What was the inheritance of the priests? Is their freedom from property and dependence on others a good thing? Why or why not? How would you characterize the offerings they live on: (a) left-overs? (b) luxuries? (c) just dues? What was the special provision made to Levites who went to serve at the Sanctuary in Jerusalem?

REFLECT: Should your Messianic rabbi or pastor put the congregation first, or vice versa? Why? How so? Are your tithes today going to support your Messianic rabbi or pastor? Why? Why not? What has God given you as an “inheritance?” How are you to share it with others? Paul restated the principle of supporting your Messianic rabbi or pastor in the B’rit Chadashah (First Corinthians 9:14; First Timothy 5:17-18). How are you doing with that?

All priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests; however, every member of the tribe of Levi had a right to share in the “proceeds” of the offering made at the bronze altar.

The tribe of Levi was divided into three families (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Bh – These Were the Heads of the Families of Moses and Aaron). Each division originally had different responsibilities regarding the Tabernacle (Numbers 3-4). The Kohathites were further divided into those who were descendants of Aaron and those who were not (Joshua 21:1-7).

Only the descendants of Aaron, the first high priest (see the commentary on Exodus Fv – The Selection of Aaron and His Sons as Priests), were permitted to serve as priests, to offer the sacrifices, care for the lamps and the bread of the Presence, and burn incense on the golden altar (Numbers 10). When you think priests – think Exodus. They are generally referred to as the sons of Aaron (Numbers 10:8). The rest of the tribe of Levi, those not serving at the Tabernacle or Temple, were designated as Levites. When you think Levites – think Genesis. Thus, the priests were in the minority in the tribe of Levi.

The Levites served as ministers to the priests (Numbers 18:1-7; First Chronicles 23:28-32), and in general as teachers of the Torah in Isra’el (Deuteronomy 33:10a; Second Chronicles 17:8-9). The priests officiated at the Tabernacle, and later at the Temple, and also had other duties. They served as judges (Deuteronomy 17:8-9; guardians of the Torah (17:18 and 31:9), teachers of the regulations concerning skin diseases (Deuteronomy 24:8), and assistants to Moses in the covenant renewal ceremony (Deuteronomy 27:9).³⁹⁸

A. All Levites (18:1-2): Unlike the other eleven tribes, none of the Levites, including the priests, were given a portion of land. However, forty-eight cities were set aside for the Levites (Numbers 35:1-8; Joshua 21:1-42). And since the Levites did not own a portion of land, they relied on YHVH alone, for He was their inheritance. This allowed them to focus more fully on their God-given ministry. The priests, who are Levites – indeed the whole tribe of Levi – are to have no portion or inheritance in Isra’el (18:1 NIV). They are to eat the offerings made to ADONAI by fire as His inheritance. Select parts of animals and agricultural produce brought to the Tabernacle or Temple as offerings would be given to the priests and Levites who assisted them. They will have no inheritance among their brothers for ADONAI is their inheritance, just as He promised them (18:2). The Levites who did not assist at the Tabernacle or Temple were to be sustained by the generosity of the people, who had already been urged not to forget or neglect them (Deuteronomy 12:18-19).

In the time of Nehemiah, the people didn’t faithfully bring their tithes and offerings to the Temple, and some of the Levites had to return to their lands in order to live (see the commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah Cr – Nehemiah’s Final Reforms: Financial support for the Temple had declined). Nehemiah had to urge the people to obey the Word and support their spiritual leaders, and they brought their tithes and offerings to be distributed to the Levites. It’s tragic the way professing believers fail to support their spiritual leaders by faithfully bringing their tithes and offerings, yet expect their Messianic congregations and churches to support them when they have needs.³⁹⁹

B. The priests (18:3-5): The people were responsible for supporting the priests who officiated at the Tabernacle or Temple. So, this will be the share due to the cohanim from the people – from those who offer a sacrifice, whether a bull or sheep, they are to give the cohen the shoulders, two cheeks (“jowls”), and the stomach of the sacrificed animal. The firstfruits of your grain, of your new wine, of your oil, and the first wool of your sheep, you are to give to the members of the priestly tribe. Their distinctive position among their fellow Israelites derives from the fact that YHVH has chosen them for this role (Numbers 3:11-13, 8:12-26). For ADONAI your God has chosen him from all your tribes to stand and serve in the Name of ADONAI – him and his sons forever (18:3-5).

The B’rit Chadashah broadened the priesthood to include all believers: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession (First Peter 2:9). The reason for this is that Yeshua Messiah, by virtue of His ministry, death, and resurrection, superseded the Aaronic priesthood of the Dispensation of Torah, and became the High Priest of the Dispensation of Grace (see the commentary on Hebrews Aw – Messiah is a Better Priest Than Aaron). Every believer has been adopted into the family of Yeshua (Hebrews 2:10-13), and is then grafted into Messiah’s priestly line.^400.

Dear Holy Heavenly Father, Praise You for grafting those who love and follow Messiah as their Lord and Savior, into Yeshua’s priestly line, making them – a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua (First Peter 2:5c). What a privilege to offer sacrifices to our great God who sacrificed so much for us. He is our wonderful Father who was willing to endure shame and great pain as the sacrifice for our sins. He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). We love to offer sacrifices to You: our time, our money, and our hearts of praise. Through Yeshua then, let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips giving thanks to His name (Hebrews 13:15). It is a joy to praise You – at all times, even in the midst of trials – You are more than worthy of great praise!  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). In Yeshua’s Holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

A. Levites in the Sanctuary (18:6-8): The Levites were scattered throughout all the tribes in the land of Isra’el, where they taught God’s people the Torah and facilitated their worship. But if a Levite wanted to go to Jerusalem and minister in the Sanctuary there, he was permitted to do so. Suppose a Levite comes from one of your towns, wherever he is living in all of Isra’el, and he comes whenever his soul desires to the place ADONAI chooses, and serves in the Name of ADONAI his God like all his fellow Levites who stand there before ADONAI. They were not considered priests, but went there to assist the priests (First Chronicles 23:28-32). However, since they were performing the same duty as those normally ministering in the Sanctuary, they were to eat equal portions. The phrase: regardless of their fathers’ goods, refers to income derived from the sale of family possessions (Leviticus 25:32-34) before moving to Jerusalem (18:6-8).

The King
17: 14-20

The King DIG: What do you know about the time, anticipated by Moshe, when Isra’el would ask for a king (First Samuel 8:4-9)? Why should the king be an Israelite? What should he refrain from accumulating, and why? What king did this? Instead, how was the king to live? What should be his inspiration? How was Josiah and Ezra different then Solomon?

REFLECT: Isra’el desired a political king so they could be like other nations. In what area of your life are you tempted to imitate the world instead of trusting in the Lord? In which areas have you stopped imitating the world? What still tempts people in places of leadership? How does power often corrupt? How could this passage help your Messianic congregation or church avoid such corruption? How would application of this passage help prevent corruption? What part will you play in its application this week?

Moses anticipates a time when the people of Isra’el will ask for a king like all the other nations around them; ADONAI did not command a king, but allowed for one.

It may seem strange that this section of leadership in Isra’el (to see link click Df – The Appointment of Kingdom Leaders) comes second, rather at the head of those listed. The reason is that whereas sound judicial administration by impartial judges is at the very heart of Isra’el’s covenant theocracy, monarchy is not. The nation did survive without kings both before and after the centuries of actual rule by different kings, both good and bad. Sometimes a good king could be seen as the human embodiment of YHVH’s Kingship, this is not the point here. In Deuteronomy, the judge stands closer to divine functions in the Tabernacle and later the Temple; and as a result, is a truer successor to Moshe than a king.³⁸⁹

Moses anticipates Isra’el’s thought process once the Israelites became settled in the Land of Promise. He declared: When you have entered the Land ADONAI your God is giving you, have taken possession of it and are living there, you may say, “I want to have a king over me, like all the other nations around me” (17:14).

The qualifications of a king:

First, he must be a man chosen by YHVH: In that event, you must appoint as king the one whom ADONAI your God will choose (17:15a). During the time of the judges, the political and spiritual unity of the twelve tribes deteriorated greatly (Judges 17:6 and 21:25), and Isra’el was in constant danger of invasion by their enemies (First Samuel 9:16 and 12:12). Instead of trusting in God, the people wanted a king who would build an army and lead the nation to victory. Unfortunately, the spiritual leadership in Isra’el had decayed, and Samuel’s sons weren’t following the way of the LORD (First Samuel 8:1-5). But the main cause for Isra’el’s cry for a king was their desire to be like the other nations.³⁹⁰ Later history made it clear that prophets, speaking on God’s behalf, would declare His choice. Samuel supported Ha’Shem’s choice of Sha’ul (First Samuel 9-12), and then David (First Samuel 16). Nathan later supported the LORD’s choice of Solomon (First Kings 1).³⁹¹

Second, he must be an Israelite: He must be one of your kinsmen, this king you appoint over you – you are forbidden to appoint a foreigner over you who is not your kinsman (17:15b). An Israelite raised from childhood in the traditions and Torah of Isra’el would be a far better choice than a foreigner to protect the purity of their devotion to ADONAI, who would be more likely to introduce idolatry into the Land. This requirement did not mean that non-Hebrews were “second-class” citizens in Isra’el. Numerous passages make it clear that the Israelites are to treat foreigners with tender compassion (1:16 and 10:17).³⁹²

Imitating the world instead of trusting in the LORD has always been the great temptation of God’s people, and each time they have surrendered, they have suffered. During their wilderness wanderings, Isra’el compared everything that happened with what they had experienced in Egypt, and at Kadesh-barnea they even wanted to choose a leader and go back to Egypt (14:1-5). But the Church today, made up of Jews and Gentiles, is equally guilty of unbelief. When our spiritual leaders adopt methods and measurements of the world, then the Church has taken a giant step toward becoming like the world and losing its divine distinctiveness. Instead of trusting in the Word of God and prayer (Acts 6:4), we far too often depend on following the world’s wisdom, imitating the world’s methods, and catering to the world’s appetites, giving the people what they want instead of what they need. Believers today need to take to heart God’s reminder to Isra’el, “I am ADONAI your God, who has set you apart from the peoples around you” (Leviticus 20:24).³⁹³

Then, Moshe gave three restrictions relating to the behavior of a potential king. Isra’el might admire the kings of other nations, but the king they were to have was to be more unlike the kings of other nations as one could imagine.

Military power: However, he is not to acquire many horses for himself. The principle reason for acquiring horses was related to warfare, specifically chariot warfare. But the Israelite form of warfare lay not in the number or type of troops but in the strength and presence of their God. They had already experienced YHVH’s aid against an enemy equipped with horse-drawn chariots at the Sea of Reeds (see the commentary on Exodus Ci – The Waters Were Divided and the Israelites Went Through the Sea on Dry Land). In the days ahead, there would be similar occasions. For example, in Debra’s war (Judges 4-5), the Israelite forces were at a strong disadvantage in facing the chariot-equipped Canaanite forces, but once again victory was achieved through the intervention of Ha’Shem.³⁹⁴

Or have the people return to Egypt to obtain more horses, inasmuch as ADONAI told you never to go back that way again (17:16a). Since Egypt was the market for horses, Isra’el’s king was warned not to station his buyers there permanently – for permanent settling in Egypt was forbidden – in order to export horses from there to his country and elsewhere. King Solomon disregarded this mitzvah and had buyers living in Egypt who were engaged in exporting horses to various countries.

A large harem: Likewise, he is not to acquire many wives for himself, so that his heart will not turn away (17:16b). This would hurt the king’s relationship with ADONAI, for surely they would turn his heart away after other [foreign] gods (First Kings 11:1-4). The purpose in the acquisition of many wives would normally be political. A marriage to a foreign princess could add strength to a treaty with a neighboring state. But the danger in such a course of action would be to become unequally yoked (see Ca – Warning Against Idolatry). These political marriages would be at odds with Isra’el’s covenant with, and the king’s relationship with God.

King David violated this mitzvah. He had six sons born to him at Hebron to seven wives. Then he had thirteen sons born to him in Jerusalem, four from Bathsheba and nine from other wives. That’s seventeen wives and nineteen sons besides an unknown number of daughters born to his wives, and an unknown number of sons and daughters born by his concubines in Hebron, and ten known concubines in Jerusalem (who functioned and were protected as wives). Tamar is mentioned in the biblical account only because she was prominent in the story of the disintegration of David’s family. Therefore, could have easily had fifty to sixty children. And as a result: The sword never departed from his house (Second Samuel 12:10).

Great wealth: And he is not to acquire excessive quantities of silver and gold (17:17). The accumulation of great wealth would tend to give the king excessive personal power, so that he would become separated from the people he was supposed to be serving. But even more worrisome, this could become a consuming passion, which would divert his attention away from his relationship with ADONAI, and serving the people under his care. His attention should not be on himself, but on worshiping YHVH and serving the people.

King Solomon violated all three of these restrictions, and it led him and the nation into sin. He married an Egyptian princess (First Kings 3:1), the first of many political alliances he made taking foreign wives (First Kings 11:1-6). He went back to Egypt not only for a wife, but also for horses for his army, and built “chariot cities” in Isra’el where he stabled his horses and chariots (First Kings 10:26, 28-29). As for his wealth, it was fabulous and impossible to calculate (First Kings 10:14-25 and 27).³⁹⁵ In Isra’el, Solomon was the first king to go to such extremes, but others soon followed him. A fact that he recognized too late in life (see the commentary on the Life of Solomon: Ecclesiastes 1:1 to 12:14).

Clearly, the issue was not merely if Isra’el should have a king or not, but what kind of a king he should be. What matters fundamentally for Deuteronomy is whether or not the covenant people would remain wholly loyal to YHVH their God. The value of a king is judged solely by the extent to which he will help or hinder that loyalty. A king who would not trust God, but instead, trust in his own defenses (3:21-22); his own political alliances (7:3-6), or his own wealth would lead to snares of pride (8:13-18). Such a king would quickly lead his people in the same disastrous directions. Isra’el’s history proved this point with depressing regularity.³⁹⁶

The wisdom of a king: The most important qualification for the king was a personal relationship with ADONAI and knowledge of Deuteronomy. He was to have his own personal copy of Deuteronomy provided by the priests, to read it regularly, and to take it to heart (Joshua 1:7-8). When he has come to occupy the throne of his kingdom, he is to write a copy of Deuteronomy for himself in a scroll, from one of the cohanim. It is to remain with him, and he is to read in it every day, as long as he lives; so that he will learn to fear ADONAI his God and keep all the words of this book and these mitzvot and obey them; so that he will not think he is better than his kinsmen; and so that he will not turn aside either to the right or to the left from the mitzvot. In this way he will prolong his own reign and that of his children in Isra’el (17:18-20). The king’s study of Deuteronomy would help him to rule the people justly, but it would also reveal to him the character of God and encourage him to have the fear of ADONAI, and therefore, love Him more (Proverbs 4). The king’s submission to God and His mitzvot would keep him from getting proud and abusing the authority YHVH had given him. For him to think that he was better than the people he was serving, and privileged to live above God’s mitzvot would indicate that he wasn’t fit to lead the nation.³⁹⁷

Centuries later, in 622 BC, during Josiah’s eighteenth year, the scroll of Deuteronomy was found in the Temple after fifty-seven years of neglect by Manasseh and Amon (see the commentary on Jeremiah Ai – Josiah Ruled For 31 Years from 640 to 609 BC), and it started a revival in Isra’el (Second Kings 23:1-25). Still later in 458 BC, the scroll of Deuteronomy was honored when Ezra read it out loud from first light until midday, in the presence of all the men and women, and others who could understand, and this continued for a week (see the commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah Bm – Ezra Reads the Scroll of Deuteronomy). But when Solomon reigned from 970 to 930 BC, he did not read Deuteronomy every day, and that caused his downfall (First Kings 11:1-6). And the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, for it was his son, Rehoboam, that divided Isra’el (First Kings 12:1-25). Thus, the words of Moses came true.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise you for being so wonderful! Praise You that You are so loving and always want the best for Your children (John 1:12). Praise You also that You are holy and even when You discipline Your children, it is always done in love. My son, do not take lightly the discipline of ADONAI or lose heart when you are corrected by Him, because ADONAI disciplines the one He loves and punishes every son He accepts (Hebrews 12:5). The goal is to help the child to get back on the right path. Now all discipline seems painful at the moment – not joyful. But later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11).

Thank You for giving us Your Word which can keep us on the right path as we read and meditate on it. Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law, day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water (Psalms 1:1-3a NIV). In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Judges
16:18 to 17:13

Judges DIG: Why the appointment of judges and officers? What were their five mandates? Why was their character so important? What does the word officers mean? What kind of sacrifices are you offering up to Ha’Shem? What qualifies a person for leadership in a local Messianic congregation or church? Why did the Jews keep turning back to idolatry? What was the lure? Why would false worship lead to potential death? What safeguards against false accusations are given here? What is the role of these courts of law?

REFLECT: What qualifies a person for local Messianic congregation or church leadership? What role does this text suggest believers should play in each other’s lives when one “breaks covenant” with God? In what ways do we bear false witness against each other? What guidelines for justice from these verses are still at work today in the governing bodies of church and state? How should believers respond to another’s contempt for the law?

Parashah 48: Shof’tim (Judges) 16:18-21:9
(To see link click Af – Parashah)

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

The Scene: In the wilderness east of the Promised Land, ready to cross over the Jordan.

The Main Events: include more of Moses’ words about appointing judges for a just society, selecting a king, Levites’ inheritance, warning against pagan practices, weighing a prophet’s words, cities of refuge, two witnesses needed, rules of warfare, and redeeming bloodshed.³⁷⁷ In this parashah we see Messiah as our righteous Judge, Priest, Prophet and King, who is also our perfect Sacrifice.

Moses pointed out the basic offices and obligations of the government that ADONAI wanted Isra’el to establish in the Promised Land.

On the basis of this instruction of ADONAI, they synagogue was established, the court system (the Sanhedrin) was established, the whole rabbinical system was developed during the inter-testimonial period when Isra’el was in Babylon (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule). When the Israelites returned from the Exile under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, the Temple was in total disarray and disrepair. But once the scroll of Deuteronomy was discovered, the mitzvot written here were taken seriously (see Bm – Ezra Reads the Scroll of Deuteronomy) . 

Appointment of Judges and Officials: Moshe commanded the Israelites to enforce God’s mitzvot in every Jewish city of the Promised Land. Judges and officials were to be appointed in every city to decide cases of civil domestic, and even religious controversies. These judges wee to act with justice and righteousness and were to be entirely impartial in their findings. Moreover, the judges were vested with executive powers of state, so that they directed the enforcement of judicial matters (by means of the shoterim, the police of ancient Isra’el). The idea of judges derived from Jethro’s advice to appoint a hierarchy of God-fearing men over the people just after the Exodus from Egypt (see the commentary on Exodus Cy – Moses Chose Capable Men from All Isra’el).

In practical terms, this meant that every town in Isra’el was to have its own “house of judgment,” with its own police force. In smaller towns, a court was to have no less than 3 judges to render binding decisions; in larger towns 23 judges were required. Later in Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Lg – The Great Sanhedrin), a group of 70 judges and the high priest formed the Supreme Court of the nation. The idea of the Sanhedrin goes back to the 70 elders who are the covenant meal with Moshe at Mount Sinai (see the commentary on Exodus En – The Covenant Meal With the God of Isra’el).

All your gates (16:18): Judges and officers you are to appoint within all your gates that ADONAI your God is giving you, according to your tribes; and they are to judge the people with righteous judgment (16:18). As the city gate was a popular place to meet (see the commentary on Ruth Ba – Bo’az Obtains the Right of Redemption), it became a convenient place for the administration of justice. There courts were held, and disputes were settled. The fact that princes and judges thus sat at the gate in the discharge of teir official duties, the word gate becomes a synonym for power or authority.³⁷⁸ The word translated officers means writers or secretaries and refers to the men who kept the official records and genealogies, advised the judges, and carried out their decisions. God was the supreme Legislator in the Land, because He gave the mitzvot; the local judges formed the judicial branch of the government; and their efforts constituted the executive branch.³⁷⁹

Moshe gave these judges and officers five mandates (16:19-20):

1.  Israelite judges must render their decisions in accordance with God’s standards of justice, or the words of the righteous, literally judge a righteous judgment (16:19d). Probably these men were the chief elders in each tribe. Therefore, the judges appointed in each city were probably taken from that city’s council of elders (Deuteronomy 19:12).³⁸⁰

2. They were not to twist justice (16:19a), or, deprive a person of justice before the face of Elyon (Lamentations 3:35). This expression occurs in relation to partiality (Proverbs 18:5), and bribery (First Samuel 8:3; Proverbs 17:23), and normally affects the poor, the alien, and the fatherless (Exodus 23:6; Deuteronomy 24:17 and 27:19).

3. They were not to show partiality (16:19b). Just as Moshe did with the judges he appointed soon after Sinai, so here he encourages these judges not to show favor (literally, recognize the face of) based on a person’s statue or wealth (Deuteronomy 1:17; Job 34:19; Proverbs 24:23 and 28:21) because it is hostile to genuine justice.

4. Moses demanded that those judges refuse to take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and distorts the words of the righteous (16:19c). In other words, it chokes justice rather than achieving it! Taking a bribe violates Isra’el’s function as a banner nation given the responsibility of representing God’s character among the goyim (Exodus 19:4-6).³⁸¹

5. Finally, the sole purpose of those judges was the pursuit of justice above all else: Justice you must pursue, so that you may live and possess the land that ADONAI your God is giving you (16:20). Prosperous life could not continue in the Land if they abandoned YHVH. But likewise, it could not continue if judicial corruption set in like a cancer in their society.³⁸² Pirkei Avot, or Ethics of the Fathers, is a tractate of the Mishna that deals with morality, virtues, and righteousness. It teaches us many important rules, two of which are, “Do not judge your fellow until you come to his place” (Pirkei Avot 2:4), and “. . . judge every person as admirable, or good” (Pirkei Avot 1:6).

The decisions of judges affected not only the individuals on trial but on the entire nation. If the judges freed the guilty at the expense of the innocent, the Land would be defiled and Ha’Shem would eventually remove the nation from the Land. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened during the years after the fall of Isra’el to the Assyrians in 722 BC, and Judah to the Babylonians on Tisha B’Av in 586 BC (see the commentary on Jeremiah Ga – The Fall of Jerusalem). The courts became corrupt and allowed the rich to rob the poor and the needy, while the wealthy soon owned great estates and controlled the economy. Because the leaders didn’t obey the mitzvot about the Year of Release and the Year of Jubilee, the economy got out of balance and the land was stolen from its rightful owners. YHVH wouldn’t permit such flagrant disobedience to this Torah, so He punished the people severely by sending them into captivity (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule).

Leadership in the local Messianic congregation or church must only be given to those who are qualified (Acts 6:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). Everything rises or falls on leadership. How tragic it is when Messianic congregations or churches choose unqualified and untried people to “fill” offices instead of using those offices for the buildup up of the congregation and the glory of God (First Timothy 3:10). In the leadership of the local congregation, spiritual character is far more important than a person’s popularity, personality, talent, or occupation.³⁸³

Devotion to ADONAI:

Worship ADONAI only (16:21-22): The first responsibility of the judges was to prevent impure worship practices in the Land. The Israelites had already been commanded to cut down their Asherah poles and smash their pillars (7:5). Now they were explicitly forbidden to plant for yourself an Asherah pole of any kind of wood beside the altar of ADONAI your God that you make for yourself. Idol temples and altars were surrounded by thick groves and trees, which became the place of idolatrous worship. For this reason, God forbid the planting of trees near His altar, lest His people become, or seem to be, like the pagans.³⁸⁴ Nor are you to set up a pillar for yourself – ADONAI your God hates this (16:22-22). These two claims deal primarily with YHVH’s claim on Isra’el’s exclusive loyalty (see Bl – Have No Other Gods).

Unclean animals (17:1): Just as setting up an Asherah pole or a pillar beside the altar of ADONAI defiled God’s sanctuary, the offering of defective sacrifices was also an abomination to Him. No animal with any kind of serious defect or flaw was fit for use in the worship of ADONAI. You are not to sacrifice to ADONAI your God a bull or a sheep that has a defect or anything bad – for that would be an abomination to ADONAI your God (17:1). As Malachi pointed out later, to offer a defective and less-than-best sacrifice would be detestable to Ha’Shem (Malachi 1:6-8). The act would undermine the very purpose of the sacrifice, for it would further widen the rift between the worshiper and the LORD, which the sacrifice was designed to bridge.³⁸⁵

Crime against the covenant (17:2-7): Moses describes a hypothetical situation in which an Israelite man or woman is caught worshiping other gods or celestial bodies. Suppose there is found in your midst – within one of your gates that ADONAI your God is giving you – a man or woman who does what is evil in the eyes of ADONAI your God by transgressing His covenant. This person goes and serves other gods and worships them – the sun or moon or any of the heavenly hosts, which I have not commanded (see the commentary on Genesis Lw – The Witness of the Stars). Upon hearing this, the judges in the vicinity must conduct a thorough examination to determine the accuracy of the charge. It is told to you and you have heard about it, and you investigate thoroughly and indeed it is true and the thing certain – this abomination has been done in Isra’el. Then you are to bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and stone that man or woman with stones to death (17:2-5).

There needed to be at least two witnesses for the charge to be proved true. By the word of two or three witnesses, (Second Corinthians 13:1; Hebrews 10:28) the one who is to die is to be put to death. No one is to be put to death by the word of one witness. The hand of the witnesses is to be first to put him to death (17:6-7a). They were the ones to throw the first stone (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Gq – The Woman Caught in the Act of Adultery). The witnesses, by throwing the first stone, accepted the burden of responsibility; in the event of further evidence establishing the innocence of the (now deceased) accused, and thereby the false testimony of the witnesses, they would then assume the responsibility for wrongful execution, in effect murder.³⁸⁶

And afterward the hand of all the people. The participation of the entire community emphasizes the far-reaching impact of the offense and the response. So, you are to purge the evil from your midst (17:7b). There is a phrase that we hear many times in the study of the Torah. One that is repeated seven times from Chapters 13 to 24, “You will purge the evil from your midst” (13:6, 17:7, 19:19, 21:21, 22:21, 22:24, 24:7).

The higher court (17:8-13): Moses made a provision for future judges in the Promised Land similar to the provided judges in the time of the wilderness wanderings (1:17). Suppose a matter arises that is too hard for you to judge. Three examples are given: over bloodshed, legal claims or assault – matters of controversy within your gates. The higher court was to be established in the place ADONAI your God chooses (the Tabernacle, or future Temple); thus, giving it the sacredness and authority of the presence and name of YHVH. Then you should come to the Levitical cohanim and the judge in charge at that time. And you will inquire, and they will tell you the sentence of judgment (17:8-9). It is likely that referred cases were dealt with in the higher court by both priests and judges; the particular function of the priests would be to legislate on matters of ceremonial mitzvot, and the judge would rule on matters of civil or criminal mitzvot.³⁸⁷

It is interesting that around 870-850 BC, King Jehoshaphat set up a higher court like this one. Part of his program of reform was that he personally traveled throughout Judah to encourage the people to turn back to ADONAI. He also appointed godly judges throughout the Land, arbiters whose task it was to judge without favoritism or bribery. He did the same in Jerusalem with a higher court charged with hearing matters referred to it throughout Judah. Over this higher court he selected Amariah the chief priest, judging in all matters pertaining to ADONAI, and Zebadiah, the ruler of the House of Judah, judging in all the matters pertaining to the king. Also, the Levites would serve as officials to implement the rulings of those two men (Second Chronicles 19:11).³⁸⁸

You are to act according to the sentence they tell you from that place ADONAI chooses, and take care to do all that they instruct you.  The decisions of the higher court would be final (see the Great Sanhedrin above). You are to act according to the instruction they teach you and the judgment they tell you – you must not turn aside from the sentence they tell you, to the right or to the left. Any rebellion against the higher court was considered a capital offense. The man who acts presumptuously by not listening to the cohen who stands to serve there before ADONAI your God, or to the judge, that man must die. So, you are to purge the evil from Isra’el. This made the rule of justice supreme in the Land and helped prevent anarchy. Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and not act presumptuously again (17:10-13).

The Appointment of Kingdom Leaders
16:18 to 18:22

As Moses continued to prepare the new generation for life in the Promised Land, he not only instructed them about their past history and their obligations in worship, but he also explained to them the kind of government ADONAI wanted them to organize. When their ancestors were in Egypt, the Jews had minimal organization involving only elders (Exodus 3:18), and during the wilderness wanderings, Moshe had tribal officers who assisted him in solving the problems the people brought before them (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Cy – Moses Chose Capable Men From All Isra’el). Each tribe in Isra’el also had a leader (Numbers 1:5-16, 7:10-83), and there were seventy elders who assisted Moses in the spiritual oversight of the nation (Numbers 11:1-30).

This basic organization was adequate to govern a nomadic people following a gifted leader, but it wouldn’t do once the nation moved into the Land of Promise. For one thing, Moshe would no longer be with them to give messages directly from YHVH. Furthermore, each of the twelve tribes would be living in its own assigned territory, and Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh would be located on the other side of the Jordan River. How would they deal with tribal differences? Who would protect the people and enforce Ha’Shem’s mitzvot? God, in His grace, gave them the kind of government that would meet their needs.³⁷⁶

Keep the Feast Sukkot
Leviticus 23:33-36, 39-44; Exodus 23:14-17; Numbers 29:12-38;
Deuteronomy 16:13-17, 31:9-13; First Kings 12:25-33;
Second Chronicles 7:8-10; Ezra 3:4; Nehemiah 8:13-18
Zechariah 14:16-19; John 7:1-41

Keep the feast of Sukkot DIG: What was the purpose of the Sukkot celebration? What were the Israelites to remember about ADONAI? What was the biblical practice? What is the Jewish observance today? What do you think of all the specific rules and regulations concerning the building of the booth? What is the Messianic significance of Sukkot?

REFLECT: What do you do to remember your wilderness wanderings? How often do you do it? How long has it been since you have constructed your own “booth” of remembrance? Do you think once a year is enough? Or should you build your “booth” of remembrance more often than that? Should you remember the good part of your journey or the difficult part?

The Feast of Sukkot will be fulfilled by the thousand-year Messianic Kingdom.

Perhaps by now you are beginning to understand why the fall season is considered the time of the high holy days for the Jewish community. Three major holy days occur in the first nineteen days of the biblical month of Tishri (September-October). They are Rosh ha-Shanah, Yom Kippur and this holy day season ends with the eight days of Sukkot.

As with the other days, the name of this holy day tells its purpose. Essentially it is two-fold, the first being related to the fall harvest, the end of the harvest season. As Leviticus 23 teaches, Sukkot was to be a time of bringing the latter harvest. It is, in other words, the Jewish “Thanksgiving.” In fact, it is widely believed that the Puritan colonists who came to America, who were great students of the Hebrew Scriptures, based the first American Thanksgiving on Sukkot.

A secondary meaning of this holy day is found in the command to dwell in booths as a memorial of Isra’el’s wilderness wanderings. To expand the theme of this specific historical event, we might best summarize Sukkot with the word “habitation.” We know from the Torah that ADONAI dwelt with His people in their forty-year wilderness camping trip. Yet, as we camp in booths today, we should be reminded that this same faithful God watches over our lives. With such meaningful themes, no wonder Sukkot is known as Zman Simkhatenu (The Time of Our Rejoicing). The fact that YHVH provided for us and built His habitation with us is something to celebrate!

Dear wonderful and powerful Father, We love You! How glorious to know that the Feast of Sukkot will be fulfilled by your reigning for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-6). Just previous to that You will have returned as King of kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:11-21) and wiped out the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies – proving You are all powerful! That knowledge is both comforting for You are our Father, and it inspires us to be diligent in serving You with our whole heart and in sharing about You with others. We will have a limitless number of days in heaven enjoying the peace that You have won for us by your death on the cross (Second Corinthians 5:21), but now is the time to pray for and share with our family and friends Your holiness and love.

Please open their hearts to understand the urgency to move beyond just head knowledge of Your love. As it is said, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” (Hebrews 3:15; Psalm 95:7c-8). God said, “So in My wrath I swore, ‘They shall never enter My rest”(Hebrews 4:3). May they choose to give up doing what they want to do and to trust You by surrendering control of their lives over to You. For we who have trusted are entering into that rest (Hebrews 4:3a). We love You and are earnestly seeking to use our time, our money, and our thoughts for Your glory. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Biblical Practice: The feast itself is seven days long. It was celebrated by building booths or tabernacles to commemorate the forty years of wilderness wanderings. The feast was to be celebrated with four species. The first species is the citron, a citrus type of fruit. Second, the branch of a palm tree. Third a branch of a myrtle tree, and fourth the branch of a willow tree. It marked the firstfruits of the fall harvest. Because Sukkot follows Yom Kippur, it is considered to be a time of rejoicing following the affliction of the Day of Atonement. The rabbis developed 326 rules and regulations concerning the four species.

There was the addition of an eighth day of solemn assembly immediately following the seventh day of Sukkot, which technically was not a part of the Feast of Booths. For seven days the Israelites were to live in booths, sleep in booths, eat in booths, to remember the wilderness wanderings. But the eighth day was also to be a day of Sabbath rest (Leviticus 23:39-39).

You are to keep the Feast of Sukkot for seven days (see John 7:2) after gathering in the produce from your threshing floor and winepress. So, you will rejoice in your feast – you, your son and daughter, slave and maid, Levite and outsider, orphan and widow within your gates. The joyful nature of the festival survived from the older agricultural festival, although the reason for the joy was now YHVH’s bountiful provision. Seven days you will feast to ADONAI your God in the place He chooses, because ADONAI your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hand, and you will be completely filled with joy. Three times a year all your males are to appear before ADONAI your God in the place He chooses – at the Feast of Matzot, the Feast of Shavuot, and the Feast of Sukkot. No one should appear before ADONAI empty-handed – the gift of each man’s hand according to the blessing ADONAI your God has given you (Deuteronomy 16:13-17).

The Jewish Observance: The Torah stipulates the fifteenth of the Jewish month of Tishri as the time when the Jewish people are to begin dwelling in the sukkah (singular for booth) and celebrating God’s provision. This holy day is so joyful, traditional Jews don’t even wait for the fifteenth of Tishri to construct their sukkah. Many began the construction five days earlier, immediately after the close of Yom Kippur.

The construction of the sukkah can be both challenging and fun for the whole family. The Bible gives us a rather general commandment to build a sukkah, but the rabbis spelled out ten specific rules and regulations concerning the building of the booth.

First, there must be the feeling of a temporary abode. So, it must be built in a somewhat flimsy way to emphasize the wilderness wanderings. The temporariness is not in the walls as such, but in the roof part of the sukkah.

Second, the material for the roof must possess three specific characteristics. First, it must come from the earth and this excludes making the roof from animal skins, metal or cloth. But wood can be used. Secondly, the roofing material must be cut down and no longer connected to the ground, which excludes using attached branches. They must be cut off. Thirdly, it must not be subject to ritual impurity so the roof cannot contain fruits and food that will spoil.

Third, the roof must always be put on after the walls are totally completed so that when it is constructed, the booth is complete.

Fourth, the roof must be sufficiently thick so that there is more shade than sun. No opening can be more than eleven inches and the stars should be visible on a clear night. Nevertheless, it should not be so thick as to keep rain out.

Fifth, any booth built inside or under an overhanging porch, balcony, or tree is invalid. The shade inside the booth must come only from the booth and nothing else.

Sixth, there are no restrictions on the materials for the walls, so they could be made of metal, wood, canvas, brick or stone.

Seventh, the sukkah must have at least two complete walls. It may have three and as many as four. The fourth may be left completely open. When it is built against a house outside, one or more walls of the house may be used as walls for the booth as well.

Eighth, there is no maximum size of the booth, but there is a minimum requirement. It must be big enough to hold one person and one table.

Ninth, the booth must be no lower than 37 inches and no higher than 36.5 feet because one must be aware that they are sitting in a booth. The rabbis, as they often did, decided in their infinite wisdom, that any higher than 36.5 feet, the person would no longer feel like they were sitting in a booth.

Tenth, decorations emphasized the esthetic. The walls may be decorated with pictures, tapestries, or flowers. The roof may be decorated (but not composed of) with fruits, nuts, apples, grapes, and pomegranates, but these are not to be eaten for the entire week.

Since Sukkot has so many rich spiritual lessons associated with it, we would expect to find some important reference to it in the B’rit Chadashah. Not far into the gospel accounts of the life of Yeshua, we find the first powerful reference to Tabernacles. As John relates the special background of Messiah, he openly declares the divine nature of Messiah. The Word was not only with God in the beginning, but this Word is the very manifestation of God Himself (John 1:1)! This Word, as John calls Him, was manifested to the world in a very special and tangible way: The Word became a human being and tabernacled among us, and we saw His Sh’khinah glory, the Sh’khinah or the Father’s one and only Son, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

Yeshua of Nazareth is more than just a good rabbi or an intriguing philosopher. According to the Bible, He is the visible manifestation of the God of creation! Yet, did you notice the metaphor John employs to describe this incarnation of Messiah? The Word tabernacled (Greek: skene) among His people. In other words, as John sought to describe the Messiah’s first coming to His people, the most obvious picture was the holy day of Sukkot, the holy day that celebrated the dwelling of God!

There were two key ceremonies associated with Sukkot during the Second Temple period. The first is the drawing out of the water. The source of this tradition is not in the Bible, but in the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ei – The Oral Law), although they tried to base it on Numbers 29:17-19 and Isaiah 12:3, which said: With joy you shall draw water. The location where the water was drawn was from the Pool of Siloam, and the place where the water was poured was on the southwest corner of the bronze altar because it is where the grooves which drained the blood of the sacrifices were located. The pouring out of the water in Judaism, was a symbol of the outpouring of the Ruach ha-Kodesh in the last days (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Go – Jesus Teaches at the Feast of Booths).

The second key ceremony is the lighting of the lights. There were huge lampstands, each one with four golden cups, set up in the Court of the Women. These lights would then be lit toward sundown and the rabbis taught that there was not a courtyard in all Jerusalem that was not lit by the lights emanating from the Temple Compound. The lighting of the lights was followed by dancing and juggling with fire torches. The Jews believed the lights were a symbol of God’s Sh’khinah glory (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Gr – I AM the Light of the World).

The Messianic Significance: Sukkot will be fulfilled by the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom (see the commentary on Revelation Fh – The Dispensation of the Messianic Kingdom). But during the life of Messiah there were two misapplications of Sukkot. The first time was at the Transfiguration (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Gb – Jesus took Peter, James and John Up a High Mountain where He was Transfigured). When Yeshua was transfigured, Peter suggested that he be allowed to build three booths: one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for Yeshua. This was a proper response. The Jews believed that when the Messiah came, His Kingdom would begin. Knowing the TaNaKh very well, Peter also knew that the Messianic Kingdom was the fulfillment of Sukkot. The Bible says that the Dispensation of Grace (see my commentary on Acts Am – The Dispensation of Grace) was a mystery to the righteous of the TaNaKh (Ephesians 3:1-13; Colossians 1:26). In the Bible a mystery is something that was once hidden, but now is revealed. So, while Peter was correct in his theology, his timing was off. He did not know that the Feast of Passover must be fulfilled before Shavu’ot can be fulfilled. Peter did not understand that Messiah had to die before the Kingdom could be established. In other words, Passover had to be fulfilled before Sukkot could be fulfilled.

The second misapplication of the Feast Shavu’ot was during the Triumphal Entry (see my commentary on The Life of Christ It – Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem as the Passover Lamb). The actions of the people both by what they said and by what they did showed that they also expected the Kingdom to be established at that time in fulfillment of the Feast of Sukkot. According to John 12:12-13, they broke off palm branches, which is in keeping with Sukkot, but not with the Passover, which is what they were celebrating. Furthermore, according to Matthew 21:8-9 and Mark 11:8-10, they cried out, Hosanna in the highest and Hosanna to the Son of David. Like Peter, they did not understand that Passover had to be fulfilled before Sukkot could be, and the Passover could only be fulfilled by the death of Messiah.

During the Messianic Kingdom it will be obligatory upon all the Gentile nations to send a delegation up to Jerusalem to celebrate Shavu’ot. In the Dispensation of Torah (see my commentary on Exodus Da – The Dispensation of Torah), it was obligatory for Jews only, but during the Messianic Kingdom, for a thousand years, it will be obligatory for every Gentile nation. If a nation fails to send a delegation to observe this feast then they will be punished by drought (Zechariah 14:16-19).

Just as Sukkot was a time of rejoicing following the affliction of Yom Kippur, even so the Messianic Kingdom will be a time of rejoicing following the afflictions of the Great Tribulation. What a celebration there will be as the children of God, both Jews and Gentiles, celebrate this feast at that time. Amen. Come, Lord Yeshua!

The Feast of Passover was fulfilled by the death of Messiah, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled by the sinlessness of His sacrifice, the Feast of Firstfruits was therefore fulfilled by the resurrection of Messiah, Shavu’ot was fulfilled by the birth of the Church, Rosh ha-Shanah will be fulfilled by the Rapture of the Church, the Day of Atonement will be fulfilled by the Great Tribulation, and the Festival of Booths points to the Messianic Kingdom.

A Practical Guide for Believers in Messiah: The central element for the celebration of this feast is the booth we call the sukkah. While you may want to use the rabbinic description as a guideline (see above), you should not forget the freedom to construct this booth as you want. As with all the biblical holy days and customs, the sukkah is a “shadow” of the greater lessons of the coming Messiah (Colossians 2:17).

Building the sukkah can be an exciting and educational family project. Whether it is a shack on the side of the house or a free-standing structure, the hut can be constructed by anyone who wants to help. The outer frame can be assembled from various materials that, in turn, can be fortified with the traditional palm branches or leaves. For this reason, Sukkot is a great time to trim up the yard as well! Children will love to add their cut-out paper fruit, leaves, or Bible verses.

As previously noted, traditional Jews begin constructing their sukkah immediately after breaking the fast of Yom Kippur. Many Messianic Jews and Gentiles follow this custom by inviting people over for a “Sukkah Decorating Party,” and planning for the upcoming holy days begins in earnest.

As the fifteenth day of Tishri begins, a holiday dinner is prepared. The table is set; although, being outside in the Sukkah, it will probably have a less formal atmosphere. Since this holiday is to be a reminder of the forty-year camping trip in the wilderness, the dinner will probably feel more like an outdoor picnic than a formal meal. But as with all the Jewish holidays, we start with the blessings over the fruit of the vine and challah bread.

A special emphasis will be the ha-Kavod (processionals), in which the people march around the sanctuary waving the lulav (closed fond of a date palm tree) and recounting the Hallel (Praise) Psalms 113-118.

These elements of the inner in the sukkah continue for eight days of the festival, while the synagogue services are usually convened only on the first two. To really get into the spirit of the holy day, the family might want to sleep in the sukkah under the stars, weather permitting.

As mentioned before, the seventh day of the festival has much spiritual significance for believers in Yeshua. However, as we reach the eighth day, we come to a special holiday, the Eighth Day of Assembly (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Gp – On the Last and Greatest Day of the Feast). As mentioned in Leviticus 23:26, this day is to be set aside as a Shabbat and a holy assembly.

As if all these festivities aren’t enough, the Jewish community has added an additional ninth day to Sukkot called Simchat Torah (Rejoicing of the Torah). As its name implies, this day celebrates the revelation of God as symbolized in the Torah scroll. It’s a time of tremendous joy, with dancing and lively music.

A central part of the service is the reading from the last chapters of Deuteronomy and the start of the yearly cycle of reading the parashah every Shabbat all over again with the first chapters of Genesis. Although rabbinic Judaism celebrated this holiday in the Middle Ages, believers in Yeshua can surely affirm the idea behind it. God’s Word is good and should be revered. It is even to be joyously celebrated! How much more so for believers of Yeshua Messiah.

With the close of Simchat Torah, we reach the end of the high-holy-day season. What wonderful truth is evident! What a complete picture of God’s plan for redeeming faithful Jews and Gentiles unto Himself. Sometime soon the shofar will sound and announce the regathering of believers from all over the world in the rapture. The seven-year Great Tribulation will follow this. But in the last three day of the Great Tribulation, the Jewish leadership will realize that they have rejected the Messiah and call out for His return. Then Yeshua Messiah will return for the second time to the earth. This, in turn, will lead all believers into the joyful celebration of the Kingdom of God at Sukkot. May we be ready to dwell in that holy habitation with our Kosher King.³⁷⁵

Haftarah Re’eh: Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 54:11-55:5
(see Af – Parashah)

During Isaiah’s lifetime, ADONAI disciplines the northern kingdom of Isra’el through Assyria who eventually conquered her and imported various Assyria people groups to occupy the land, intermarry with the Jews, and assimilating them into their Assyrian culture. They became the hated Samaritans (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Gw – The Parable of the Good Samaritan). This was the outworking of Isra’el’s disobedience that Moshe warned her about (see Cq – A Blessing and a Curse). They chose the path of cursing. But God’s plan is always to restore and redeem in order to keep promises. Thus, He reminds her of a future covenant renewal that would fulfill His promise to David out of the abundance of His love (Isaiah 55:3).

B’rit Chadashah suggested readings for Parashah Re’eh: John 7:37-52

Yeshua fulfills God’s promises. Moses and Isaiah both warned of negative consequences for disobedience. They also pointed forward to the One who would fulfill the promises of YHVH for blessing. Yeshua stood up during Sukkot and said: Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them (John 7:37b-38). Following Yeshua will inevitably cause the world to say that you are ignorant and blinded. Which relationships in your life cause you to struggle with these kinds of judgments. Pray for those people and step out in faith to share God’s invitation for them to believe in Messiah and receive what they really need.

Also see: suggested readings for Parashat Re’eh:
First Corinthians 5:9-13; First Yochanan 4:1-6

Keep the Feast of Shavu’ot
Exodus 23:16, 34:22; Leviticus 23:15-21;
Numbers 28:26-31; Deuteronomy 16:9-12

Keep the feast of Shavu’ot DIG: If the universal, invisible Church started in Jerusalem with Jews, why is it that today it seems that Messianic believers are largely excluded from mainstream Christianity? What was the purpose of the Shavu’ot celebration? Why do you think ADONAI wanted different social classes, age groups, and ethnic groups to celebrate together? What was the emotional tone of the feast? Why? Why were the children included? What is the Messianic significance of Shavu’ot? How is Shavu’ot fulfilled?

REFLECT: Where do you “fit in,” to the Body of Messiah? What are your spiritual gifts? What ministry are you involved with? How much are you tithing? How many people have you won to Yeshua? How many people have you discipled? Who are you mentoring? These are all marks of a believer. If you were arrested and charged with being a believer, would there be enough evidence to convict? Or are you a closet believer, hiding your light under a bushel?

The Feast of Shavu’ot was fulfilled by the birth of the Church.

Today, the same feast is known as Pentecost or Weeks, which comes from the Greek word “fifty” because the feast is fifty days after Passover, beginning on the Feast of Unleavened bread. The Torah has other names for Shavu’ot: Yom ha-Birkurim, or the Day of First Fruits, as it appears in Numbers 28:26, and Hag ha-Katzir, or the Feast of the Harvest, as it appears in Exodus 23:16. Then you are to count from the morrow after the Shabbat, from the day that you brought the omer as a wave offering of barley, seven complete Shabbatot. Until the morrow after the seventh Shabbat, you are to count fifty days, and then present a grain offering to ADONAI (Leviticus 23:15-16). Because Shavu’ot marks the last of the first cycle of festivals, it became known as the “The Closing Feast.” It celebrated the latter firstfruits of the wheat harvest, whereas the Feast of Rasheet (First Fruits) celebrated the early firstfruits of the barley harvest. Although its origins are to be found in an ancient grain harvest feast, according to rabbinic tradition, this is the day on which the Torah was given, so most of the customs of the holiday relate to Torah teaching, its acceptance, and Torah study. It is customary to view Shavu’ot as the day on which the people of Isra’el were married to ADONAI – and the Torah as the “Ketuvah,” or marriage agreement, which establishes their relationship to YHVH.

Shavu’ot is designated as a time of thanksgiving for the spring harvest which increases the hopefulness for the abundant fall harvest, celebrated by the Sukkot (Booths). Giving thanks for the present provision leads to faith for future addition. What a wonderful God we have! He provides all our needs through His riches in glory in Messiah (Philippians 4:19).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being so awesome! We are not worthy of such great love! For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy for those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalms 103:11-12). We give thanks for Your love by loving You back with our time, our money, our thoughts and with all of our hearts. You are worthy and wonderful beyond comprehension. Praise You for accepting our love and when we make the choice to follow You as our Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10), You make us Your children (John 1:12). You are so wonderful! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Biblical Practice: This was a one-day festival and one of the three pilgrimage feasts. On this occasion two wheat loaves were to be placed on a single sheet and waved before ADONAI. It was waved, but not actually offered on the bronze altar (Leviticus 2:12). The loaves were to have leaven in them. This was unusual because this was the only feast where leaven was permitted as an offering. Leaven, when it is used in the Bible symbolically, is always a symbol of sin. The reason God permitted leaven to be used on this occasion was because those that this offering represented were sinners.

Seven weeks you are to count for yourself – from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain you will begin to count seven weeks. Then you will keep the Feast of Shavu’ot to ADONAI your God with a measure of a freewill offering from your hand, which you are to give according to how ADONAI your God blesses you. So, you will rejoice before ADONAI your God in the place ADONAI your God chooses to make His Name dwell – you, your son and daughter, slave and maid, Levite and outsider, orphan and widow in your midst. You will remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you are to take care and do these statutes (Deuteronomy 16:9-12).

The Jewish Observance: Traditional Jewish observance of Shavu’ot is multifaceted and has evolved somewhat from biblical times. As recorded in the Torah, during the Second Temple period Shavu’ot consisted of being a harvest festival for farmers. Various firstfruits were brought as an offering: barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olive oil and honey. The farmers would parade to the Temple with these firstfruits and then offer them up in a special ceremony. People would follow them blowing flutes and other musical instruments. It was quite an elaborate observance as the farmers brought their firstfruits to the Temple.

Part of the wheat offering was baked into two loaves of leavened bread, a striking contrast to the matzah offered a few weeks before. These two loaves were brought to the Temple on a single sheet, and waved in every direction before the bronze altar twice. This act was a public statement of God’s provision for all His people.

The first time was before the slaughter of two sheep. The second time after the slaughter of the two sheep and they were waved with the breast and thigh of the sheep. Then the two loaves were eaten by the priests. One loaf was eaten by the high priest and the second loaf was divided among the other priests. It was eaten either on the very same day that it was waved or that night sometime before midnight. The rabbis asked the question, “Why was it necessary to have two loaves?” The answer they came up with is because Shavu’ot is the season for the fruit of the tree and therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Bring Me two loaves on Shavu’ot so that the fruit of your trees may be blessed.” That was the rabbinic reason for the two loaves.

Since the destruction of the Temple below in 70 AD, the modern Jewish observance of Shavu’ot has changed. It is still a time to remember God’s faithfulness; however, an additional fascination has evolved. Since the Israelites came to Mount Sinai in the third month after Passover (Exodus 19:1), the rabbis teach that Shavu’ot was the day that Moses received the Torah or the Oral Law (see my commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ei – The Oral Law). Therefore, the modern observance includes celebrating the giving of the Torah. Messianic congregations, however, do not include the celebrating of the Oral Law.

There were eight other observances that started during the Second Temple period and have carried over to today.

1. There was no fasting. If Shavu’ot occurred on the Sabbath, the slaughter of the sacrifices were deferred until the following day, so it was not to be a day of fasting.

2. There was a tradition of three days of consecration (see my commentary on Exodus Df – Go to the People and Consecrate Them) that the Israelites underwent before receiving the Torah. Because of Jewish tradition, today many Jews observe three days of consecration in order to make themselves worthy of celebrating the Shavu’ot. Another special custom, Tikun Leil Shavu’ot (preparing for the arrival of Shavu’ot), developed from the Jewish people’s love for the Torah. Traditional Jews stay up the first night of this holy day studying the Torah. Many synagogues customarily hold confirmation services for teenagers during this season to recognize their culminating childhood studies of the Torah.

3. Certain scriptures are read especially on Shavu’ot. From the Torah of Moses, Exodus 19:1 through 20:17 (the giving of the Torah); Numbers 28:26-31 and Deuteronomy 5:19-30, 9:9-19, 10:1-5, 10, is read on the first day. Deuteronomy 15:19 through 16:17 is read on the second day along with the prophets Ezeki’el 1:1-28 (the prophet’s vision of God’s Sh’khinah glory) and Habakkuk 2:20 through 3:19 are read.

4. The book of Ruth is also read because her story takes place at harvest time as Shavu’ot does. Moreover, Ruth was a convert to the Torah and the Torah was given on Shavu’ot. The rabbis teach that just as Ruth suffered deprivation when she accepted the Torah, so we suffer deprivation when we accept the Torah. Furthermore, according to Jewish tradition, King David, who was a descendant of Ruth (see my commentary on Ruth Bd – Coda: The Genealogy of David), was born and died on Shavu’ot.

5. There are two special liturgies that are used during the synagogue service. The first is the singing of the Akdamut, which is an Aramaic hymn (composed about 1030 AD) that is a reference to the Ten Commandments and has as its theme God’s love for Isra’el and Isra’el’s faithfulness to the Torah of Moses. It is sung on the first day of Shavu’ot. The second is the Tikkun Leil Shavu’ot, which means the service on the night of Shavu’ot. This is an anthology of the first and last verses of every book in the TaNaKh and also the entire book of Ruth. The main emphasis of this second song is the indivisibility of the Torah and the Oral Law (see above) according to rabbinic teaching.

6. There is a special emphasis on eating milk products on Shavu’ot in order to remember that the Promised Land that Ha’Shem gave to Isra’el was supposed to be a land flowing with milk and honey. Also, according to Jewish tradition, on that day of the giving of the Torah, only dairy products were eaten. So, cheese is eaten because it is a product of the land reminding the Jews that it is a land of milk and honey. Cheese blintzes’, a special form of Jewish crepes filled with cheese, are also served to remind the Jews of the two tablets of the Ten Commandments (see my commentary on Exodus Dj – The Ten Commandments) brought down from Mount Sinai by Moses.

7. A second kind of special food is Challah, which is egg bread that has a yellow color because of the heavy use of the yoke of the eggs. Often two loaves of Challah are used to represent the two loaves that were once offered in the Temple compound. This bread is eaten every Friday night on the Jewish Shabbat, but on the Sabbath the bread is braided. However, on Shavu’ot the bread is not fixed in the braided form, it is fixed with a design of a ladder. The reason is that the rabbis teach that the Challah for the Feast of Shavu’ot should be different from the Challah that is used for the Sabbath. Furthermore, the rabbis teach that the ladder is used to remind the Jews that Moses used a ladder to climb up to heaven to receive the Torah.

8. A third type of food is kreplach, which is a form of Jewish ravioli but without the tomato sauce and it is fixed in a triangle rather than a square. It has three sides to represent the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to represent the three divisions of the TaNaKh: the Torah (Ta), the “Neviim,” or the Prophets (Na), and the Ketuvim (Kh), or the Sacred Writings.

The Messianic Significance: The Festival of Shavu’ot was fulfilled by the birth of the Church (see my commentary on Acts Al – The Ruach ha-Kodesh Comes at Shavu’ot). There were three thousand Jewish believers who were saved on that day, but the Gentiles were not saved until later (see my commentary on Acts Bg – Peter Goes to the House of Cornelius). Therefore, in a very special way, those Jewish believers were the firstfruits in fulfillment of Shavu’ot. James, in his book specifically written to Jewish believers (James 1:1), said: God chose to give us (spiritual) birth through (the preaching of the gospel) the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created (James 1:18). With all the spiritual meaning behind the holy day of Shavu’ot, believers in Yeshua can find great blessing in celebrating it. Much of the traditional Jewish observance can be followed. Yet, as believers add a Messianic perspective to this feast, it becomes even more meaningful.

The practical celebration of Shavu’ot begins when the Feast of Firstfruits ends. On the day before the start of Shavu’ot, a number of preparations should be made for the observance. The dinner table is set with the best linens and dishes. You may want to decorate the house with greenery or fresh flowers, as a reminder of the harvest aspect of the day. As the sun is setting on Erev Shavu’ot (evening of Shavu’ot), the family and friends gather around the festive table. The yom tov (holiday) candles are lit by the woman of the house. After the traditional blessings and prayer, blessings are first chanted over the cup of wine or kosher grape juice (kiddush): Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, borei peri ha-gafen (Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine). Then the challah bread is blessed and shared by all: Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min haaretz (Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth). On the first night of the holy day we add: Baruch atah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, she-he-khiyany v’kiya-manu v’higi-yanu lazman hazeh (Bless are You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us and brought us into this season).

Next, the holiday dinner is served, which should include dairy dishes to help commemorate the milk, that is the Word of God, which becomes a special joy to believers in Yeshua because His Ruach ha-Kodesh enables us to follow His instructions. Many Messianic congregations hold Erev Shavu’ot services and morning services the next day. Corporate worship and fellowship are consistent with the intent of Shavu’ot. After the evening service, some ambitious believers might want to have their own Tikun Leil Shavu’ot (preparing for the arrival of Shavu’ot). As we learned earlier, this is the tradition of staying up late to study Torah. A Messianic group of believers might focus on the five books of Moses and the blessings of the Ruach ha-Kodesh. Whatever customs are incorporated, the holy day of Shavu’ot can be a true blessing for those who have the Spirit of God within them.

The Feast of Shavu’ot was fulfilled by the birth of the Church. This was a mystery to the righteous of the TaNaKh (Ephesians 5:32). And as a picture of the Church, being made of both Jews and Gentiles, it was the only time that leaven could be offered in one of the feasts (Leviticus 23:17). The preaching of the gospel began at Shavu’ot, something the whole nation of Isra’el was being prepared for, but, unfortunately, only a remnant obeyed, beginning with the twelve apostles

Keep the Passover
Exodus 12:1-2; Leviticus 23:5-8 and Deuteronomy 16:1-8

Keep the Passover DIG: What was the purpose of the Passover celebration? What were the Israelites to remember about ADONAI? When and where was the Passover to be celebrated? Why was that significant? What is the messianic significance of Pesach? How is Pesach fulfilled? What was the purpose of Hag ha-Matzah? When and where was it celebrated? How many days was it celebrated? After twilight on the fourteenth of Nisan, what special ceremony took place in the homes of observant Jewish families? How is the festival of Unleavened Bread fulfilled? What is the messianic significance of Hag ha-Matzah?

REFLECT: Why is it important to have the high holy days to remember God’s festivals? What holiday do you and your family celebrate that is the most important to you? Why? What does Pesach mean to you personally, and why? Why is it important that Messiah lived a sinless life? What does that mean to you? When YHVH looks at you, what does He see?

The Passover was fulfilled by the death of the Messiah, and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread was fulfilled by the sinlessness of His sacrifice.

Observe the month of Aviv (the first month of the Jewish religious calendar, later called Nisan, equivalent to March-April) and keep the Passover to ADONAI your God, for in the month of Aviv (see Matthew 26:17) ADONAI your God brought you out from Egypt by night (Deuteronomy 16:1). As Isra’el’s is a lunar year, which is eleven days shorter than the solar year, it is bound to bring about a shifting of its festivals from their proper seasons. To overcome this, it is commanded here that the Passover should always be celebrated in the month of Abib (literally the season of spring), the season in which Isra’el was liberated from Egypt. Later, Isra’el changed to the Babylonian calendar when the month of Abib was renamed Nissan.

The Biblical Practice: There were two key elements. The first was the killing of the lamb. You are to sacrifice the Passover (Hebrew: pesach) offering to ADONAI your God, from the flock and the herd, in the place ADONAI chooses to make His Name dwell (Deuteronomy 16:2). From the tenth to the fourteenth it was to be tested to make sure it was without spot or blemish. The lamb would be slaughtered at twilight on the fifteenth (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ix – The Examination of the Lamb), because the Jewish day starts at twilight, making sure no bones were broken. The next morning at 9:00 am the priests in the Temple would slaughter one lamb for the sins of the nation called the Chagigah offering. The second element was the eating of the lamb (Exodus 12:8) with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

Dear Holy Heavenly Father, You are Holy and pure and we must keep Your complete purity ever before our eyes. We are so used to thinking of Your great love, that sometimes we forget the awful pain and shame that You had to go through on our behalf as our sacrifice for sins. He made the One who knew no sin 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 for Your willingness to take on human form and to suffer great shame and pain for us (Philippians 2:6-11). We bow in worship of Your great love and look forward to praising You forever. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

You may not sacrifice the Passover offering within any of your gates that ADONAI your God is giving you. Rather, at the place ADONAI your God chooses to make His Name dwell, there you will sacrifice the Passover offering in the evening at twilight (see Exodus 12:6) – the time of your coming out from Egypt. You are to cook and eat it at the place ADONAI your God chooses, then you will turn around in the morning and journey home (Deuteronomy 16:5-7).

The Jewish Observance: Again, there are two key elements. The first key element is unleavened bread. The Torah says the people should remove any leavened products from their households (Exodus 12:15). This was to remind them that they had to flee Egypt so quickly that the bread in their ovens did not have time to rise. Leaven is a symbol of sin so God would not permit the symbol of sin to be in the Jewish home. Not only that, according to Jewish mitzvah, a Jew may not even own leaven during the Passover season. It also had to be striped and pierced. A particularly intriguing element unwittingly added by the rabbis is called the afikomen (a Greek word meaning that which comes last) ceremony. Three matzahs are placed in a special Passover bag known as the matzah tash that is only one bag, but contains three pouches. A piece of unleavened bread is placed in each pouch. Before the Seder, the middle matzah is broken in two and the larger half is wrapped in a white linen cloth and hidden away to be used later for the afikomen or the desert. The smaller half is used for the special benediction over the matzah just before the Passover starts. After the story has been told and the Passover ceremony is over, and in conjunction with the third and fourth cups of wine, the children try to find it and then it is removed from its hiding place, unwrapped, broken into small pieces the size of an olive, and distributed for all to eat. Before 70 AD the rabbis taught that after the story has been told the Passover lamb was supposed to be the last thing eaten. But after 70 AD there were no longer any “Temple approved” lambs, so the afikomen became the symbolic reminder of the Passover lamb and for this reason, it must be the last thing eaten. The rabbis later added numerous other elements, including green vegetables, a roasted egg, and kharoset (apple/nut mix).

The second key element is the wine. Each person will drink four cups of wine. First, the cup of blessing; second, the cup of plagues; third, the cup of redemption; and fourth the cup of praise with which the family sings Psalm 113-118. Later in history, the rabbis added a fifth cup called the cup of Elijah (Malachi 4:5).

During the time of Messiah, the Jewish observance had changed somewhat. The slaughter of the lambs began at noon at the Temple on the fourteenth of Nisan (Exodus 12:6). Three Levites, standing over three lambs, lifted the jaws of the little animals and, with a single stroke, drew sharp knives across the three throats. By ritual, the killing had to be done in one stroke and the victim must not utter a sound. This would point to the Lamb of God who would be slaughtered that very next day and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth (Isaiah 53:7).

Inside the Nicanor Gate in the Court of the Women, the priests were lined up all the way up to the bronze altar. They stood in two rows, one row holding golden bowls and the other row the silver bowls. In these the blood of the Passover lambs, which each Israelite slew for himself (as representative of his family), was caught by one of the priests. The bowls were then passed from priest to priest until they reached the priest who was nearest to the bronze altar.³⁷¹ That priest took the bowl and sprinkled the blood in one motion at the base of the altar. He then received another full bowl of blood and returned the empty one back to be filled again. During this entire ceremony the Levites would keep chanting the Hallel, which is Psalms 113-118. They chanted until all the sacrifices for the first group were completed, and then went on to the second group, then on to the third until they all had their lambs sacrificed and the blood spilled at the base of the altar. It is estimated that up to 275,000 lambs were sacrificed in Jerusalem at the Passover during the time of Messiah. We can only imagine the stench, the blood and the flies.

Finally, warm water was poured over the sacrifices as they hung from racks and flayed in the court of the women. The wool was sheared carefully from the lambs. When this was done, the carcasses were examined by other priests for imperfections. If any were found to have moles, cysts, or discolorations of any kind on the skin they were rejected. Three priests signaled that the sacrifices were acceptable and, in an instant, the slaughtering Levites cut the bellies of the hanging lambs with a single downward stroke. They removed all the fat on the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver and both kidneys with the fat on them (Exodus 29:13; Leviticus 3:4 and 9:10).

These internal organs were placed upon the bronze altar (48 feet square and 15 feet high) and the offering remained steaming and burning on the embers until it was consumed. Caiaphas, as befitting the presiding officer of the Sanhedrin, stood composed in his priestly robes loaned to him from the Roman governor. He saw the priests rub salt into the flesh of the lambs, and, in silence he saw them remove the shoulder, and the meat from the head of each animal as an offering to the priests of the Temple – for ADONAI said that is their inheritance among their fellow Israelites (Deuteronomy 18:3).³⁷²

The Messianic Significance: This feast was fulfilled by the death of Messiah. Isaiah 52:13-53:12 pictures the Messiah coming as a lamb to the slaughter. The New Covenant passages also clearly connect Messiah with the Passover Lamb (John 1:29, 35-36; First Peter 1:18-19 and Revelation 5:12). Not only is Yeshua identified with the lamb itself, Paul identifies Him with the whole Passover Feast (First Corinthians 5:7).

The afikomen ceremony also points to Messiah. In this ceremony the middle matzah is removed, a picture of the incarnation when the Second Person of the Trinity became man in the person of Yeshua. It is broken in two pictures. His death when Yeshua came to this part in the ceremony, he said: This is My body broken for you (Luke ). It is then wrapped in white linen. The gospels make it quite clear that when the body of Yeshua was removed from the cross he was wrapped in linen cloth. It is then hidden for a time, a picture of His burial. Then it is removed from its hiding place and unwrapped, a picture of the resurrection. Pieces are broken off and distributed to the members around the table, a picture of John 6 where Yeshua said we must all partake of His body. In that same chapter Yeshua clearly interprets the “eating” of His body as believing that He is the Messiah.

Furthermore, in the Jewish observance there are four cups of wine. Luke does not mention all four cups but does mention two. The first cup is in Luke 22:17-18, the cup of thanksgiving over which the Passover observance begins. The third cup is mentioned in Luke 22:20 and is called the cup of redemption. For Jews it symbolizes the physical redemption brought about by the blood of the Passover lamb in the Egyptian Passover. Now it symbolizes our spiritual redemption from the enslavement of sin. Yeshua clearly identified Himself in terms of the Jewish observance of the Passover.

A Practical Guide for Believers in Messiah: On the fourteenth of Nisan, final preparations for the Passover Seder must be made. A traditional Seder plate and ceremonial items will also be needed. The zeroah is a lamb shankbone representing the lamb sacrifice. If no lamb shankbone is available, a turkey or chicken bone that has been roasted by fire may be substituted. The baytzah is a roasted, hard-boiled egg representing the burnt offerings of the Temple period (see my commentary on Exodus Fe – The Burnt Offering). The maror (bitter herbs) is usually horseradish, which is a reminder of the bitterness of slavery to sin. The kharoset (the sweet apple/nut mix) is a wonderful reminder of the sweetness of our redemption, and the karpas (parsley), a green vegetable, speaks of life. A kiddush cup (goblet) for each person plus the cup of Elijah with its own place setting is also needed to prepare the Seder table. A matzah tash (afikomen bag) and a ceremonial washing bowl of water are also essential items.

Each reading participant will need a haggadah (Hebrew: the telling) for the Seder, which is a Jewish instructional guide that sets the order and commemorates the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt. If the leader feels comfortable, it is possible to use a traditional haggadah available through any Jewish bookstore. Many believers, however, prefer to use a messianic Jewish haggadah. These contain most of the traditional reading, but are also accompanied by relevant New Covenant passages and explanations. One recourse I recommend to messianic believers is The Messianic Passover Haggadah by Lederer Messianic Ministries. It is a quality messianic haggadah. Lederer also has a very helpful preparation guide for the Seder.

Pesach officially begins as the sun sets on the fifteenth of Nisan. Since most of the Jewish communities outside Isra’el celebrate the first two nights of Passover with a traditional Seder, many messianic believers have different types of Seders each night. Many messianic congregations have a large community Seder the first night of Pesach for their members and to reach out to those who need to hear the message of redemption. The second night is usually spent at a smaller home Seder with family and close friends. But whatever your options, I encourage you to make plans to celebrate this wonderful festival.

The Seder is the focal point of the celebration of Passover, yet it is an eight-day holy day. The Torah says we are to remove the leaven from our homes and eat matzah during this time. For some, this might be the ultimate inconvenience. What? No bagels for eight days? Yet, when spiritually appraised, even something like eating matzah crackers for a week can be an uplifting experience.

Remember the symbolism. It is not just spring house cleaning; it is to remind us of our need for spiritual cleansing and repentance. Hence, every time we eat a matzah sandwich during Pesach, we are reminded of the meaning of the holy day. Every time we long for a leavened cookie we are reminded of this great spiritual truth!

It is my prayer that Pesach will become a source of joyful celebration as believers experience Messiah our Passover in an intimate and practical way. Therefore, celebrate the feast not with old hametz (leaven), the hametz of malice and wickedness, but with unleavened bread – the matzah of sincerity and truth (First Corinthians 5:8).³⁷³

But secondly, the festival of unleavened bread was to be celebrated for seven days after Pesach. The two feasts were considered as one lasting for a total of eight days.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread
or Hag ha-Matzah

Hag ha-Matzah, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, is recorded in Leviticus 23:6-8. This is the biblical name for this feast found in Exodus 23:15, and emphasizes the necessity of the absence of leaven (also see Matthew 26:17; Mark 1 and 12; Luke 22:7 and John 1:9).

The Biblical Practice: It is quite simple and two things should be noted. First, it is a feast that lasts for seven days immediately following Passover. The Passover was one day, followed immediately by the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Since they are back-to-back, there are actually eight holy days.

No leaven, or hametz, can be eaten for these seven days. You are not to eat chametz with it. For seven days you are to eat matzo with it, the bread of affliction – for you came out from the land of Egypt in haste. Do this so that all the days of your life you will remember the day when you came out from the land of Egypt. No chametz should be seen with you in all your territory for seven days, and none of the meat you sacrifice on the evening of the first day may be left overnight until the morning (16:3-4).

Exodus 12:15-20 introduces the feast in conjunction with the Passover since the two festivals come back-to-back. Not only were they forbidden to eat any leaven, they were forbidden to have it in their homes. The punishment for anyone who ate leaven or failed to clean it from their homes must be cut off from Isra’el, meaning they should be executed!

Exodus 23:14-15 declares that this one of the three pilgrimage festivals.

Leviticus 23:6-8 declares that on the first and seventh day no regular work.

Numbers 28:17-25 emphasizes the various sacrifices and the special sacrifices which were mandatory for this feast.

Second Chronicles 39:23-27 records how King Hezekiah kept the feast.

Ezra 6:21-22 states that it was also kept in the days of Ezra.

Ezeki’el 45:21-24 prophecies that it will be observed during the Messianic Kingdom. Not all the festivals will be observed during the thousand-year reign of Messiah, but this one will. It is mentioned only one place in the B’rit Chadashah where Yeshua observed it: Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the Torah-teachers were scheming to find a way to arrest Yeshua and kill him (Mark 14:1).

The Jewish Observance: Two things should be noted. First, it follows the biblical practice of not eating leaven for seven days. For six days you are to eat matzot. On the seventh day there is to be a solemn gathering for ADONAI your God – on it you are to do no work (16:8). There are specially prepared foods made for this occasion containing unleavened bread. The first, sixth, and seventh days were considered more holy, and they would only cook as much food as was needed, not more. Secondly, there is a liturgy that is followed with specific scriptures to read each day.

The first day of Unleavened Bread (more holy), the full Hallel is said.
Leviticus 22:26-23:44 that deals with seven holy seasons
Numbers 28:16-25 that deals with the sacrifices
Second Kings 23:1-9 and 21-25 that deals with the Passover of Josiah

The second day of Unleavened Bread, the first intermediate day
Exodus 13:1-16 that deals with the mitzvot of unleavened bread and the first born
Numbers 28:19-15 and a shortened version of the Hallel is said.

The third day of Unleavened Bread, the second intermediate day
Numbers 28:19-25 and a shortened version of the Hallel is said.

The fourth day of Unleavened Bread, the third intermediate day
Numbers 28:19-25 and a shortened version of the Hallel is said.

The fifth day of Unleavened Bread, the fourth intermediate day
Numbers 28:19-25 and a shortened version of the Hallel is said.

The sixth day of Unleavened Bread (more holy),
Exodus 13:17-15:26, the crossing of the Sea of Reeds
Numbers 28:19-25

Second Samuel 22:1-51 (see my commentary on the Life of David Eh – David’s Song of Praise), and a shorter version of the Hallel is said.

The seventh day of Unleavened Bread (more holy),
Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17
Numbers 28:19-25
Isaiah 10:32-12:6 and a shorter version of the Hallel is said.

The Messianic Significance: Whenever the word leaven is used symbolically in Scripture it is always a symbol for sin. That is why God would not even allow this symbol of sin to be eaten by the Jewish people during this feast or to have it in their homes or to have it anywhere in the land of Isra’el.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is fulfilled by the offering of the sinless blood of Messiah. When Yeshua was offered up as a sacrifice and shed His sinless blood, the moment His blood was spilled outside His body, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled. Hebrews 9:11-10:18 emphasizes the sacrifice of the innocent, sinless blood. The point here is that the blood of goats and bulls could never take away sin, but required human blood that was innocent. Only one Person had sinless, innocent blood – Jesus Christ. And once you accept Messiah as your personal Lord and Savior, all the sinlessness of Yeshua, the righteousness of Christ, is transferred to your spiritual bank account. Therefore, when YHVH looks at you, He doesn’t see your sin . . . He sees His Son.

This blood needs to be applied and sprinkled somewhere. It could not be sprinkled in the Most Holy Place of earthly Tabernacle, or the Temple, for that was merely a copy of the original. The writer to the Hebrews says it was necessary to cleanse the heavenly Tabernacle. As a result, at some point, Yeshua sprinkled the heavenly Tabernacle for the purpose of cleansing it. Whereas the earthly Tabernacle could be cleansed with the blood of animals, the heavenly tabernacle required something more – sinless human blood. This accomplished three things. First, the heavenly Tabernacle was cleansed; secondly, the sins of the Righteous of the TaNaKh were removed before leading the captives to heaven (Ephesians 4:8); thirdly, the sins of the B’rit Chadashah believers are forgiven and removed permanently upon faith in Yeshua, we are justified.

Another implication of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is in First Corinthians 5:6-8 where it is stated that believers are to keep it by a holy walk. Believers should purge out the leaven in our lives because Messiah, our Passover Lamb, was sacrificed for us. Again, leaven is a symbol of sin. Even believer’s sin, this leaven in our lives, must be purged. When a person accepts Jesus as his or her Passover sacrifice in fulfillment of the First Feast, and is at the moment born again (John 3:3), he or she experiences the regenerating work of the Ruach ha-Kodesh (the Spirit of God), is baptized into the body of Messiah, and placed into the family of God (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does For Us at the Moment of Faith). Once a believer is in the family he or she can never be disowned. However, fellowship within the family can be broken by sin or by leaven in the believer’s life. The means of purging out the leaven is confession: If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (First John 1:9b). By means of confession we can purge our lives of leaven. In that way, we can keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in its spiritual sense.

A Practical Guide for Believers in Messiah: Those who desire to enter into the full celebration of the holy day begin before the arrival of the Seder by cleansing all leaven from the house. Floors are swept, vacuumed and mopped. Cupboards are cleared of leavened products and cleaned. Pots and dishes are thoroughly washed to remove any possible fragments of leaven. The spirit of the Torah is to remove all leaven from our houses (Exodus 12:19-20). This is also symbolic of the spiritual cleansing of our hearts (First Corinthians 5:6:8).

My suggestion, in that spirit of freedom, is to adapt the preparation to a comfortable degree. For some, this may mean all of the above cleaning. For others, it may mean a cursory cleaning to merely symbolize the truth of the Passover. Let everyone be convinced in his or her own mind (Romans 14).

After the general cleaning in the first weeks of Nisan, the attention becomes more focused as the day of Pesach approaches. After twilight on the fourteenth of Nisan (Exodus 12:6), a special ceremony called bedikat khameytz (the search for the leaven) takes place in the home. The last little bits of leaven are found and removed. The details are intriguing. Since the house has previously been cleaned, the leader of the house must purposely hide some leaven (bits of cookie or bread) in various places. Then the leader takes a feather, a wooden spoon and a lighted candle, and the family begins searching for the final leaven. This can be a great time to get children or grandchildren involved because it’s a game like hide-and-seek.

The spiritual lessons are quite striking, however. The leaven (sin) must be cleansed from our dwellings (and hearts). The method itself is informative. The light of the candle (the Word of God) illumines our sin, “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). The leaven is scooped onto the wooden spoon for removal (like the wooden cross of the Messiah). The following morning, this last bit of collected leaven is burnt outside the home (in a can or bag) to symbolize its final destruction. This symbolizes Messiah’s destroying sin outside the camp (Hebrews 13:12-13), and making freedom from the power of sin available for all who believe.

On the day of the fourteenth of Nisan, as the first day of Passover approaches, final preparations for the Seder must be made. By now, the preliminary arrangements, such as shopping for “Kosher for Passover” products (Matzah, wine or grape juice, and any other unleavened food substitutes) should be completed. These customs may seem strange to the uninitiated, but the deep spiritual truth will be evident to discerning believers in Yeshua. Even something as unusual as the search for the leaven can become a meaningful ceremony for those whose hearts have been cleansed by the Messiah.³⁷⁴

The Three Pilgrimage Festivals
16: 1-17

Along with the giving of tithes, celebrating the Year of Release, dedicating their firstborn animals to YHVH, these three feasts represent part of the worship due to ADONAI. These feasts were so important to Isra’el’s religious life that after the Diaspora some Jews living far from Palestine still attended one or more of these festivals whenever possible. Attending these festivals gave the Israelites opportunity to acknowledge the LORD as their Deliverer and Provider. It also gave them the opportunity to express their faith in Ha’Shem as they left their families in God’s care to journey to the sanctuary. These festivals demonstrated that worshiping YHVH should be a joyful experience in which the people gratefully shared in the bounty of His blessing (16:11 and 14-15, 12:7, 12 and 18, 14:26).³⁶⁹

Three times a year all your males are to appear before ADONAI your God in the place He chooses (Jerusalem) – at the Feast of [Pesach] Matzot, the Feast of Shavu’ot, and the Feast of Sukkot. No one should appear empty-handed, the gift of each man’s hand according to the blessing ADONAI your God has given you (16:1-17).

A. Each of these feasts’ points to the beginning of a new dispensation.

The festival of Pesach points to the Dispensation of Torah (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Da – The Dispensation of Torah).

The festival of Shavu’ot points to the Dispensation of Grace (see the commentary on Hebrews Bp – The Dispensation of Grace).

And the festival of Sukkot points to the Dispensation of the Messianic Kingdom (see the commentary on Revelation Fh – The Dispensation of the Messianic Kingdom).

B. Furthermore, these three feasts point to the three offices of the Messiah.

At His death at the festival of Pesach, Yeshua fulfilled the office of prophet ( see Dk – A Prophet Like Moses).

At the birth of the Church at the festival of Shavu’ot, Yeshua fulfilled the office of priest. The Spirit of God could only come after the Son of God was sitting at the right hand of the Father, fulfilling His role as our mediator. He is our Great High Priest forever (see the commentary on Hebrews Bc – We Have This Hope as an Anchor for the Soul).

During the Messianic Kingdom when the festival of Sukkot is celebrated, Yeshua will fulfill the office of King. During His thousand-year reign, Yeshua will rule and reign from the Most Holy Place in Jerusalem, fulfilling His office of King (see the commentary on Isaiah Db – The Nine Missing Articles in the Messiah’s Coming Temple).³⁷⁰

C. In addition, these three feasts are part of the seven feasts of Isra’el.

The first four feasts were fulfilled by the program of the First Coming of Christ and occur within fifty days of each other.

Passover or Pesach: This feast was fulfilled by the death of Messiah.

Unleavened Bread or Hag ha’Matzah: It was fulfilled by the sinlessness of His sacrifice.

First Fruits or Rasheet: This feast was fulfilled by Yeshua’s resurrection to life.

Pentecost or Shavu’ot: It was fulfilled by the birth of the Church.

Between the first four feasts and the last three feasts, there is a four-month interval mentioned in passing. When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigners residing among you. I am ADONAI Your God (Leviticus 23:22).

During the pause between the two sets of feasts, life is to continue as normal. This interval is pictured as a summertime of labor in the fields in preparation for the final harvest of the summer and before the fall harvest. This verse is not related to any feast. Unless one understands what is really happening, it almost seems like an unnecessary interruption. However, it is the pause between the feasts that fulfilled the program of the First Coming as opposed to the festivals to be fulfilled by the program of the Second Coming. This internal of four months does have a messianic implication.

The messianic implication is the insertion of the Dispensation of Grace interrupting the program of feasts of Isra’el. Indeed, the gleanings for the poor and the foreigner residing among you is a very good picture of the mission of the Church itself in gospel evangelism. For example, Jesus states: Look to the fields! They are ripe for harvest (John 4:35)! Thus, it becomes a fitting symbol of the obligation of the Church to do the work of gospel evangelism. Leviticus 23:22, being a parenthetical verse interrupting the discussion of the feasts of Isra’el, is significant in that it symbolizes the present age in which we now live and in which the program of the feasts of Isra’el has been temporarily interrupted.

The last three feasts in the second cycle of festivals also come close together, even closer than those of the first cycle of feasts. In fact, they all come within two weeks of each other. The last three feasts of the second cycle are to be fulfilled by the program of the Second Coming.

Trumpets or Rosh ha-Shanah: will be fulfilled by the Rapture of the Church.

The Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur: will be fulfilled by the future affliction of the Jews in the Great Tribulation.

Tabernacles or Sukkot: will be fulfilled by the thousand-year Messianic Kingdom.

Dear Great and Powerful Heavenly Father, Praise You that You are the Almighty King of kings and You will reign forever! You are greater than any power and You also have infinite love for Your children. Thank You for blessing us with these festivals. They remind us of Your greatness. Your holiness is shown at Yom Kippur (Leviticus 23:26-32). Your great power is remembered on Sukkot. You are to live in sukkot for seven days. All the native-born in Isra’el are to live in sukkot, so that your generations may know that I had Bnei-Yisrael to dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am Adonai your God” (Leviticus 23:42-43).

Your greatness and power is shown by what you will do on these holidays in the future. After You rapture your church on a future Day of Rosh ha-Shanah, comes seven years when you seek to draw Isra’el back to loving You. They will be years of great affliction for Isra’el (Mark 13:5-25), but when she recognizes You as the Jewish Messiah (Isaiah 53) You return and rescue Isra’el. Then You will reign from Jerusalem for 1,000 years in the Messianic Kingdom.

As sure as your death on Pseach and Your rising from the dead on Rasheet, will be the fulfillment of Your promises on the fall Jewish Festival days. We know You will return soon, though we do not know the year and so we set no dates. We have heavy hearts for our family, friends, and neighbors who though they are nice, have not yet chosen to bow the knee to worship you.  He is being patient toward you – not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance (Second Peter 3:9). We love you dearest Father, and we so desire You to work in the hearts of our family and friends that they see how wonderful You are and how short the time is for them to respond. Please let them know that they need a personal relationship with You to enter heaven. May they move from knowledge about You, to heart love for You. May we use these few years till You come being busy for You. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Dedicate All the Firstborn Animals
15: 19-23

Dedicate all the firstborn animals DIG: Why are only the firstborn males set apart to be sacrificed if they are spotless according to Exodus 13:2 and Numbers 3:12-13? How are verses 19-23 linked with 12:4-14? What do both passages affirm about God? About Isra’el’s giving?

REFLECT: What have you dedicated to ADONAI? What have you set apart as holy to the LORD? How do you teach your children, or grandchildren, about YHVH? What great personal stories of victories in the LORD do you pass down to be followed?

All firstborn male animals without blemish are holy, and set apart for ADONAI.

This section links two ideas: it looks backward to the last of several provisions to protect the poor in Chapter 15; and it also looks forward as an introduction to the mitzvot regulating the three pilgrimage festivals (to see link click Db – The Three Pilgrimage Festivals).³⁶⁴ Sacrificing firstborn animals reminded the Israelites of their redemption from Egypt and when all the firstborn Egyptian sons died. It was thus an opportunity for the Israelites to teach their children about God’s redemption of their nation.³⁶⁵

Dear Heavenly Father, You are awesome! Each time we see a firstborn animal or firstborn child, may we remember Your marvelous redemption from Egypt of Your people Isra’el. We will praise You for Your great and mighty power that you showed in the ten plagues (Exodus 7-11) You sent upon the Egyptians and their gods. Therefore, say to Bnei-Yisrael: I am ADONAI, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. (Exodus 6:6). 

Also, Your power over life and death when You safely lead your people through the crossing of the Sea of Reeds, but all the Egyptians were drowned. Then Bnei-Yisrael went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, while the waters were like walls to them on their right and on their left. But the Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen. Now it came about during the morning watch that ADONAI looked at the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and caused the army of the Egyptians to panic.  He took off their chariot wheels and caused them to drive heavily, so that the Egyptians said, “Get away from the presence of Israel! For Adonai fights for them against the Egyptians!” Then Adonai said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters come back upon the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen.”  So, Moses stretched his hand out over the waters, and the sea returned to its strength at the break of dawn. The Egyptians were fleeing from it, but Adonai overthrew them in the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen and the entire army of Pharaoh that went after them into the sea. Not one of them remained (Exodus 14:22-28). Sometimes we get so caught up with the wonderful idea of heaven that we don’t think about the fact that many will not be allowed into heaven. Just as the only ones saved in Egypt were those who had the blood applied to the doorposts of their home, so only those who love Yeshua as their Messiah – have His blood applied to the door of their heart.

We lift up each of our relatives and beg you to move in their lives, doing anything that will help them to see with open eyes how wonderful you are. May they grasp that it is not good enough to just know about You – each one must make a choice to love and follow You with all their heart. Please work in their minds while they sleep to reveal the truth of Your love and holiness to them. Please also give them friends and situations that nourish them to grow stronger in you and to love You more and more. We would hate to get to heaven and find that family or friends did not love You – and so will spend eternity in hell. At the revelation of the Lord Yeshua from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, He will command judgment on those who do not know God and do not heed the Good News of our Lord Yeshua. They will pay the price of eternal ruin, away from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His power (Second Thessalonians 1:7b-9). In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The same literary form is followed here as in the two preceding files (see Cy – The Year of Release) and (see Cz – The Hebrew Slave). The mitzvah is first stated in its simplest form, and then illustrated upon and explained.

The mitzvah stated: The question of the firstborn mentioned in 12:6-7 and 14:23 is now resumed. The firstborn was the first calf, lamb, and so on, to be produced during the bearing-life of an animal.³⁶⁶ All the firstborn males that are born in your herd and your flock you are to dedicate to ADONAI your God. This practice was a great opportunity to teach their children as the Israelites recalled the tenth plague Ha’Shem sent against the Egyptians, in which most of the Egyptian firstborn male children died, but YHVH spared the Israelite firstborn (see the commentary on Exodus At – At Midnight the LORD Struck Down all the Firstborn in Egypt), and ADONAI’s later demand that the Israelites dedicate all firstborn sons to Him (see the commentary on Exodus Cd – Consecrate to Me Every Firstborn).³⁶⁷ You are to do no secular work with the firstborn of your herd or shear the firstborn of your flock (15:19). Its owner received no economic benefit from the animal.

The mitzvah explained: You are to eat it before ADONAI your God year after year during one of the annual feasts in the place ADONAI chooses – His sanctuary – you and your household (15:20). They were to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering (see the commentary on Exodus Fg – The Peace Offering: the fellowship offering). Just as offering the firstfruits demonstrated YHVH’s ownership of and blessing on the Land (Leviticus 25:2; Deuteronomy 8:10-18), the sacrifice of the firstborn male animals represents the recognition of God’s ownership of and blessing on the herdsmen.³⁶⁸

But blemished animals were not acceptable as sacrifices. If it has any blemish – if it is lame or blind or has any serious blemish – you are not to sacrifice it to ADONAI your God. You are to eat it within your gates, the unclean and the clean together, just as they eat the gazelle or deer. An imperfect firstborn male animal was not acceptable as a sacrifice, so it was to be treated like a game animal (12:15 and 14:4-5) and eaten at home (12:15 and 22). As stated earlier (12:16, 23-24), its blood you are not to eat – you must pour it out on the ground like water (15:21-23).

The Hebrew Slave
15: 12-18

The Hebrew slave DIG: What is a bond-slave? What rights did Jewish slaves have? What responsibility did the owners have? In what way do these instructions help Isra’el prevent slavery? Why do you think God reminds the Israelites that they had once been slaves? What is the new relationship in verses 16-17? How is this different from the previous relationship?

REFLECT: In what way have believers been freed from slavery? How is this to influence our care for others? What implications do these verses have for employees? Employers? What do these verses tell you about God’s priorities in relationships and property? As ADONAI has cared for the woman maidservant, how has He cared for you?

Jewish debtors unable to repay their loans could become indentured servants in the household of the man to whom they were indebted, and in that way, worked off their debt.

The second mitzvah designed to protect the poor is concerned with a Hebrew man who would sell himself as a slave (Greek: doulos, meaning a bond-slave) to his creditor to pay a debt. At the end of six years, he was to be released and sent away with generous gifts which would help him to start a new life. In the faithful observance of this mitzvah, Isra’el would recall her own time of slavery in Egypt and the abundant provision she enjoyed when her release came. The memory of this would act as a powerful motivating force.³⁵⁶

The mitzvah stated (15:12): If your fellow Hebrew – a man or woman – is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you are to set him free (15:12). It is very probable that the word Hebrew here has a socioeconomic meaning rather than a merely ethnic one. This is basically a restatement of the mitzvah that occurs in Exodus 21:2-11, but adds some typically Deuteronomic extras. This commandment serves to limit the time of servitude. However, it also gives us a great principle that prepares us for the coming mitzvot dealing with our fellow mankind. The commandment that permeates the Torah, lifts up men and women as being created in the image of God. Through this mitzvah and the ones that follow, ADONAI claims His own and warns of any abuses that one person would exercise over another. The point is, no one can own another person. Every man and woman belong to YHVH who created them.³⁵⁷

The mitzvah explained (15:13-18): When you set him free, you are not to send him away empty-handed. You are to surely provide for him as much as he can carry from your flock and threshing floor and winepress. As ADONAI your God has blessed you, you are to give to him (15:13-14). This would give the man a fresh start in life. Once again, the humanitarian spirit of Deuteronomy is clear.

While the master was himself an Israelite, he would not have experienced the Exodus. But, because of the corporate nature of Isra’el, any person, in any age, could be regarded as one with those who had personally experienced the deliverance of the Exodus, and could in memory, and by an act of identification, enter into that ancient experience by faith. You will remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and ADONAI your God redeemed you; therefore, I am commanding you this thing today (15:15). Hence, any master of a slave, in any age, by freeing his own slave would be expressing gratitude to God for having liberated His own people. It would also remind him that his own personal welfare depended on that grace.

If, for some reason, the man or woman in Isra’el desired of his or her own free will to remain in the service of the master, it was possible to do so for the rest of life. But even apart from that possibility, the release of a Hebrew slave was not to be counted as a loss, since six years of his or her service was equivalent to the cost of hiring a servant. Obedience to this mitzvah would guarantee the divine blessing and no loss would result to the master.³⁵⁸

Now if the Hebrew slave tells you, “I will not go away from you” – because he loves you and your household since he is well off with you (15:16). The example given in Exodus 21:5 was a slave who had married and had children during that seven-year period and did not want to leave them behind. The master would formalize that decision by taking an awl and putting it through his ear (the symbol of obedience as in Psalm 40:6-8; Isaiah 50:4-5) to the door as a symbol that he had joined the master’s household, and then he would become a servant forever (15:16-17a). Notice that the name changes from slave to servant. The name implies someone of value and importance, and does not have any negative implications.³⁵⁹ Therefore, the servant had an important place in the family. We see the case where Eliezer the servant was sent by Abraham to find a wife for his son Isaac (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Fx – Go to My Country and My Own Relatives and Get a Wife for My Son Isaac).³⁶⁰

And to your female slave you are to do the same (15:17b). So, the man was free to go after the sixth year, but for a woman, it was different. If a man sells his daughter to be a maidservant, she is not to go free as the male servants to (Exodus 21:7). To our human way of thinking, this hardly seems fair. But in the eyes of God, this was a very loving thing to do. ADONAI was more concerned about her safety than anything else. If she does not please her master who has selected her for himself, then he is to allow her to be redeemed. He will have no power to sell her to a foreign people, seeing as he has dealt deceitfully toward her (Exodus 21:8). In those days it was virtually impossible for a woman to make it in the world without some protection. As a result, the LORD required someone from her family to redeem her (see the commentary on Ruth Ax – Ruth and Bo’az on the Threshing Floor). And as ADONAI cares for the women maidservant, He cares for each one of us.³⁶¹

But because it is hard for an owner to let go of his free labor, ADONAI reminded him of his great deal: Do not consider it a hardship when you set him free from you, for he has served you six years – equivalent to the value of a hired worker. So, ADONAI your God will bless you in all that you do (15:18). Throughout the TaNaKh, Isra’el’s treatment of the poor, fatherless, and widows served as a barometer of the nation’s obedience to YHVH’s mitzvot. Treating these needy people with compassion, justice, and equity was a fundamental part of being able to lift up God’s name before the surrounding nations. The health of Isra’el was often measured by the quality of their care for these people, not by her accumulation of wealth.³⁶²

Dear Loving Heavenly Father, How wonderful You are! Praise You that Yeshua bore the pain and shame of being the sacrifice for our sins, He made the One who knew no sin 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 for saving all who love and follow Yeshua as their Lord and Savior. 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). What a joy to know that Yeshua is preparing a home for them in heaven. 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 14:2-3). There is eternal joy in pleasing you by being merciful as You are. It is more important to be kind and merciful than to be selfish and greedy. We love You. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Certainly, there is a spiritual message here for God’s people today. We should love our Lord so much that we should want to serve Him willingly and gladly all our lives. We must never look upon our service as slavery, but as being a servant (see the commentary on Romans Bv – The New Master in Messiah). I love my Master . . . and do not want to go free is a wonderful confession of faith and love (Exodus 21:5 NIV). Granted, the servant’s love for his wife and children entered into the picture, but even those blessings came because of his master’s kindness, and the master was caring for them as well as his servant. What we all need is an open ear to hear the will of ADONAI, and a pierced ear that announces we love Him and are ready to obey His every mitzvah.³⁶³

The Year of Release
15: 1-11

The year of release DIG: By this principle of releasing all debts, what attitude, behavior, and theology is Moses trying to teach Isra’el? How is each of these three related? Why should Isra’el be so generous? How did the Year of Release and the Year of Jubilee balance the economic scales of the nation? What Promises are given for a generous heart?

REFLECT: What attitudes and behaviors can (and will) you adopt from these verses? What promises in Scripture and role models in your community do you have for becoming more generous? What can you adopt from their example? What causes a “tight fist?” In what ways would you like to become more “open handed?” How will you begin this week?

At the end of every seven years, ADONAI required His covenantal people to grant a release, and cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite.

It is one of the features of the Torah in Deuteronomy, although it may be seen elsewhere in the TaNaKh, that there is a deep concern for the welfare of the individual member of society, whether rich or poor. Elsewhere, in the ancient Near East, men were treated in terms of their status in the community rather than individuals. Members of the aristocracy, priests, landowners, rulers, and military leaders always had the advantage. A study of the so-called Code of Hammurabi will reveal that the slave and the underprivileged counted for less before the law. In Isra’el, however, the poor and the needy were the special concern of ADONAI and the covenant community was expected to ensure the welfare of every member of the family. Since Isra’el herself had once been enslaved in Egypt and had known the sorrow of oppression and the joy of redemption, she was bound to guarantee the freedom and welfare of individuals.³⁴⁶

Dear Wise and Wonderful Father, Praise You for being such a merciful and loving father. Praise You for paying for our sin’s sacrifice by Yeshua dying for us as our punishment.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). Your love is so fantastic! Not only did You pay the costly price of pain and shame for us; but for all who have a reverent fear of You so that they choose to love and follow You, You also forgave their sins so completely that you release them and put them far away! For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy for those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalms 103:11-12). You are a wonderful example of what you want your children to do in order to release the debt that others owe us. As you have forgiven us, so we will release the sin by being forgiving when others wrong us and repent. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. Even if he sins against you seven times a day, and seven times returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him” (Luke 17:3b-4). We love You and delight in pleasing You. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection.

The mitzvah stated (15:1): The reference is to the sabbatical year which ended each seven-year period within the jubilee cycle (Leviticus 25:8-17). In the Book of the Covenant, the year is referred to as one in which the land was to lie fallow so that the poor among your people may eat (Exodus 23:11b). The root of the verb lie fallow (Hebrew: smt) is also the root of the noun release (Hebrew: shmita). The mitzvah is expounded in more detail in Leviticus 25:1-7, where it is called a Shabbat rest for the land. In Deuteronomy alone is the sabbatical year designated as a time when debts are to be canceled. Clearly the peasant could not pay debts from the produce of his land if it was fallow. Therefore: at the end of every seven years, you are to grant a release (15:1).³⁴⁷ The Deuteronomy mitzvah thus expands the scope of the fallow year from release of the land from the burden of plowing, to the release of human beings from the burden of debt.

The Year of Release and the Year of Jubilee were part of God’s wise plan to balance the economic scales in the nation so that the rich could not exploit the poor or the poor take advantage of the rich. However, ADONAI knew that there would always be poor people in the Land (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Kb – Jesus Anointed at Bethany) because Isra’el would not consistently obey these mitzvot. The nation of Isra’el would have been the most prosperous nation on earth if she had followed the mitzvot given to her, but she rejected His will and adopted the ways of the goyim around her.

The mitzvah explained (15:2): This is how you are to cancel debts: every creditor is to release what he has loaned to his neighbor. He must not force his neighbor or his brother to repay, for ADONAI’s debt cancellation has been proclaimed (15:2). The repeated description of the needy person as his neighbor and brother draws on the covenant solidarity that made all Israelites neighbors and on the kinship solidarity that made them all like brothers.³⁴⁸ They were to release the loan totally at that point, regardless of the personal loss to themselves (Exodus 23:10-11; Leviticus 25:2-4). No Israelite owed anything to another Israelite.³⁴⁹

The personal implications of the mitzvot (15:3-11): Isra’el is called upon to always deal with the poor with generosity. A foreigner you may force, but your hand is to release whatever your brother owes you (15:3). It was legal to require payment of debts from foreigners during the Year of Release, for they were not included in the family circle of Isra’el. The mitzvah was designed to relieve poverty in Isra’el and regulate relations between members of the covenant community. There can be no doubt that the early Messianic community found in Deuteronomy a blueprint for their attempt to eliminate poverty in their midst, and Luke links the growth of the covenant community as firmly to that social and economic effort as to the evangelistic preaching of the apostles (Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-35).³⁵⁰

However, there should be no poor among you, for ADONAI will surely bless you in the Land and ADONAI your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess. If only you would carefully listen to the voice of ADONAI your God, being careful to do all these mitzvot that I am commanding you today! For ADONAI your God will bless you as He promised you. So, you will lend to many nations, but not borrow; you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you (15:4-6). Complete obedience to YHVH and His mitzvot would result in divine blessing. That would mean, among other things, that there would be no poor in the Land, but also that Isra’el, as a nation, would never be in debt to other nations, but would rather lend to them. Nor would she ever be subdued by the goyim, but would rule over them.³⁵¹

While the mitzvah required that debtors should be released from their obligations every seventh year, love demanded nothing less than a continual attitude of generosity and mercy towards the poor. If there is a poor man among you – any of your brothers within any of your gates in your land that ADONAI your God is giving you – you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother (15:7). We see a metaphorical use of body language in the chapter as a whole, but especially in this section. Three terms are used.

The hand: Cancel (Hebrew: shemittah, meaning release the hand, in other words, to renounce one’s claim to, or power over the pledge, and thus, the debtor). Similarly, in verses 7, 8 and 11, opening or shutting the hand speaks of the power that the creditor wields over the debtor. So, the text addresses those who have economic power. The social response to poverty is put squarely in the hands of those who have hands, in other words, the power to do something effective about it. It is not left up to the self-effort of the poor alone.

The heart: As the seat of the mind and will, the heart governs the intentions and direction of economic action. The warning is against a cruel will. The heart can be hard as in verse 7, filled with a wicked thought as in verse 9, or grudging, literally evil in verse 10. Deuteronomy is well aware of the self-interest of those who wield economic power and dictate economic policy, and realizes that justice for the poor requires a whole different mindset translated into personal and political will power. It is a perception that has lost nothing of its sharpness and truth with the passing centuries.

The eye: How one looks at another reveals the attitude inside. Wrong attitudes are bound up with wrong action, just as a wrong mind and will are. Thus, to show that your eye is evil as in verse 9, or to consider it a hardship in 15:18 are both translations of Hebrew “eye” metaphors.³⁵² The usage here, and later rabbinic use of the “eye,” make it clear that Yeshua was referring to the good or bad eye when He said: The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, that is, if you are generous, your whole body will be full of light. In Judaism, “having a good eye,” or ‘ayin tovah, means being generous, and “having a bad eye,” or ‘ayin ra’ah, means being stingy. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness (Matthew 6:22-23). The eye that is bad flows out of the heart that is selfishly indulgent. The person who is materialistic and greedy is spiritually blind. The principle is simple and sobering: the way we look at and use our money is a sure barometer of our spiritual condition.

Rather, you must surely open your hand to him and you must surely lend him enough for his need – whatever he is lacking (15:8). One who is kind to the poor lends to ADONAI, and ADONAI will reward him for his good deed (Proverbs 19:17). There is a Jewish saying, “The rich often give less than they can afford, and the poor more than they should, for the same reason – to conceal who they are. The rich don’t want to let people know how rich he is, and the poor don’t want to let people know how poor he is! As the seventh year approached men of wealth would hesitate to make loans which would net be reimbursed. To lend a poor man something in the sixth year was practically making it a gift. But it was precisely a gift of this kind that was being asked of Isra’el.

The letter of the mitzvot kills, but the spirit of the mitzvot gives life. The absence of compassion would lead people to a hardened heart, and a mitzvah that was designed to protect the poor would become a reason for oppressing them.³⁵³ Therefore, the Word of God says: Watch yourself, so there is no wicked thought in your heart saying, “The seventh year, the year of cancelling debts, is near,” and your eye is evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing. Then he may call out to ADONAI against you, and it will be a sin upon you. You must surely give to him without a grudging heart – because of this [sacrifice], ADONAI your God will bless you in all your work and in every undertaking of your hand (15:9-10).

These verses anticipate the Sermon on the Mount because they penetrate behind the outward act to the motives and intents of the heart (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Dm – You Have Heard That Is Was Said: Love Your Neighbor). Obedience towards God inevitably results in generosity towards others. But if someone has material possessions and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him (First John 3:17)? A mean and unwilling spirit that produces a cry of anguish from a poor person sinful in the sight of Ha’Shem and earns divine condemnation.

The failure of Isra’el to follow these mitzvot has cost her dearly. She did not observe the Year of Release every seventh year, or the Year of Jubilee every fiftieth year, and for this failure she paid a great price (Leviticus 26:32-45). Her seventy years of captivity in Babylon (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule) gave their land the Sabbath rest that it missed during those years of disobedience. The Chronicler tells us: In fulfillment of the word of ADONAI by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the Land had paid back her Shabbat rests – for as long as it lay desolate – the Shabbat rest was kept till 70 years were complete (Second Chronicles 36:21).³⁵⁴

Therefore, I am commanding you, saying: You must surely open your hand to your brother – to your needy and poor in your Land (15:11). The Year of Release was a test of faith, but it was also a test of love. Suppose a poor Jew needed a loan and the Year of Release was a year away. If the loaner looked at the load strictly as a business proposition, he would turn it down, but that’s the very attitude the LORD wanted to correct. It wasn’t a business proposition; it was a ministry to a brother. If the rich Israelite closed his heart and his hand to a needy brother, he would not only hurt his brother, but also grieve YHVH, who had given him all his wealth to begin with. Therefore, he was to open his heart and his hand to help his brother, and ADONAI would see to it that he was compensated for his generosity (Proverbs 14:21 and 31, 19:17, 21:13, 28:27; Ephesians 4:28; First Timothy 6:17-19; First John 3:14-18).³⁵⁵

Do Not Neglect the Levite
14: 22-29

Do not neglect the Levite DIG: What were the three main tithes? What was the purpose of each one? Where is the basis for the title found in the Torah? What did the rabbis conclude? What is the difference between a Levite and a priest? What other religious duties did the Israelites have beside tithing. What would that total amount to today?

REFLECT: To what degree is your tithing an act of worshipful obedience (giving as unto ADONAI), that promotes brotherly love (giving up what you have to help others), and grateful giving (growing in responsible, God-honoring stewardship remembering that everything belongs to God)? What can you do to grow in this area?

The Israelites were called to give a tenth of their produce or income to support, first the Tabernacle, then the Temple, the priesthood and other noble causes.

Chapters 14, 15 and 16 speak of giving to God and to the poor. These tithes were to be given at certain times during the year. They were spread out in such a way that they would always be a certain anticipation in hearts of the Israelites until a time of release. A time of rejoicing, of rest, and of gladness. It was a break from everyday life where the individual was called into communion with ADONAI. These chapters are practical, as they call on the reader to tithe as a special time of rest, with, and for, the LORD. Something we all need today. However, borrowing and debts are also mentioned, things that deprive us of rest.³⁴²

Dear Great Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your rich mercy in generously giving Yourself as our sin offering. It cost You so much pain and shame yet You were willing to become our sacrifice. He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). You are a wonderful example of giving what costs You much. It is a joy to give back to You our gifts of love – even in times of trial!  For I testify that according to their ability, and even beyond their ability, they gave of their own free will –  begging us with much urging for the favor of sharing in the relief of the kedoshim (Second Corinthians 8:3-4). Praise You that when we give to You even when we have little, You supply our needs. We will still have wants, but You graciously take care of our needs. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (Second Corinthians 9:8 NIV). Giving is a wonderful privilege and we desire to excel in this privilege. But as you excel in everything – in faith and speech and knowledge and all diligence, and in your love for us – also excel in this grace (Second Corinthians 8:8). Praise You for giving what cost You so much! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

You will surely set aside a tenth of all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year (14:22). During the Dispensation of Torah (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Da – The Dispensation of the Torah), the Israelites were called to give a tenth of one’s produce or income to support, first the Tabernacle, then the Temple, the priesthood and other noble causes. The purpose was to remind the people of Isra’el that everything they had, came from ADONAI and ultimately belonged to Him.

In the Torah there are three main tithes, which equaled about twenty-five percent. Leviticus 27:30-33 sets forth the principle of giving a tithe of the land, whether from the seed of the land, or the fruit of the trees to YHVH. But tithing was only a part of the religious dues of the Isrealites. In addition, there was the sin offering (see the commentary on Exodus Fc – The Sin Offering), the thanksgiving offering (see the commentary on Exodus Fg – The Peace Offering), the first fruit offering of their crops (Leviticus 23:10), the firstborn animals, the redemption of the firstborn (see the commentary on Exodus Cd – Consecrate to Me Every Firstborn), the half-shekel Temple tax (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Gf – Jesus and the Temple Tax), annual wood gathering, and the freewill offerings. The sum total of the religious obligations levied upon the Israelites in the TaNaKh was, to say the least, nothing short of enormous.³⁴³

The first tithe went to the priestly tribe of Levites, those who were responsible for making copies of the Scriptures, teaching God’s Word to the people, and maintaining the Tabernacle, and later, the Temple. Numbers 18:21-24 required the Israelites to give a tithe to the Levites, who had no land inheritance. But you are not to neglect the Levite within your gates, for he has no portion or inheritance with you (14:27). The Levites were then to give a tenth of their tithe to the priests (for the difference between Levites and priests see the commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah An – Priests, Levites and Temple Servants Who Returned with Zerubbabel).

The second tithe was 10 percent of the remaining 90 percent. This was to maintain the Festivals (see Db – The Three Pilgrimage Festivals) and sacrifices to YHVH. This was a special tithe, opposed to the first one. The tithe was to be eaten by the offeror with his family at one of the three pilgrimage feasts in Jerusalem. The people of Isra’el were to be generous with tithes and offerings because ADONAI had been generous with them. Each time they brought their tithes and offerings to the Tabernacle or the Temple and enjoyed a thanksgiving feast, it would teach them to fear the LORD, because if the LORD hadn’t blessed them, they would have nothing to eat and nothing to give. You are to eat the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, before ADONAI your God in the place He chooses (Jerusalem) to make His Name dwell, so that you may learn to fear ADONAI your God always (14:23). When we cease to fear ADONAI and fail to appreciate His bountiful provision, we become proud and start to take His blessings for granted. Then Ha’Shem has to discipline us to remind us that He is the Giver of every gift (see the commentary on Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children).³⁴⁴ We aren’t blessed because we are good; we are blessed because He is good.

Now suppose the way is too long for you, for you cannot carry the tithe because the place ADONAI your God chooses to set His Name (Jerusalem) is too far from you. When ADONAI your God blesses you, then you are to exchange the tithe for silver, bind up the silver in your hand, and go to the place that ADONAI your God chooses (14:24-25). Now we can understand the existence of the money-changers in the Temple.
In Yeshua’s day, this helpful system that God had put in place had become corrupted by the bazaar of the sons of Annas, charging an exorbitant amount of interest to exchange the pilgrim’s Roman money into Temple currency (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bs – Jesus’ First Cleansing of the Temple at the Passover). The whole idea of rejoicing and communion was turned into a mafia style business.

You may spend the money for whatever your soul desires – cattle, sheep, wine, strong drink, or whatever your soul asks of you. Then you will eat there before ADONAI your God and rejoice – you and your household (14:26). It would, in effect, be a giant family celebration in the presence of Ha’Shem. And all believers look forward to the time when we will have a giant family reunion with the Lord on earth after the Second Coming (see the commentary on Revelation Fg – Blessed Are Those Invited to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb), celebrating the start of His Messianic Kingdom (see the commentary on Revelation Fh – The Dispensation of the Messianic Kingdom).

And a third tithe was another ten percent to be given every third year to provide for the outsider, the orphan and the widow (see Ey – The Year of the Tithe). At the end of every three years, you are to bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year and store it within your gates so that there would always be provisions for them. This is the core of the Judeo-Christian belief system. Then the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, along with the outsider, the orphan and the widow within your gates, will come and eat and be satisfied, so that ADONAI your God may bless you in all the work of your hand that you do (14:28-29).³⁴⁵

While we are still commanded to tithe today, most of us are not thinking of the tithe during the Dispensation of the Torah which would amount to about twenty-five percent! Giving in the Dispensation of Grace (see the commentary on Hebrews Bp – The Dispensation of Grace) is proportionate. Today, giving is to be personally determined. Second Corinthians 9:7 tells us that each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Do – When You Give to the Needy, Do Not Do It to be Honored by Others: The Seven Principles of Scriptural Giving). It is not so much the amount that is given, but the condition of the heart of the giver (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Je – The Widow’s Offering).

A Holy People
14: 1-21

A holy people DIG: Why would the mourning customs of verse 1 be prohibited? What is the overall purpose of these dietary mitzvot? What do the phrases “holy to ADONAI” and “unclean” imply? How would these mitzvot help Isra’el to become a distinctive and holy people?

REFLECT: In what ways are believers in Yeshua called to be separate and holy? In what area of your life would you like to grow in holiness? How? Are there any ungodly customs you have adopted which interfere with your holiness? What will you do about them? When?

As a holy people, the Israelites were set apart from all the other nations because the holy presence of ADONAI was with them, and they received God’s holy Torah.

Chapters 14 and 15 are specifically designed to keep Isra’el sanctified. The mitzvot covered in these chapters cover every aspect of the life of the Israelite. Stressing that the individual Israelite belongs to God, His property, and under the teaching and loving protection of a divine Creator.

A holy people (14:1a and 2): You are the children of ADONAI your God (14:1a). For the first time in the Scriptures, a people are called children of God. This new title spoke of a new relationship that began when YHVH chose Isra’el (Exodus 4:22; Isaiah 43:15). We should never take for granted that we are the children of ADONAI [our] God, and a holy people to ADONAI [our] God. Those are privileges that we don’t deserve and that we could never earn, and we enjoy them only because of God’s love and grace. God announced to Pharaoh: Isra’el is My son, My firstborn (Exodus 4:22), and because Pharaoh wouldn’t listen and obey, Egypt lost all their firstborn.

Because of their unique relationship to YHVH as His chosen people and special treasure, the Israelites were responsible to obey Him and truly be a holy people. For you are a holy people to ADONAI your God – from all the peoples on the face of the earth, ADONAI has chosen you (to see link click Bf – God’s Chosen People) to be His treasured people (14:2). Forty years previously, after Bnei-Yisra’el had gone out from the land of Egypt, they came to the wilderness of Sinai, and camped there right in front of the same mountain as they were now. Ha’Shem announced to Isra’el, “Now then, although the whole earth is Mine, you will be My treasured possession, You will be to Me a kingdom of Kohanim and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5-6a).

Yeshua brought out the same point in His parable (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Fb – The Parable of the Hidden Treasure). Their relationship to God was the most important factor in their national life, for without Him, Isra’el would be like all the other nations. But as a holy people, they had to learn and distinguish what was allowable and what was not.³³⁵

Dear Wonderful and Holy Heavenly Father, Praise You that You are perfectly holy and there is not even a hint of anything unclean in You. As a father wants his children to be like him, so You want Your children to be holy. ADONAI spoke to Moses saying: Speak to all the congregation of Bnei-Yisrael and tell them: You shall be kedoshim, for I, Adonai your God, am holy (Leviticus 19:1-2). Guide us to remember that though Your love is so great, so also is Your holiness and Your children need to be diligent in walking in loving ways. Thank You for giving us your Ruach ha-Kodesh to live in us and to help us. Praise You that you never leave 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 13:5-6a). In Yeshua’s holy name and by the power of His resurrection. Amen

Prohibition of certain mourning rituals (14:1b): You are not to cut yourselves or shave your forehead for the dead (14:1b). Both customs are well-known rites in connection with mourning and were Canaanite practices related to Ba’al (First Kings 18:28) and the cult of the dead. We have learned from the mythological texts relating to Ba’al, there is a description of the mourning of El following the death of Ba’al. Among the variety of mourning rites, El is described as cutting himself. In the “Legend of Aqht,” there is a reference to professional mourning women who also cut themselves to let blood flow. It is clear from these texts that the laceration of the body with the consequent flow of blood was a part of the mourning customs employed in religions outside Isra’el. The Israelites were thus forbidden to participate in such actions; though the actions themselves could appear to be innocent enough, they were associated with practices and beliefs that were reprehensible to the covenant of faith and therefore to be avoided.³³⁶

The kosher (fit or proper) section of the Scriptures. A Jewish orthodox home is characterized by the kind of food eaten and the manner of its preparation. The Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law) added many additional requirements for the observant Jew. For example, the Oral Law states that you eat meat, you need to wait six hours before you can eat a dairy product. The meat and the dairy cannot mix, even in the stomach. It is important to point out that both Messianic Jews and Messianic Gentiles can choose to observe these kosher commandments, not out of any effort to take on the yoke of the Torah, but because of our freedom in Messiah to do so (see the commentary on Galatians Bb – The Antioch Incident: How Can You Force Jews to Live Like Gentiles).

In this chapter, the animals are divided into three classes; animals that live on the ground, fish that live in the water, and birds that fly in the air. The list of creatures is divided into the same categories as in Leviticus 11:1-23, according to habitat – land (11:4-8), water (11:9-10), or air (14:11-20), probably thereby reflecting the order of the creation narrative. There was nothing specifically wrong with these animals, or fish or birds. It was merely the means by which God separated Isra’el from her sinful neighbors and their pagan religions.³³⁷ Therefore, the object of these commandments was to sanctify Isra’el. For I am ADONAI your God. Therefore, sanctify yourselves, and be holy, for I am holy. You are not to defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth (Numbers 11:44). Yeshua echoed the same sentiment when He said: It’s not what goes into the mouth that makes the person unclean; but what comes out of the mouth, this makes one unholy (Matthew 15:11).

Clean and unclean animals on land (14:3-8): This list should be understood as representative, rather than comprehensive. Only the land animals that chewed both the cud and had hoofs completely split in two were acceptable for the Israelites to eat. An animal possessing only one of these features was to be regarded as unclean.³³⁸ You are not to eat any detestable thing. These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. Among the animals, you may eat any animal that splits the hoof – the hoof completely split in two – and chews the cud. Yet of those that chew the cud or have a split hoof, you are not to eat the camel, the hare, and the rabbit – because they chew the cud but do not split the hoof, they are unclean to you. The pig, because it splits the hoof but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you – you are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses. The association with the Canaanite religious cults, and hygiene, made the pig unclean (14:3-8).

Clean and unclean fish that live in the water (14:9-10): Fish had to possess both fins and scales to be fit for consumption by an Israelite. This requirement left a limited variety of fish fit for consumption. Of all that are in the waters, these you may eat: whatever has fins and scales you may eat, but whatever does not have fins and scales you are not to eat, such as the catfish in the Sea of Galilee, and eels, rays, and lampreys in the Mediterranean coastal waters, were therefore unclean and not to be eaten (14:9-10).³³⁹

Clean and unclean birds that fly in the air (14:11-20): It should be noted that the identification of many of the birds in this section is uncertain. You may eat all clean birds. The category of birds presents the most complicated section of unclean creatures. But these are the ones you are not to eat: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, the red kite, the black kite, and any bird of prey of that kind, every raven of any kind, the ostrich, the owl, the seagull, a hawk of any kind, the little owl, the great owl, the white owl (see the commentary on Jeremiah Ad – The Owl as a Symbol of Judgment), the pelican, the Egyptian vulture, the cormorant, the stork, a heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat. These verses list twenty-one species or subspecies, some of which are difficult to identify. This long list seems to consist mainly of birds of prey that consume other dead animals. All winged insects that swarm are unclean to you – they are not to be eaten. Without giving any details, this passage confirms that Israelites could eat any clean insect or bird (14:11-20). Leviticus 11:20-23 provides more information by dividing the entomological world into those unclean insects that walk on all fours, and those clean insects that have jointed legs for hopping.

Peter’s vision of various unclean animals and ADONAI’s encouragement of him to eat any of those animals indicates that maintaining the clean/unclean distinction was not required of believers in the Dispensation of Grace (see the commentary on Hebrews Bp – The Dispensation of Grace). The animals Peter saw were no longer unclean (see the commentary on Acts Bf – Peter’s Vision). The Lord had made them clean what had been unclean. This significant shift is related to the transition from a focus on the nation of Isra’el to the Church, where there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave or free, there is neither male or female – because the middle wall of separation has been broken down and the two have become one (Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:14).³⁴⁰

Regardless of a creatures’ status as clean or unclean, the Israelites could not eat the meat of any animal, fish or bird they found already dead. You are not to eat anything that dies of itself because it was likely that there was still blood in the carcass (see the commentary on Hebrews Cu – Do Not Eat the Blood). But they were allowed to give it to a non-Israelite who lived in their midst or sell it to a foreigner. You may give it to the outsider within your gates so that he may eat it or you may sell it to a foreigner (14:21a).

The Israelites were further prohibited from boiling a young goat in its mother’s milk (see the commentary on Exodus Ci – A Holy People). This prohibition no doubt reflects a practice common in Canaanite religion, which was not to be permitted in the religion of the Israelites (14:21c). It is possible that one of the Ugaritic texts, which appears to contain a reference to “cooking a kid in milk,” may provide a background to the specific rite prohibited in Deuteronomy. In that case the prohibited rite would be one that had close associations with the fertility cult.³⁴¹ As a result, observant Jews today have two completely different sets of dishes, one for milk products and another for meat products.

In conclusion, all these food mitzvot would have reminded Isra’el of her unique status before YHVH. No Israelite could eat without realizing that in every area of their lives, they were to set apart for the glory of God. Likewise, an Israelites diet served as a testimony of their relationship to the LORD in the presence of the goyim. As this section of Scripture began, so does it conclude: For you are a holy people to ADONAI your God (14:21b).

Beware of Idolatry
12:29 to 13:19

Beware if idolatry DIG: What child sacrifice continues on to this day? What three sources of danger were the Israelites to be wary? How was Isra’el to know if a prophet was from YHVH? What were the consequences for being a false prophet? How could idolatry be a test for the Israelites? How could family and friends be a source of temptation? How was a person to respond, and why? What threat does a city turning to idolatry pose? What were the consequences for the city and for Isra’el? What are the limits of Ha’Shem’s tolerance?

REFLECT: How does the idolatry among religious teachers, family members, or whole cities apply today? Is one a source of danger to you right now? How so? What can you do about it? How can you know if a person (or teaching) is from God? How do you go about seeking discernment? What do you think should be the “limits of tolerance” for committed believers today? Should these limits be expanded or relaxed, in relation to unbelievers? Why do you think so? How are you going to protect your children in an increasingly secular society?

Beware of idolatry and avoid the path of curses.

 After reminding the nation of YHVH’s part in conquering the Land of promise, Moshe again looks to a future day when the Israelites will have driven out the Canaanites, and settled down. At that time, they must be careful not to become enticed by the Canaanite ways and worship their gods.³²² When ADONAI your God cuts off before you the nations that you are going into, when you have dispossessed them and settled in their land, be careful not to be trapped into imitating them after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do the same.” You are not to act like this toward ADONAI your God (12:29-31a)!

The example given is that of child sacrifice. For every abomination of ADONAI, which He hates, they have done to their gods – they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods (12:31b). The Torah described child sacrifice as a capital offense (Leviticus 18:21 and 20:2-5), for it was the same as murder in spite of the supposedly religious reason behind it. In spite of the horrible nature of the offense, there are cases of child sacrifice during the later apostate periods of Israelite history. Both Ahaz (Second Chronicles 28:3) and Manasseh (Second Kings 21:6) were guilty of child sacrifice. Just as here in Deuteronomy, the crime is described as one that could lead to expulsion from the Land, as in fact it happened with the northern Kingdom (Second Kings 17:17-18). To assume the right to sacrifice a child was to assume a prerogative that was God’s alone, the prerogative over human life. In the fullness of time, ADONAI exercised that prerogative in the offering of His one and only Son (John 3:16), as a complete sacrifice for the sins of mankind.³²³

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for showing us how precious human life is, for you willingly took the punishment for our sins – that all who choose to love and to follow You would have the joy of eternal life. 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). Praise You that You give Your children (John 1:12) life for all eternity with You in complete peace and joy in heaven.

Praise You that You are the “King of kings, and Lord of lords,” much more powerful than all the armies on earth. When You come back from heaven, riding on a white horse with the armies of heaven following You, You will destroy the beast and the false prophet with the sharp sword coming out of Your mouth (Revelation 19:11-20). After your thousand-year Millennial reign is over, Satan will be released from his prison to deceive the people and to gather them for battle. Yeshua will be victorious and Satan will be thrown into the burning lake. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they shall be tortured day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10). Praise Your Mighty power! We choose to wisely live our lives here on earth, by loving and following You in the short time we have on earth. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The emphasis of Chapter 12 is on protection from outside of Isra’el. They were to utterly destroy all the idolatrous nations around them (12:2). They were to have only one place to worship (12:5). But Chapter 13 addresses various scenarios that could lure Yisra’el into idolatry and shifts to warnings about different three groups of people.

First, Beware of False Prophets (13:1-6): Whatever I command you, you must take care to do – you are not to add to it or take away from it (Deuteronomy 13:1; also see Revelation 22:18-19). The line between clarifying Scripture and adding to it is indeed a thin line. But Scripture need not be clarified by listening to someone who thinks they have the gift of prophecy. Scripture is clarified as it is carefully and diligently studied (see the commentary on Acts, to see link click Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah 53). There are no shortcuts to interpreting God’s Word accurately (Acts 17:11; Second Timothy 2:15).

Believers must not play fast and loose with the issues of inspiration and revelation. An accurate understanding of those doctrines is essential for distinguishing between the voice of God and the human voice. Suppose a prophet or a dreamer of dreams rises up among you and gives you a sign or wonder, and the sign or wonder he spoke to you comes true, while saying, “Let’s follow other gods” that you have not known, and – “Let’s serve them!” (Deuteronomy 13:2-3; also see Second Peter 2:1-2). That is the way you would know it’s a false prophet, because a true prophet would never try to turn you against ADONAI. And a true prophet would know the Word of God and live by the Word of God (Matthew 7:18). Anyone who claims to be a prophet should have their life scrutinized, just like the qualifications for an elder (First Timothy 3). They are public persons. Their houses are open for you to come in and see how they live.

A prophet speaks for the gods. And what a false prophet is doing, is playing God! This was the underlying complaint of Yeshua to the Pharisees (see the commentary The Life of Christ Hj – Then Came Hanukkah at Jerusalem and It Was Winter). Those religious leaders took the place of God.

Those false prophets have plagued Isra’el throughout her history as Jeremiah (see the commentary on Jeremiah Et – The False Prophet Hananiah) and Ezeki’el have testified. They lead the people into believing things that contradict what the true prophets of God were saying. Ezeki’el said, “Precisely because they have led My people astray saying, ‘Shalom’ when there is no shalom, they build a weak wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash” (Ezekiel 13:10). This will also happen in the future. Paul tells us, “When they are saying, ‘Shalom and safety,’ sudden destruction will come upon them like a woman having birth pains in the womb – there is no way they will escape” (First Thessalonians 5:3). All of this could be put under the heading of the third commandment, “You must not take the Name of ADONAI your God in vain, for ADONAI will not leave unpunished anyone who takes His Name in vain” (5:11). “For rebellion is like the sin of divination and stubbornness is like iniquity and idolatry” (First Samuel 15:23).³²⁴

You must not listen to the words of that false prophet or that dreamer of dreams – for ADONAI your God is testing you, to find out whether you love ADONAI your God with all your heart and with all your soul. The temptation would test the true character of the hearts of the Israelites, and while the temptation was genuinely dangerous, the overcoming of that temptation would strengthen the people in their love of YHVH and obedience to His mitzvot. This did not mean that the false prophet had any real power, but only that the true God would permit certain things to happen in order to test, and thereby strengthen His people. You will follow and fear ADONAI your God. His mitzvot you will keep, to His voice you will listen, you will serve and cling to Him (13:4-5).³²⁵

But what was Isra’el to do if one who possessed those gifts invited the people to rebel against YHVH? The answer was simple: That prophet or dreamer of dreams must be put to death! For he has spoken falsehood against ADONAI your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to entice you from the way ADONAI your God commanded you to walk. So, you will purge the evil from your midst (13:6). There is a phrase that we hear many times in the study of the Torah. One that is repeated seven times from Chapters 13 to 24, “You will purge the evil from your midst” (13:6, 17:7, 19:19, 21:21, 22:21, 22:24, 24:7). Paul quoted it in First Corinthians 5:13 with reference to discipline in the local congregation. We don’t stone guilty people in our churches, but we should expel from the congregation any who openly live in sin and refuse to repent and obey the Word of God. Why? For the same reason the idolater was removed (by death) from the nation of Isra’el. Sin takes us further than we want to go and costs us more than we want to pay. It is like hametz, and when it’s not purged, it will spread and infect the whole body (First Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 5:9). Just as a surgeon removes cancerous tissue from a patient’s body to keep it from spreading, so the local congregation of believers must exercise surgery, no matter how painful, to maintain the spiritual health of the body.

It’s remarkable how many otherwise intelligent people study their horoscopes and consult professional “psychics” who claim to have the power to see into the future. If people really had that ability, they would make a great deal of money on the stock market or at the racetrack and wouldn’t have to earn a living reading palms, gazing at the stars, or consulting crystal balls. Later in his speech, Moshe will name specific occult practices that were forbidden to God’s people, and one of them is consulting Satan in order to know the future (see Dj – God Hates Sorcery). Yeshua warned about false prophets, and Paul and Timothy warned about false teachers (Matthew 7:15-20; Second Corinthians 11:3-4, 11-13; First Timothy 1:6-7; Second Peter 2).³²⁶

Believers in the Dispensation of Grace (see the commentary on Hebrews Bp – The Dispensation of Grace), are also urged to test the spirits and judge all supposed prophecies, shunning false prophets and heretics (Acts 17:11; First John 4:1; First Corinthians 14:29). Once the last book in the Bible was written at the end of the first century, the canon of Scripture was closed and there was no need for any further revelation. The Ruach ha-Kodesh had equipped believers with everything they would need to live a victorious life, and the spiritual gift of prophecy passed away. There is no continuous revelation.

Second, family members who tempt us to worship idols (13: 7-12): Moses turns from false prophets to family members as a potential source for treachery. Now, in ancient Israelite society, ties of kinship were the strongest of all human loyalties. As we see in the fifth commandment (see Bp – Honor Your Parents), the family stood at the center of the triangular pattern of the relationships between God, Isra’el and the Land. Therefore, moral and legal responsibility to the family was greater than individual freedoms or rights. But, although the family had priority over the individual, covenant loyalty to ADONAI had priority over both. Ties to family and friendship must not override covenant justice, and the protection of the whole nation.³²⁷

That being said . . . suppose your brother – your mother’s son – or your son or daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your best friend of your own soul misleads you secretly, saying, ‘Let’s go and serve other gods’ – that you and your fathers have not known, from among the gods of the peoples around you, near you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other. You are not to give in or listen to him, your eye is not to pity him, and you are not to spare or conceal him. Instead, you will surely put him to death. Surely the family seeking to be loyal to the living God would agonize over one rebellious member living in idolatry. Nevertheless, the person reporting the crime took responsibility for the execution. Your hand should be the first against him to put him to death. Since the accuser was to throw the first stone, it would encourage him to give serious consideration to the facts and not hastily accuse an innocent person (First Kings 21). The method of execution was stoning so that all the people could participate and cast their votes against the worship of idols. Either one person’s sin affects the whole nation (Joshua 7), or the whole nation must deal with that one person’s sin.³²⁸ You are to stone him with stones to death because he tried to entice you away from ADONAI your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. This would serve in a preventive role. Then all Isra’el will hear and be afraid, and never again will they do such an evil thing as this in your midst (13:7-12).

Yeshua endured this tension and temptation. He faced pressure from His own family (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ey – Jesus’ Mother and Brothers), and from a close friend (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Fy – Jesus Predicts His Death), who tried to derail Him from His obedience to the Father. And He warned His apostles that they also would face such opposition (Matthew 10:34-36). But it is important to stress that neither Yeshua, nor Moses were, by any stretch of the imagination, antifamily. They were both passionately anti-idolatry and recognized that the family posed one of the toughest and most subtle sources of hidden idolatry, on which many a profession of loyalty to the Kingdom has come to grief.³²⁹

Crimes Allowing the Death Penalty:

1. Premeditated Murder (Exodus 21:12-14, 22-23)
2. Kidnapping (Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7)
3. Striking or Cursing Parents (Exodus 21:15; Leviticus 20:9; Proverbs 20:20; Matthew 15:4; Mark 7:10)
4. Sorcery and Divination (Exodus 22:18)
5. Bestiality (Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 20:15-16)
6. Sacrificing to False Gods (Exodus 22:20)
7. Profaning the Sabbath (Exodus 35:2; Numbers 15:32-36
8. Offering a Human Sacrifice (Leviticus 20:2)
9. Adultery (Leviticus 20:2)
10. Incest (Leviticus 20:11-12 and 14)
11. Homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13)
12. Blasphemy (Leviticus 24:11-14, 16 and 23)
13. False Prophecy (Deuteronomy 13:1-6)
14. Enticing others to serve false gods (Deuteronomy 13:7-10)
15. Incorrigible Rebelliousness (Deuteronomy 17:12, 21:18-21)
16. Sex Outside of Marriage (Deuteronomy 22:20-21)
17. Rape of a Virgin Who is Engaged (Deuteronomy 22:23-27)

With eternity at stake, it is no wonder the Bible reserves its harshest words of condemnation for those who put lies in the mouth of YHVH, usurping His Word with dangerous experience that is insignificant in comparison. In the Dispensation of Torah (see the commentary on Exodus Da – The Dispensation of Torah), false prophecy was a capital offense, a point vividly illustrated by Elijah’s slaughter of the 450 prophets of Ba’al following the showdown on Mount Carmel (First Kings 18:19 and 40). But the Israelites often failed to expel false prophets, and by welcoming error into their midst, they also invited the judgment of Ha’Shem (Jeremiah 5:29-31). Consider the LORD’s attitude toward those who would exchange His true Word for a counterfeit (Isaiah 30:9-13; Jeremiah 5:29-31, 14:14-16; Ezeki’el 13:3-9).

The point of this passage is obvious: YHVH hates those who misrepresent His Word or speak lies in His name. The B’rit Chadashah responds to false prophets with equal severity (First Timothy 6:3-5; Second Timothy 3:1-9; First John 4:1-3; Second John 7-11). Ha’Shem does not tolerate those who falsify or fake divine revelation. It is an offense He takes personally, and His vengeance is swift and deadly. To sabotage biblical truth in any way – by adding to it, subtracting from it, or mixing it with error – is to invite divine wrath (Galatians 1:9; Second John 9-11). Any distortion of the Word is an affront against the Trinity, and especially against the Ruach ha-Kodesh because of His intimate relationship with the Word.³³⁰

Thirdly, apostate cities (13:13-19): The third potential case for religious seduction concerns a nearby city that is considering engaging in idolatry. Suppose you hear it said in one of your cities, which ADONAI your God is giving you to dwell in, that worthless fellows (Hebrew b’nei-b’luiya’al, meaning without value or honor) have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, ‘Let’s go and serve other gods’ – that you have not known (13:13-14).

Once a report is received that a city has turned to idolatry, a thorough investigation must be conducted to learn the accuracy of the report. Then you are to investigate, search out and inquire thoroughly. If indeed it is true and the matter certain that this abomination has been done in your midst, as they were told to do with the Canaanites, you will surely strike down the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying (Hebrew: cherem, meaning to be devoted to destruction or annihilate) it and all that is in it and its livestock with the sword (13:15-16). The sacrifice was to be like a whole burnt offering (see the commentary on Exodus Fe – The Burnt Offering). It was to be total, since the whole population of the city was jointly responsible. Theirs was a corporate guilt and, as so often in the TaNaKh, they were judged corporately.³³¹

The fact that the city, though Israelite, was to be dealt with through the cherem judgment also shows that its idolatry effectively abolished the covenant agreement with ADONAI and rendered the city virtually Canaanite. Being an Israelite settlement on the Land of promise did not guarantee immunity from God’s wrath. If the Israelites chose to go the way of Canaanite gods, then Ha’Shem would do to the Israelites, individuals and communities, exactly what had been done to the Canaanites.³³² The city was then to be abandoned and left as a ruin (Judges 20:42-48). You are to gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and you are to burn with fire the city and all its plunder – all of it to ADONAI your God. It will be a ruin forever – it shall never be built again. Nothing from the ban should cling to your hand, so that no individual Israelite could profit personally from the booty as did Achan after the fall of Jericho in Joshua 7:20-21 (13:17-18a).

Obedience to this command would bring about a moral cleansing of the Land and a spiritual renewal. As a result, ADONAI would turn from the fierceness of His anger against the nation and show her mercy, and have compassion on Isra’el and multiply her population. This is just as He swore to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – when you listen to the voice of ADONAI your God, keeping all His mitzvot that I am commanding you today, doing what is right in the eyes of ADONAI your God (13:18b-19).

Only through the purity of the nation would she be preserved. Unfortunately, for the most part Isra’el failed to apply the commands of this warning. This failure resulted in the northern kingdom of Isra’el being conquered by Assyria. As a result, many Israelites were exiled from their own land to Assyria. And the ones who remained were absorbed into the Assyrian pagan culture when the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria, instead of the men of Isra’el. So, they possessed Samaria and settled in her cities (Second Kings 17:23b-24). And not only that, but later Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gb – The Destruction of Solomon’s Temple on Tisha B’Av in 586 BC), and the southern kingdom of Judah was sent into exile (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule).³³³

Do Not Eat the Blood
12: 13-28

Do not eat the blood DIG: What would be the difference in the offerings of the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings and once they had settled in the Promised Land? How would people deal with slaughtering animals for meat if they lived far away from the sanctuary? Why should congregations support their Messianic rabbis or pastors? Why did God forbid eating the blood of animals? How is shedding of blood the heart of the gospel?

REFLECT: Has ADONAI given mankind the authority to kill animals for food (see Genesis 9:3)? Are animals made in the image of God? Explain. Are you required to offer burnt offerings today? Why? Why not? Are we obligated to give a ten percent tithe today in the Dispensation of Grace (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Do – When You Give to the Needy, Do Not Do It to be Honored by Others)?

Because of Yeshua’s shed blood, the entire Levitical system pointed to Messiah.

The following verses make some distinctions that would be necessary when the Israelites were settled in the Land, but which were unnecessary during the years in the wilderness. During the wanderings of the Israelites, when they stopped to camp (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Ep – The Camp of the Twelve Tribes of Isra’el), the sanctuary would be in their midst. When they populated their new Land, however, although there would be many different settlements, the sanctuary would be in a specific place.³¹³

At this point Moshe’s speech turns to the question of killing animals for food. These verses focus on the Israelites’ treatment of the blood of animals that were either sacrificed at the altar, or eaten at home, a theme Moses discussed in Leviticus 17:1-16. YHVH introduced this theme after Noah and his family came out of the ark, for it was then that He permitted mankind to eat meat (see the commentary on Genesis Cz – Whoever Sheds Human Blood, by Humans Shall Their Blood Be Shed). In Genesis, God prohibited the shedding of human blood. He also established what we today call “capital punishment.” Since humans are made in the image of God and derive their life from God, to murder someone is to attack God Himself, and to rob that person of God’s gift of life. Ha’Shem decreed that the murderers should be punished by losing their own lives, and the right to enforce this law belonged to the officials of the state (Romans 13:1-4).³¹⁴

Either the unclean or clean (12:13-16): How would people deal with slaughtering animals for meat if they lived far away from the sanctuary? According to Leviticus 17:1-6, oxen, lambs, and goats killed from consumption could only be eaten after certain sacrificial rituals (with those animals) took place at the Tabernacle. The intention of this requirement was to prevent the people from making idolatrous sacrifices away from the Israelite encampment (Leviticus 17:7). But this mitzvah declared that wild animals caught by hunters could be killed and consumed without this limitation (as long as their blood was properly drained), since they were not sacrificial animals. Be careful that you do not offer your burnt offerings in any place you see. Rather do so only in the place ADONAI chooses in one of your tribes – there you are to offer your burnt offerings, and there you are to do all I am commanding you. However, you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates – whatever your soul’s desire, according to the blessing ADONAI your God has given you. Either the unclean or clean may eat of it, as they would wild animals like a gazelle or a deer. But remember, you are not to eat the blood – you are to pour it out on the ground like water (12:13-16).³¹⁵

Long before science discovered the significance of blood, YHVH declared that life was in the blood and that the blood should be respected and not treated like common food. For the life of the creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your lives – for it is the blood that makes atonement because of the life (Leviticus 17:11). The Talmud says the same thing, “Does not atonement come through the blood” (Mas. Yoma 5a)? “Surely atonement can be made only with the blood, as it says, ‘For it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of life’ (Mas. Zevachim 6a)!” The entire Levitical system pointed to Messiah. The Torah has a shadow of the good things to come – not the form itself of the realities. For this reason, it can never, by means of the same sacrifices they offer constantly year after year, make perfect those who draw near. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Hebrews 10:1 and 4). Therefore, the Israelites brought home the anticipation of the coming of the Messiah. Every time they ate, they were reminded of these truths.

Tithes and offerings (12:17-19): You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings, or the offering of your hand. Rather you are to eat them before ADONAI your God in the place ADONAI your God chooses – you, your son and daughter, your slave and maid, and the Levite within your gates – and you will rejoice before ADONAI your God in every undertaking of your hand. Be careful that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live on the earth (12:17-18). If an Israelite brought an animal to be sacrificed at the sanctuary, he could offer it as a peace offering (see the commentary on Exodus Fg – The Peace Offering), and then enjoy eating the meat as part of a special feast (Leviticus 3:1-17, 7:11-38). Then the priest would drain the blood beside the altar. If the ritual called for it, the priest would catch enough blood in a basin and sprinkle it on or at the base of the bronze altar. By following this procedure, the Jews not only showed respect for God’s gift of life, but they also showed respect for the animal that gave its life for the worshipper.³¹⁶

Be careful that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live on the earth (12:19). The priests and the Levites had no inheritance in the land of Isra’el, for ADONAI was their inheritance (Numbers 18:20; Deuteronomy 10:8-9; Joshua 13:14 and 33, 14:13, 18:7). So, they trusted God for His provision through the people. YHVH assigned to the priests’ portions from various sacrifices (Leviticus 6:14-7:38) as well as the firstfruits of the harvests and the first-born animals (Numbers 18:8-19). The Levites received the people’s tithes and in turn gave a tithe of that to the priests (Numbers 18:20-32). The people also brought an extra tithe every three years, which was shared with the poor. People who lived too far from the sanctuary were permitted to sell the produce, and with the money buy a substitute sacrifice when they arrived (14:24-26).

The basic principle in the Bible is that those who serve the Lord and His people should have the support of God’s people. The worker is deserving of his wage (Luke 10:7), and those who proclaim the Good News to get their living from the Good News (First Corinthians 9:14). Believers who receive spiritual blessings from Messianic rabbis, teachers, and preachers should share material blessings with them (First Timothy 5:17-18). If all of God’s people practiced the kind of giving described in Second Corinthians 8 and 9, God’s servants would be provided for, and the work of the Lord would prosper around the world.³¹⁷

You are not to eat the blood (12:20-28): The permission of the previous verses is expanded somewhat here and repeated, the repetition emphasizing the importance of distinguishing what could be eaten only at the sanctuary and what could be eaten anywhere.³¹⁸ In the wilderness, when all the people were near the sanctuary, no animal might be slaughtered for food without first dedicating it as a peace offering. With their entry into the Promised Land, with the majority of people living further and further away from the sanctuary, they were permitted to slaughter animals for food wherever they lived.

Yet the permission was given in such a way that the original intent of the mitzvah was preserved (Leviticus 17:1-12). There the prohibition was aimed at preventing the pollution of worship by Canaanite ritual, and at preventing the Israelites from eating the blood of the animals. Here, Moses warned against eating the blood whether the animals were killed at home or at the sanctuary.³¹⁹ When ADONAI your God enlarges your territory as He has promised you, and you say, “I want to eat meat,” because your soul craves meat, then you may eat meat – all your soul’s desire. If the place ADONAI your God chooses to put His Name is too far from you, then you may slaughter any of your herd and flock that ADONAI has given you – as I have commanded you – and you may eat within your gates, all your soul’s desire. Just as the gazelle or hart is eaten, so you may eat it – the unclean and clean alike may eat it (12:20-22).

The lone restriction on the eating of meat was the people were forbidden to eat the blood. Only be sure that you do not eat the blood – for the blood is the life, and you are not to eat the life with the meat. Pouring blood on the ground would be a safeguard against pouring it on a pagan altar. You are not to eat it; you are to pour it out on the ground like water. By refraining from eating blood, the Israelites demonstrated a respect for life and ultimately for the Creator of life. As Leviticus 17:11 indicates, the blood is a ransom price for sins, so blood is sacred and should not be consumed.³²⁰ You are not to eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, when you do what is right in ADONAI’s eyes (12:23-25).

Any food, vegetable or animal, that was specifically offered to YHVH, whether a tithe, or a firstborn, or any other reason, had to be brought to the sanctuary. Although in the Promised Land animals or ordinary consumption might be slaughtered in any place, consecrated animals had to be offered on the bronze altar in the sanctuary. Only the holy things and vow offerings that are yours are you to take and go to the place that ADONAI chooses. You are to offer your burnt offerings – the flesh and the blood – on the altar of ADONAI your God. The blood of your sacrifices is to be poured out on the altar of ADONAI your God, but the meat you are to eat. Obedience to God’s mitzvot in these matters would be necessary for His blessing. Take care and listen to all these words that I am commanding you, so that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the eyes of ADONAI your God (12:26-28).

This emphasis on the shedding of blood is at the heart of the gospel. We aren’t saved from our sins by the life of Messiah, or the fine example of Messiah, but by the sacrificial death of Messiah, in whom we have redemption (Ephesians 1:7). The blood of Yeshua is precious to us (First Peter 1:19) because of who shed it – the spotless Lamb of God – but also because of what it accomplishes for those who trust in Him: justification (Romans 5:9); cleansing (Revelation 1:5; First John 1:7); eternal salvation (Hebrews 9;11-28); access to YHVH (Hebrews 10:19-20); and reconciliation (Ephesians 2:13), to name but a few of the blessings we have through Messiah’s blood (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does For Us at the Moment of Faith).³²¹

Dear holy Heavenly Father, Praise You that Yeshua was willing to take our place on the altar and be our sacrifice for our sins. He made the One who knew no sin 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 Yeshua’s life was perfectly holy so He could be the Lamb of God. The next day, John sees Yeshua coming to him and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)! We worship You! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Place to Worship ADONAI
12: 1-12

The Place to worship ADONAI DIG: What was the purpose in having Moses repeat a warning about following the mitzvot once the occupied the Promised Land? Why was it important for ADONAI to specify the place of worship? How complete was the destruction of the Canaanites supposed to be? What attitudes does God desire to be a part of worship? How is that different from the pagans?

REFLECT: What “pagan shrines and gods” are in our culture today? In what ways should you be “in the world, but not of the world?” How holy are holidays today? What kinds of offerings do you bring to God? What were they to learn from this? In what other ways was Isra’el to be “in Canaan” but not “of Canaan?” What, then, is the right way to worship God?

Worship at the place and in the way that ADONAI chooses.

Moshe was a wise teacher. He devoted the first part of his speech (Chapters 1-5) to reviewing the past and helping this new generation appreciate all that ADONAI had done for them. Then he told the people how they should respond to the goodness of YHVH and why they should obey Him (Chapters 6-11). In other words, Moses was helping his people develop a love for ADONAI, because if they loved Him, they would obey Him. Moshe repeated God’s covenant promises to the nation, but he also balanced those promises with the warnings of what would happen if they disobeyed. More than anything else, Moses wanted the Israelites to mature in their faith and love so they could enter the Promised Land, conquer the enemy, and enjoy their inheritance to the glory of the LORD.³⁰⁵

Obeying His Mitzvot (12:1): These are statutes (Hebrew: hachukkim, meaning to write into law permanently) and ordinances (Hebrew: hammishpatim, meaning a judgment of the court) that you are to make sure to do in the Land that ADONAI, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess – all the days that you live on the earth (12:1). Today these words represent a gold mine of counsel and guidance. These are the words of ADONAI to the people He loves. These words are ageless and still have application to our lives today, they are our blueprint for living. All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for restoration, and for training in righteousness (Second Timothy 3:16a).³⁰⁶

Purging the Land (12:2-3): The statement in 12:1 was both an assurance and a commandment. The assurance was that Isra’el would enter the Land and conquer the enemy; the commandment was that, having entered the Land, they must purge it of all idolatry! Isra’el’s victory of the nation’s east of the Jordan (to see link click At – Isra’el’s Conquest of the Transjordan) was a prototype of their cleansing of the land of Canaan. This wasn’t a new mitzvah, for Moshe had mentioned it before (Deuteronomy 7:1-6, 23-26; Numbers 33:50-56), and he would mention it again.

The religions of the Canaanites were both false and filthy. They worshipped a multitude of gods and goddesses, chiefly Ba’al, the storm god, and Asherah, his wife (to see a video about Asherah click here). The wooden Asherah poles were sex symbols, and the people made use of temple prostitutes as they sought to worship their gods. Since the major goal of the Canaanite religion was fertility for themselves and for their crops, they established places of worship on the mountains and hills, the high places, so as to get closer to their gods, just like those who built the tower of Babel thought. They also worshiped under large trees, which were also symbols of fertility. Their immoral religious practices were a form of sorcery with which they hoped to please their gods and influence the powers of nature to give them bountiful crops.³⁰⁷

Earlier, the Israelites were told to utterly destroy the Canaanites (see Cd – Show No Pity). Now, Ha’Shem tells the Jews that they must utterly destroy all the places where the nations that they will dispossess served their gods – on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. They were to utterly destroy anything that would lure them into idolatry (see Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh). The Israelites were to tear down their altars, smash their pillars, burn their Asherah poles in the fire and cut down the carved images of their gods, and they were to obliterate their name from that place (12:2-3).

As part of their training as a nation of priests, they were not to be influenced by any evil. Like all believers today, we need to put away all known sin so that God can freely work in our lives. However, even in the best of times, Isra’el had not followed Ha’Shem’s instructions. In one fashion or another, idols had always been in their midst. In the history of the godly kings of the southern kingdom of Judah, the phrase, “but they did not take away the high places,” is repeated eight times (First Kings 15:14, 22:44; Second Kings 12:4, 14:4, 15:4, 15:35; Second Chronicles 15:17, 20:33). Those kings would have glorified God in a much greater way if they had just obeyed His commandments. The same goes for us today.

Worshipping ADONAI (12:4-14): As the people of God, we must worship the Lord the way He commands and not imitate the religious practices of others. Our faith came by revelation, not by the invention of mankind, nor the Adversary’s instruction (Second Timothy 3:5-7). Our most important activity is the worship of YHVH because everything truly spiritual flows from that worship. How tragic it is when congregations imitate the world and turn worship into entertainment, and the sanctuary of God into a theater.

Isra’el worshipped the true and living God, while the pagans in Canaan worshiped dead idols that represented false gods. The Canaanites had many shrines, but Isra’el would have only one sanctuary. The place where ADOANI chose to be worshiped. The Canaanites built many alters, but Isra’el was to have only one altar. The Canaanites sacrificed whatever they pleased to their gods and goddesses, including their own children, but the LORD would instruct the Israelites what sacrifices to bring.³⁰⁸

One place where God chooses to dwell (12:4-5, 8-11a): You are not to act like this toward your God. Rather you are to seek only the place ADONAI your God chooses from all your tribes to put His Name to dwell, there you will come (12:4-5). The place itself is not named. The lack of a place, thus, serves only to underline the importance of the name installed there – Yeshua’s name. The text is concerned not so much with the location of the place, but on the kind of place, namely, one that YHVH chooses. What matters is not “where?” but “Who?” Likewise, the Canaanite places of worship were to be destroyed, not because of where they were, but whose they were? And wherever the place may have been, it would be less important than the Name that God had put there. Just as God had chosen Isra’el, and her priests, He alone would choose the place in which He would be worshiped.

From the time of David onward, however, with the transfer of the ark and the building of the Temple by Solomon (see the commentary on the Life of Solomon Ax – Solomon’s Temple), the place could be thought of only as Jerusalem. This identification is quite explicit in the TaNaKh (First Kings 8:44 and 48, 11:13, 32, 36; Second Kings 21:7, 23:27) and is reflected in the Psalms (Psalms 87, 122, 132).³⁰⁹

You will not do all the things as we are doing here today, wandering in the desert, everyone doing what is right in his own eyes (12:8). From the time of their departure from Sinai until the LORD settled them in the Promised Land there would be a certain informal quality to their worship. Although some compare the phrase everyone doing what is right in his own eyes to fit a similar statement in Judges 17:6 and 21:25, during a time of moral anarchy, it is unlikely that this clause points to total anarchy in Isra’el’s worship practices.

In light of their unsettled existence, however, this period in Isra’el’s history was characterized by more freedom in the details of worship. This passage envisions a future time when the nation would experience a relative degree of peace, and would be able to bring more order and consistency to the worship of YHVH. For you have not yet come to the resting place and the inheritance that ADONAI your God is giving you. But when you cross over the Jordan and settle in the land that ADONAI your God enables you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies around you, you will dwell in safety. Once that happened, Ha’Shem would require His people to bring their offerings and sacrifices to the place where He chose for His Name to dwell.³¹⁰ Then, repeating himself for special emphasis, Moses said once again: the place ADONAI your God chooses to make His Name dwell, there you are to bring all that I command you (12:9-11a)

When Yeshua came to the earth He tabernacled among us (John 1:14), but sinful men nailed Messiah to the tree (Acts 13:29; First Peter 2:24). He arose from the dead and returned to heaven to receive back the glory He had laid aside during His ministry here on earth (John 17:5). Now each person who believes in the Lord becomes a temple of God and has the Ruach dwelling within (First Corinthians 6:19-20). But each local congregation of believers is also a temple of God, and Messiah is building His Church, made up of Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14). Someday, all of ADONAI’s children will dwell in the heavenly city that will be lighted by the Sh’khinah glory of God Himself (see the commentary on Revelation Fv – Nothing Impure Will Enter the New Jerusalem).³¹¹

One altar God chooses for His sacrifices (12:6-7, 11b-14): Canaanite worship permitted the people to offer whatever sacrifices they pleased at whatever place they chose, but for Isra’el, there would be but one altar. The only place where sacrifices were accepted was at the bronze altar in the Tabernacle (see the commentary on Exodus Fa – Build an Altar of Acacia Wood Overlaid with Bronze), and later the Temple, and the only people who could offer them were the priests. Ha’Shem didn’t want His people inventing their own religious system by imitating the practices of the pagan nations around them. During the decadent days of the judges, that’s exactly what some of the people did (Judges Chapters 17 and 18).

There you are to bring your burnt offerings (see the commentary on Exodus Fe – The Burnt Offering) and your sacrifices, your tithes, the offering of your hand, your vow and fellowship offerings (see the commentary on Exodus Fg – The Peace Offering), and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. The point was, whatever their worship required them to bring, it must be brought to the place chosen by YHVH. There you, the priests, the Levites, and your households will eat before ADONAI your God and rejoice in every undertaking of your hand. The theme of rejoicing before ADONAI is characteristic of Deuteronomy (14:26, 16:11 and 14, 26:11, 27:7). This scene envisions a people enjoying the bounty of the Land to such a degree that they would be in danger of forgetting the LORD in their safety and pride. Here was a way to prevent that danger. To regularly do some of their eating and rejoicing in the presence of YHVH, so that there could be no mistaking where the bounty came: for ADONAI your God, not some fertility god or goddess, has blessed you (12:6-7).³¹²

The Tabernacle, and later the Temple, was not only a place where the Israelites brought their sacrifices, but it was also where they brought their tithes and offerings. The tithe was ten percent of what their land had produced, and this was shared with the priests and the Levites. The priest received a certain amount of meat from some of the sacrifices, and this was how they and their families were supported. Moses frequently reminded the people to support the Levites by faithfully bringing their tithes and offerings to the sanctuary (12:12, 18-29, 14:27 and 29, 16:11 and 14). Then they had a joyful meal as they celebrated the goodness of YHVH. You will rejoice before ADONAI your God – you and your sons and daughters, your slaves and maids, and the Levite in your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance among you (12:11b-12). There is only one true God, there is only one true worship, there is only one place to worship God, and one way to approach God.

Dear Mighty Heavenly Father, Praise you for being the one and one God – a living, powerful, pure and loving Father to all who love You. Praise You that the way to please You is by loving You. And He [Yeshua] said to him, “You shall love ADONAI your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38).

The path to heaven is a narrow path. Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and those who find it are few (Matthew 7:13-14). But it is a sure path that is 100% reliable. 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). It is a path that goes beyond mere knowing about You – to loving You and making You the Lord of our lives whom we lovingly obey. You are a wonderful Father and I rejoice in following You and Your path to heaven. Though the path is sometimes hard and full of trials, eternity will be so long and cause me to forget earth’s pain. 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). In Yeshua’s holy name and power of HIS resurrection. Amen

What God Chooses
12:1 to 16:17

After laying out that blessings would flow from obedience and cursings would flow from disobedience, ADONAI called His people to a covenant relationship of exclusivity. This required the Israelites to follow Him, not according to the ways of other people, nor according to the ways of their own feelings, but exclusively according to the way He chose for them. Moshe, under the influence of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, continued to flesh out His choices in terms of appropriate sacrifices to offer, food to eat, and possessions to give.

Over and over again, YHVH called His chosen people to follow Him exclusively according to His revealed Word. He gave guidelines for true and false prophets. He wanted His children to follow Him even more than the negative influences of their own flesh and blood. Walking in holiness with Him would impact every aspect of their lives. By choosing to regulate their diet, God would discourage eating with the surrounding pagans who would lead them astray, as well as lay a foundation for teaching them the difference between clean and unclean.

The LORD instructed His people to set aside ten percent of all He had blessed them with. He chose a seven-year cycle which culminated in the Sabbatical year. Throughout that year the Israelites were to consume some of their tithe at the Temple in His presence during the pilgrimage feast of Pesach, Shavu’ot, and Sukkot. Every three years the tithe was to be collected and stored in each town to support the Levites and serve the poor. The Sabbatical year granted release from debts, and being released from selling themselves into slavery.

Ha’Shem chose only the firstborn male animals to be sacrificed. Like the mitzvot of canceling debts and releasing slaves, it involved giving up their possessions. The LORD chose to have Isra’el celebrate Pesach, which was immediately followed by the seven-day feast of Unleavened Bread. They were also to celebrate Shavu’ot and Sukkot. One reason ADONAI called for the three pilgrimage festivals was to get the whole community together, to encounter Him and keep Him at the center of their lives, no matter where they lived.

The Second Address:
The Specific Stipulations of the Covenant
12:1 to 26:19

This chapter is a turning point in the book of Deuteronomy. After eleven chapters of introduction and guidance, now Moses begins to give further details on the statutes and ordinances (4:1) of the Torah. It is interesting to note that frequently in the Scriptures, chapters 12 often marks an important turning point in the history of Isra’el. In Genesis 12 we have the Abrahamic Covenant, the beginning of the history of the nation. Exodus 12 marks the birth of the nation, where God gives Isra’el a new calendar with a new year. This was marked by the Passover, and the blood of the lamb, which saved the Israelites from judgment. In Joshua, the first 12 chapters recount the conquering of the Land. The remaining chapter details the distribution of the Land. The first 12 chapters of Isaiah deal with the sin of Isra’el. But starting with Isaiah 13, the prophet describes the sins of the Babylonians and all the surrounding nations. Matthew 12 marks the final rejection of Yeshua by the religious authorities. Matthew 13 begins the parables of the Kingdom of God. The first 12 chapters of Acts focus on Peter, but from Acts 13 the rest of the book focuses on Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. Finally, Revelation 12 is a condensed history of Isra’el in the midst of the Great Tribulation. And here in Deuteronomy 12, and the next twenty-four chapters, statutes (Hebrew: hachukkim, meaning to write into law permanently) and ordinances (Hebrew: hammishpatim, meaning a judgment of the court) are given for the training of the Israelites for their new mission in the Promised Land.³⁰⁴

A Blessing and a Curse
11: 26-32

A blessing and a curse DIG: Why is this passage important? How did Moses use Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal to illustrate the choice set before Beni Yisra’el? What took place on those two mountains? Which path did the northern Kingdom of Isra’el take? What was the result of her choice? What was the significance of Shechem? Bottom line, what did the people need to do?

REFLECT: When have you experienced the blessings of following God’s Word? What helped you obey? Was your obedience willing or reluctant? How so? What “curse” have you or the country you live in experienced as the result of disobedience? What is the lesson in that for you? How would you explain to a new believer the goodness that comes from obeying God?

Parashah 47: Re’eh (see) 11:26-16:17
(to see link click Af – Parashah)

The Key Person is Moshe, speaking to all Isra’el, making a dramatic appeal to choose to obey the commandments of God. A ceremony would later be held between the mountains of Gerizim and Ebal upon entering the Promised Land, during which the consequences of the blessings and curses would be pronounced (to see link click Fd – Blessings and the Curses).

The Scene is in Mo’av, east of the Promised Land, ready to cross over the Jordan.

The Main Events include Moses telling us to see the choice between a blessing and a curse; encouragement to worship God alone, in His designated place; permission to eat meat, but not blood; caution against idolatry and false prophets, the imperative to destroy all the high places; kosher mitzvot, tithes, the seventh year, the sabbatical year (Hebrew: sh’mittah) to cancel debts, providing for the poor, freeing slaves, offering first born animals, and observing three pilgrimage feasts of Pesach, Shavu’ot, and Sukkot.²⁹⁸

A blessing and a curse will result from Isra’el’s obedience or disobedience to the Torah.

The context of this passage is important. It serves as a conclusion to the preceding part of Moshe’s speech (see Bj – The First Address: The General Stipulations of the Covenant) in that it places his audience in a position of decision which will soon have to be made. See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the Israelites will have to choose. The blessing and the curse, however, are contingent upon their obedience to the mitzvot of the LORD, which are about to be presented to the people (see Cr – The Second Address: The Specific Stipulations of the Covenant).

The doctrine that mankind has free will is considered a fundamental principle in Jewish thought, at least according to some of the Jewish sages. For example, Rabbi Akiva is reported to have said, “Though everything is foreseen by God, yet free will is granted to mankind” (Avot 3:19). Notice the key word in this parashah, re’eh (meaning you see) is singular, whereas the pronoun lifneikhem (meaning before you) is plural. Each Jew is to personally see that the blessings and curses will affect the entire community of Isra’el. This is summed up in the famous dictum: All Isra’el is responsible for one another.

Thus, the passage not only serves as a conclusion to the first address, but also as a chiastic framework to what follows, which sets the subsequent chapters with their immediate and proper perspective. The framework for which the blessing and curse can be seen in the Torah is as follows:

A. The blessing and curse in the present renewal of the covenant (11:26-28).

B. The blessing and curse in the future renewal of the covenant (11:29-32).

C. The Specific Stipulations of the Covenant (12:1 to 26:19).

B. The blessing and curse in the future renewal of the covenant (27:1-26).

A. The blessing and curse in the present renewal of the covenant (28:1-69).

Dear Holy and Loving Heavenly Father, Your love is wonderful and living in a land that has been blessed by You in so many ways, often people want the blessings – without obedience. But You promised both blessing and curses. May the world awaken to see that blessing is not always guaranteed. Salvation cannot be grabbed and held onto while holding on to sin. God in mercy offers salvation as a free gift.  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not from yourselves – it is the gift of God.  It is not based on deeds, so that no one may boast  (Ephesians 2:8-9).

You are 100% pure, a God who never does anything wrong and who cannot tolerate even the slightest sin. Though You, God, would love to bestow salvation on all, You can only present the gift to those who in faith choose to love and follow Yeshua as Savior. 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). Confessing You as Lord means more than saying your name with Lord as the first word. Choosing to lovingly obey all You ask of me, makes You my Lord. Too often people want to be Lord of themselves and do whatever pleases them, but You make the best Lord – for Your love is perfect. I love You and want to obey You as my Lord. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

For the first time in Deuteronomy, Moses uses the technical terms of the covenant, blessing and curse. Ancient Near Eastern treaties generally included a section promising blessings and threatening curses depending upon the faithfulness of the vassals (see Ah – The Treaty of the Great King) to their covenantal commitments. He declared: See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing, if you listen to the mitzvot of ADONAI your God that I am commanding you today, but the curse, if you do not listen to the mitzvot of ADONAI your God, but turn from the way I am commanding you today, to go after other gods you have not known (11:26-28). Moses knew he was not going into the Promised Land with the people (see Ax – Moshe Pleads), but here he uses the example of these two mountains to show them the importance of obeying ADONAI. Two paths lie ahead. But only one path would lead to long life in the Land.

After arriving in the Promised Land, the Israelites were to rededicate themselves to the covenantal agreement by proclaiming these blessings and cursings while standing on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Now when ADONAI your God brings you into the Land you are going in to possess, you are to set the blessing on Mount Gerizim (meaning cutting off from the things of this world), to the south, covered with fertile vegetation, and the curse on Mount Ebal (meaning bear or empty there was nothing there), to the north, which was barren (11:29).²⁹⁹ When they reached these two mountains, the scene was very moving (Joshua 8:30-35). Half of the tribes would stand on one mountain, and half the tribes stood on the other, with the Levites in the middle. The shouting of the blessings and the cursings of the Levites could be heard from each side of the valley. A mile separated Mount Gerizim from Mount Ebal. But it is interesting to know that the spot chosen by God for this reading is a vast natural amphitheater, in which the human voice can be heard at a surprising distance. About half-way between Shechem and the mouth of the valley in which it stands there is a deep, semicircular recess in the face of Mount Ebal, and a corresponding one precisely opposite to it in Mount Gerizim.³⁰⁰ Therefore, the people were shown the importance of obeying ADONAI, and the curse that would come about if they did not obey.

Shechem was the place that marked the downfall of the northern kingdom of Isra’el. Rehoboam, son and successor of King Solomon, went to Shechem to be crowned king of all Isra’el. But he actually ended up dividing the Kingdom into the northern kingdom of Isra’el and the southern kingdom of Judah. Shechem would later become the first capital of the Northern Kingdom. It was unfortunate that Isra’el would choose the curse of Mount Ebal (First Kings 12:25-33).³⁰¹

Are they not across the Jordan toward the west, in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the Arabah – the mountains extended over a wide range, and so the part chosen for the blessing and cursing is specified as opposite Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh (Genesis 12:6, 35:4; Joshua 24:26; Judges 9:6)? For you are about to cross over the Jordan to go in to possess the Land ADONAI your God is giving you – you will possess it and dwell in it, and you will take care to do all the statutes (Hebrew: hachukkim, meaning to write into law permanently) and ordinances (Hebrew: hammishpatim, meaning a judgment of the court) that I am setting before you today (11:30-32). The lengthy section which began at 5:1 now comes to a close. Isra’el is about to cross the Jordan and take possession of the Land of Promise. Since, in the final analysis, success in the undertaking will depend on obedience, Moshe’s closing message to Isra’el was to be careful to carry out all the statutes and ordinances that he had set before the people.³⁰²

Spiritually speaking, believers today live between two mountains: Mount Calvary, where Yeshua died for us, and the Mount of Olives, to which Messiah will return one day (Zechariah 14:4; Acts 1:11-12). But, ADONAI hasn’t written the Ten Words on stones and warned us about curses; rather, He has written His B’rit Chadashah on our hearts (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) and blessed us in the Lord (Second Corinthians 3:1-3; Hebrews 8; Ephesians 1:3). Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua (Romans 8:1). God’s dispensations change, but His principles never change, and one of those principles is that He blesses us when we obey, and disciplines us when we disobey (see the commentary Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children). As we walk in the power of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, we overcome the appetites of the flesh, and God’s righteousness is fulfilled in us (Romans 8:4), and we will never hear the voices from Mount Ebal.³⁰³