Deuteronomy 31:3, YHVH your Elohim…will go over before, and he will destroy these nations. YHVH promised to destroy Israel’s enemies before them. Will he not do the same for us, since we too are en route to our spiritual Promised Land of which the physical Promised Land is but a prophetic picture? Who or what are your enemies? The authors of the Psalms identify many types of “enemies” other than people. Examples of a non-human enemies may be poverty, sickness, depression, lack of faith, discouragement, spiritual, satanic attacks or even our own sin natures that war against the Word and will of YHVH. Some of our enemies are a result of our own sinning and our repentance will result in our deliverance from them. But what about attacks that come against us through no fault of our own? What do we do about them? Do you realize who you are in Yeshua, and that you have the spiritual power to be a victorious overcomer by the name and through the blood of Yeshua? (Read Ps 91; Luke 9:1; 10:19; Rom 8:37; Eph 6:10-18; Jas 4:7–10; 1 Pet 5:6–10; 1 John 4:4; Rev 12:11.)
Deuteronomy 31:10–13,You shall read this Torah before all Israel. Verses like this tend to expose the theological confusion that occurs in the minds of many Christian Bible teachers. For example, about this verse, Christian commentator Matthew Henry writes about the need to read the Word of Elohim and that doing so will “help us to keep his commandments.” Yet elsewhere in the same commentary he says that the commandments or laws of YHVH “are done away with.” It is not possible for both of these statements be true at the same time.
Statements like these are representative of a split and incongruous, “double-speak” thinking on the part of many Christians when it comes to the commandments or laws of Elohim. Some laws, we are told, we are to keep (e.g., thou shalt not murder, lie, commit adultery, which are often referred to as “the moral law”—a non-biblical term), but other laws we can disobey (e.g., the Sabbath, dietary laws, and biblical feasts, which are referred to as “the ceremonial law”—another non-biblical term).
Is it possible to have it both ways? That is, to believe that we need to keep the Creator’s commandments, yet, at the same time, believe that they are done away with? If so, then what is the meaning of such biblical phrases pertaining to YHVH’s Torah or Word as “forever,” “for a thousand generations,” “the same yesterday today and forever,” “till heaven and earth pass away,” “I change not,” and “think not that I came to destroy the Torah-law?” Is YHVH’s Word inconsistent and contradictory? Or is men’s false theologies and traditions at fault?
In reality, we need to ask ourselves an important question. Do we have a high enough view of YHVH Elohim and fear him and tremble at his Word (Isa 66:2), or have we, in reality, demoted the veracity of his commandments by contorting YHVH and his Word to fit the mindset of changeable and inconsistent man (which the Scriptures define as idolatry)? Idolatry occurs when we put something else above the will of YHVH instead of submitting to him as the Lord of our lives.
Moreover, have we, by denying the validity of some aspects of YHVH’s Word, bought into the lie that the serpent proffered at the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden? There he told the man and the woman that YHVH really did not mean what he said and that humans can take the “have it your own way” and “pick and choose” approach when it comes to obeying the Word of YHVH. In reality, this is the same philosophy that forms the basis for the religious movement called secularhumanism, which is at the heart of all the religions of the world including much of the theology of mainstream Christianity.
Truthfully, how many aspects of Christian theology are no more than a thinly veiled version of the religion of humanism?
These are tough questions that the saints who are citizens of the nation of Israel (Eph 2:11–19) need to seriously ponder. At the same time, let’s not forget the words of Yeshua in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my [Torah] commandments” and the words of the apostle in 1 John 2:5–5, “He that says, ‘I know him,’ and does not keep his [Torah] commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. But whosoever keeps his Word in him truly is the love of Elohim perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”
Let’s be honest with ourselves. The bottom line reason why man has a hard time submitting to YHVH’s commandments is nowhere stated more concisely in the Bible than in Romans 8:7.
[T]he carnal mind is enmity against Elohim: for it is not subject to the law of Elohim, neither indeed can be.
Deuteronomy 31:12, Gather together the people…and the small children. A fundamental aspect of Hebrew culture is the teaching of the children. This is the primary responsibility of the parents as stated in the Shema (Deut 6:7) and secondarily that of the community of faith. Many parents have all but handed their YHVH-ordained charge in this area over to others such as the church, the government educational system, day care providers, the baby sitter and the like. Many if not most parents spend little time daily with their children. Additionally, often the children take the backseat in the education in many churches congregations. Typically, church pastors struggle to find volunteers to help in the children’s ministry. Is this right? Is this the heart of the Father? It certainly is not the heart of Yeshua who went out of his way to minister to the little children (Mark 10:13–16; see also Matt 18:1–5 and Mark 9:33–37).
Idolatry in ancient times…
Deuteronomy31:16,This people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land. Israel’s departure from her covenantal agreements with YHVH was assured, for Moses prophesied it. But repentance (verse 2) was always an option—an open door of return back to a right relationship with YHVH. Let us all repent of our having strayed from his commands whether ignorantly or intentionally. For example, have you repented of breaking his Sabbath command, of not observing and sanctifying his annual feasts, of desecrating the temple of your body by not following his biblical dietary laws, to list a few things? Though you may have broken YHVH’s laws in ignorance, doing so is still sin whether done in ignorance or not and repentance is still needed.
Modern idolatry!
Deuteronomy 31:16, Behold you will rest. Should this verse read as it is written, “Behold you will lie with your forefathers, but this people will rise up …” or, “You will [die and] lie with your forefathers you will [then] rise up.” According to the Talmud this verse is so ambiguous in its grammatical construction that were it not for the Masoretic cantillation marks (which are not found on a Torah scroll, but are based on scribal tradition) the latter reading could just as easily be the correct one and thus giving another scriptural source for the concept of the resurrection of the dead (this is according to TheArtScroll Kestenbaum Edition Tikkun—the Torah Readers Compendium, p. 485). Adding additional insight into this passage is the Aramaic Targum Pseudo Jonathan,which renders this text as follows: “And YHVH said to Mosheh, ‘Behold, thou wilt lie down in the dust with thy fathers, and thy soul shall be treasured in the treasury of eternal life with thy fathers: but this wicked people will rise up and go astray …’” What are the implications of the alternate rendering of this verse with regard to the resurrection of the dead.
Deuteronomy 31:18, And I will conceal my face. YHVH making his face to shine upon his people (Num 6:25; Ps 80:3, 19) or conversely concealing or turning his face away from his people is a Hebraism meaning “to be in the favor or disfavor of YHVH.” How sad it is to consider that our loving Heavenly Father will hide his face from those who disobey him and do evil (Deut 31:17, 18; 32:20; Ps 132:10; Ezek 7:22; 39:29). But what else can a holy YHVH Elohim do with regard to those who over their own free will choose to go against him?
Are your prayers being answered? Or do you sense that the heavens are brass (a symbol of judgment)?
If things are not going well for you in your life, perhaps you need to search out those areas in your life where sin still exists. Ask YHVH to reveal them to you. Then repent, make changes and bring your life back into alignment with YHVH’s Word.
Deuteronomy 31:20,They shall have eaten and filled themselves. Compare this verse with Yeshua’s admonition to the Laodicean believers in Revelation 3:14–22.
“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”
What are the parallels between these two Scripture passages? To what degrees do these prophetic warnings apply to Christians in the American and Western church?
Deuteronomy 31:23,He gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge. Upon Moses’ passing, YHVH didn’t leave the children of Israel in a leadership vacuum to wander about aimlessly in a confused state. YHVH isn’t the author of confusion! YHVH is the author of godly leadership. He prepares and trains leaders and then raises them up to lead his people in the paths of righteousness as they make their way to his spiritual Promised Land.
Beware of leaders who raise themselves up and promote themselves. To ensure that we don’t follow unrighteous, self-promoting and greedy leaders, let’s ask ourselves the following questions:
What is the purpose of righteous leadership? (See Eph 4:11–12.)
What are the qualifications for leadership ? (See 1 Tim 3:1–13.)
What is the premise of true, Spirit-ordained leadership? (See Matt 23:11.)
Many believers have been hurt by kingdom-building, hypocritical, money-grubbing and self-seeking leaders in the church world and, thus, now trust no one. They pride themselves on being “independent.” Is this good? Did Yeshua ever speak of his sheep as being “lone rangers” or did he refer to them as “a flock?” Does he ever speak of his flock as being shepherdless?
Of course, Yeshua is the Chief Shepherd, but does he not also speak of undershepherds or humans shepherds who faithfully work under him? (Read John 10:1–18.) In this regard, consider the following:
Should not a flock that is under the guidance of a true servant-shepherd of Yeshua be a place of safety not harm?
Is being outside the safety of a flock a place of safety or harm? (See Matt 18:12.)
Yeshua says that those who are outside of a flock are “lost” and have “gone astray” and are in danger of perishing (Matt 18:11–14). Are you part of a literal flock of believers, or have you spiritualized this passage away to justify your independent (or rebellious?) spirit against YHVH-ordained authority?
Deuteronomy 31:26,Put it beside the ark. Think of a Torah scroll leaning up against the ark. What is this a spiritual picture of? To answer this, let’s recall what YHVH instructed Moses to place inside the ark. The ark contained the two stone tablets upon which were written the ten statements or commandments, Aaron’s rod that budded and the golden pot of manna. Each of these items in a unique and identifiable way pointed to various aspects of Yeshua the Messiah and his ministry. The Torah scroll leaning up against the ark, in one a very real way, illustrates the fact that without Yeshua the Torah cannot stand on its own. It will fall over. This is true for several reasons. Man can neither understand the Written Torah without understanding who Yeshua, the Living Torah-Word of Elohim, is nor can man live up to the righteous standards of the Written Torah without the example, teachings and spiritual help of Yeshua and the Holt Spirit.
Deuteronomy31:29, In the latter days. What is the prophetic significance of the phrase in the latter days as used in this verse? Moses is prophesying about apostasy (i.e., turning away from YHVH’s Truth) here. (Compare this with the prophecies of 2 Thess 2:1–12, 2 Pet 2 and Jude.) How were these prophecies fulfilled in the second century of the common era as the early Christian, proto-Catholic church was abandoning its Hebraic, Torah-based roots ? How do these prophecies apply to today’s modern mainstream Christian church?
Deuteronomy 29:15,Not here with us today. This verse teaches us that YHVH made his covenant not only with the Israelites of Moses’ day, but with their physical and spiritual offspring forever. What are the implications of this with regard to your life? How does it impact what you do, how you act, your attitude and relationship with your Maker to know that divine covenants were made 3500 years ago that have a bearing on our lives today as members of the members of the commonwealth or nation of Israel and offspring of Abraham through one’s relationship with Yeshua the Messiah (see Rom 11:11–32; Eph 2:11–19 cp. Gal 3:29; Rom 4:16; 9:8–11)? YHVH’s Torah-instructions in righteousness were central to the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants. These along with the New Covenant are “the covenants of promise” (plural) to which Paul makes reference in Ephesians 2:12, and which he says apply to all Christians.
There are many people in the mainstream church who will say, “Since I’m not an Israelite, but I’m a Gentile Christian, I, therefore, have no obligation toward YHVH’s Torah, and thus the Old Testament laws mean little or nothing to me.”
My response to this argument is that, with the flick of the hand and the nod of the head, by believing this, one dismisses most of the Old Testament and much of the New Testament, which is the Word of Elohim. The idea that a born again believer is still a Gentile and thus the Torah is irrelevant to them—a lie that the church system has convinced most Christians to believe—is not biblically substantiated. The Scriptures are clear on this point. For example, Paul calls redeemed believers the “one new man” and part of the nation of Israel. And who are the ex-Gentiles to which Paul makes reference who were formerly aliens to the covenants of Israel, but have now been brought into the commonwealth of Israel through the work of Yeshua (Eph 2:11–19)? After all, it is the Abrahamic Covenant that reveals the path to salvation, the Mosaic Covenant that reveals the path of righteousness and the New Covenant, which is the previous two covenants combined but now written on hearts that have been spiritually circumcised. Not only that, let us not forget that no Gentiles will enter the New Jerusalem—a picture of heaven on earth, since there is no Gentile gate into that city—only gates only 12 gates named after the 12 tribes of Israel (Rev 21:12). So to which Israelite do you belong? And how should, could or will this much overlooked Bible truth change your life?
Now consider this. Some people might challenge the notion that covenants made with one’s forefathers are applicable to future generations. If this is your case, then let us pose the following question: Did the founding fathers of America make laws more than 200 years ago (i.e., the U. S. Constitution) that are legally binding upon Americans today? This can likewise apply to any nation with a constitution or legal governing framework that was established in the past. If this is the case with men’s laws, then how much more applicable upon us are covenants made by our forefathers 3500 years ago with YHVH? Just because our forefathers broke their covenant with YHVH does not free us to violate YHVH’s laws any more than if someone in the past violates a nation’s constitutional law frees the future generations from violating that law. Think about it!
Deuteronomy 29:16–19, Emboldened to sin. As we pass through the spiritual wilderness of the world around us (verse 16) on our way to the Promised Land of our eternal inheritance, it is easy for us sin-oriented humans to justify our personal rebellion, our sinful habits, our lustful and materialistic thoughts on the basis of carnal and sinful rationalizations. Delusions are tempting. It is all too easy to fall prey to such excuses as, “Everyone around me is doing it,” or, “It feels like it’s okay, then to do,” or, “If it feels good, do it,” or “YHVH’s laws don’t apply to me…that was for the people back then, not for us today,” or, “That’s not what the church I belong to teaches,” or, “Surely YHVH doesn’t expect us to keep his commandments…they’re too hard to do…we can’t really do all that stuff today,” or, “We’re under grace today…that stuff has been done away with…Jesus fulfilled it …nailed it to the cross,” and so go the arguments and mental rationalizations of carnal humans. Do these statements square with YHVH’s words of truth? If we have fallen prey to such excuses to disregard the Creator’s commandments, we have, in reality, emboldened ourselves to continue sinning. Rather, the question each person needs to ask themselves is, “Do what I believe and practice square with YHVH’s Word?” Is YHVH pleased with our excuses or our obedience? What did Yeshua say would be an identifying mark of those who would love him? (Read John 14:15, 21.)
YHVH uproots his people because of Torahlessness!
Deuteronomy 29:20–28, Rooted them out of their land. What was YHVH’s response to those who refused to obey him? Are some of the curses (i.e., the bad things happening to you now) in your life possibly related to disobedience of his commandments (or YHVH’s instructions in righteousness) in the past or perhaps even now?
Deuteronomy 29:23, Whole land is brimstone. The areas just west of the Dead Sea where some scholars believe that ancient Sodom and Gomorrah were located is to this day a barren wasteland of gypsum containing little or no vegetation, and, in places, is covered in sulfur balls (brimstone) that one can still pick up. This region is an enduring testimony to the severity of YHVH’s judgments against men’s sin, which speaking loudly to us even now in harsh and warning tones.
Sulphur balls from the Dead Sea region.
Deuteronomy 29:26, Other gods. This is likely referring to the demon-gods (demigod) nephilim of Genesis 6:2–4 (The Great Inception by Derek P. Gilbert, p. 67).
Deuteronomy 29:28–30:1–20, The Final Redemption of All Israel. A time is coming when Israel, including the ten northern tribe will be redeemed and regathered back to the land of Israel after having been exiled into captivity from their land. What is the captivity from which Israel will be returning?
What Is This Captivity?
The biblical term captivity is often a reference to Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom or house of Israel, being brought out of captivity by YHVH (Ezek 16:53). Also compare Isaiah 61:1 with Luke 4:18–21 where, while preaching in the region of Galilee and Nazareth (the historic homeland of the Northern Kingdom or House of Israel), Yeshua quotes the Isaiah 61 passage relating it to his ministry to the ten tribes of the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt 10:6). Yeshua states that it was his mission “to preach the gospel to the poor … to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captive and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bound, to preach the acceptable year of YHVH.”
To what“captivity” is Yeshua referring? Is it a physical or spiritual captivity? Compare this with Revelation 18:4 where YHVH states that his people (the saints) are enslaved to the last days’ Babylon the Great religious-economic-political system and must come out of it. What is this religious part of this system that he is now calling his people to leave?
Deuteronomy 29:28, Cast them into another land. “This verse also alludes to the fate of [those Israelites] who had become so assimilated among other peoples that their [i.e., the Israelite’s] origins had become forgotten. When the final redemption comes, these hidden ones known only to [Elohim] will be reunited with the rest of the nation and be restored to the status of their forefathers” (The ArtScrollStone Edition Chumash, p. 1090). To whom is this Orthodox Jewish author referring here? Who became assimilated among the peoples and forgot their origins? Who is it that Elohim will bring out of hiding from among the nations where he, in judgment, scattered them and then reunite with the Jews (i.e., the tribe of Judah) in the end times during what the Orthodox Jewish sages refer to as “the final redemption”? In Jewish thought, what is the “final redemption”? (For the answer, read Ezek 34:13; 36:24; Isa 56:8; Matt 24:29–44; Acts 1:6; 1 Cor 15:51–53; Rev 11:15–18.)
Another land. Let’s next notice a quote from the ancient apocryphal Book of 2 Esdras13:40-45(elsewhere known as The Fourth Book of Ezra; quoted from Lange’s Commentary; bracketed phrases are from an alternate translation by James H. Charlesworth in his book entitled, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha—Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments);Two Esdras is a Jewish work written near the beginning of the Christian era,
[T]hese are the ten tribes which were carried [led] away prisoners out of their own land [into captivity] in the time of Josia[h] the king, whom Salmanasar king of Assyria led captive, and carried them over the river and they were brought over into another land. But they took this counsel [formed this plan] amongst themselves, that they would leave the multitude of the heathen [nations], and go forth into a further country [a more distant region], where mankind never dwelt, that they might there keep their own statutes, which they had not kept in their own land. But they entered into Euphrates by the narrow passages of the river; for the Most High then wrought signs for them, and held still the waves [stopped the channels] of the river till they had passed over. But through that country there was a long journey to make of a year and a half; and the same region is called Arzareth [Hebrew for “another land”].
Arzareth or “another land” is a reference to the prophecy in Deuteronomy 29:28 which states, “And YHVH rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land [Heb. eretz acheret], as it is this day.” Acheret in the Hebrew means “another,” but also has the connotation of “new”such as “next year”(or in the “new year,” Gen 17:12), a “another well” (Gen 26:21); “another man” (i.e., a new husband); and so on. Other Hebrew words for “new” include chodesh or chadashah, which can mean either “brand new”or “renewed”such as in “new moon, new heart, or new heaven and new earth”; tiyrowsh, which refers to “new wine” or “new fruits.” These are unique Hebrew words, which specifically describe those things and nothing else; and beriyah, which is used once in Numbers 16:30, describes the earth opening up to swallow Korah and his malcontents.
The point of this brief word study is that eretz acheret can justifiably be translated into English as “new earth,” or “new world.” The “New World” is a common historical reference to what? North America, of course. Was Deuteronomy 29:28 a cryptic prophecy to one of newly discovered regions where the tribes of Israel would be scattered? Perhaps this is what the rabbinic writings in 2 Esdras13:40–45are suggesting. One and a half years’ travel by foot and boat either west or east of the Euphrates could well lead one to North and South America.
Israel to Be Lost Among the Gentiles
Deuteronomy 29:28 states, “And YHVH rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land [Heb. eretz acheret], as it is this day.” How did the ancient Jewish sages understand this passage?
Rabbinic Commentary on this Verse
b. Talmud, Yevamot 17a (c. 500 C.E.) (Soncino Talmud, Soncino):
[T]hey had declared them [i.e. ,the ten tribes of Israel, see rabbinic footnote below]19 to be perfect heathens [or gentiles]; as it is said in the Scriptures, “They have dealt treacherously against YHVH, for they have begotten strange children.20”
A Rabbinic footnote on this passage states, “(19) The ten tribes; (20) Hos. 5:7.”
The ArtScroll Tanach Series Bereishis/Genesis (an Orthodox Jewish commentary on Genesis) states, regarding Genesis 48:19, Orthodox Jewish sage of the Middle Ages, Ibn Ezra wrote:
Many nations will descend from him [Ephraim]. That is, the word, fullness, melo, connotes “abundance,” the phrase meaning: and his seed will become the abundance of the nations (Neter; Karnei Or)” (p. 2121). According to Radak [R. Dovid Kimchi Torah, a scholar of the Middle Ages], “This refers to the Exile when the lands of others will be filled with his scattered descendants. See also Hosea 7:8: Ephraim shall be mingled among the nations (ibid.).
Deuteronomy 30
Deuteronomy 30:1, It shall come to pass. This is an end time prophecy concerning the people of YHVH.
Deuteronomy 30:1–5; 31:16, Returning to Elohim. Israel’s departure from her covenantal agreements with YHVH was assured. Moses prophesied it. But repentance (verse 2) was always an option—an open door of return back to right relationship with YHVH. Have you repented of straying from his Torah-commands whether out of ignorance or purposely?
Deuteronomy 30:2,You will return unto YHVH. The word return is shuv/CUA, which means “to come back, turn back.” Bear in mind that one cannot turn back to what one never had in the first place. This prophecy says that those who YHVH has scattered because of their disobedience to his Torah-covenants will return to him. To whom is this referring? In Hosea 3:4–5, we find similar language:
For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek YHVH their Elohim, and David their king; and shall fear YHVH and his goodness in the latter days. (emphasis added)
Relate this to Revelation 18:4 and Malachi 4:4–6 along with Jeremiah 16:19 (read verses 15–21 for context).
Let us not forget that, “Ideal repentance is motivated by the desire to return to [Elohim], not because one seeks to rid oneself of suffering, and benefit from Divine blessings” (The ArtScrollStone Edition Chumash p, 1091).
With all your heart. Moses makes the heart of man a major focal point in this chapter (see also vv. 6, 10, 17. The subject here is about returning to Elohim after having turned away from him, but this can only happen when the heart of man is willing disposed to do so, and not a minute before that. Repentance is all conditional on the heart of each individual person.
This scriptural passage presents the view that if YHVH’s people will return to him with all their heart and soul from the places he has scattered them because of their disobedience and that of their forefathers (v. 2) that he will begin to gather them together in their foreign lands (vv. 3–4). Eventually this will result in his people returning to the promised land of their inheritance (v. 5). In the process, after his people have inclined their hearts to following YHVH, he will respond by circumcising their hearts and that of their children to love him more, so they can walk in harmony with him by keeping his Torah commands, so he can bless them. This is all predicated upon his people making a choice to obey him (v. 19). Once the choice is made, he will pour out his grace upon his people, so they can continue to obey him with all their hearts.
Deuteronomy 30:3,From all the nations to which YHVH … has scattered you. The Scriptures over and over again record that the house of Israel (Ephraim) would be scattered over the face of the whole earth (Ezek 34:6, 12; 36:19; 37:21; John 11:52), and that YHVH will regather them in the end times and return them to the land of Israel (Deut 30:3–5). Deuteronomy 32:26 says, “I said, I would scatter them into the corners …” TheArtScroll Stone Edition Chumash comments, “This refers to the exile of the ten tribes who were scattered to an unknown place where they have never been heard from again.
On the phrase of the same verse, “I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men. …” the same Chumash states, “This is a reference to the exile of Judah and Benjamin, the Davidic kingdom from which today’s known Jews are descended.” It goes on to say that though nations would seek to destroy Israel entirely, YHVH would never allow Israel to become extinct or disappear. Israel’s perpetual existence is a constant reminder of YHVH’s plan and eventually Israel will thrive and fulfill YHVH’s intention for it” (pp. 1105–1106).
Nineteenth orthodox Jewish scholar S. R. Hirsch in his commentary on the same verse translates the phrase, “I would scatter them into the corners …” as, “I would relegate them into a corner …,” and then says that the Hebrew here refers to the “extreme end of a surface, the side or corner ….” He, too, relates this fate to the Ten Tribes who would be scattered “to some distant corner of the world, where, left entirely to themselves, they could mature towards serious reflection and ultimate return to Me …” (p. 650).
Some in the Christians deny that these Scriptures passages pertain to the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and instead insist that they are speaking about Judah (the Jews) only. They insist that the return of the Jews to the land of Israel starting in 1948 is the fulfillment of these prophecies and the ten tribes of Israel are lost forever. How can this a correct understanding in light of the Scriptures and the Jewish sages interpretations of those scriptures that states again and again that the ten tribes will return at the end of the age to be reunited with the Jews under the reign of Messiah Son of David (Ezek 37:15–28)?
Deuteronomy 30:6, Circumcise your heart. Obedience to YHVH is all about the heart, all about love and relationship between him and us. Are his commandments too difficult to keep? (See verses 11–14.) Ultimately obedience is about our making choices. What are those choices and what are both the long-term and short-term results of those choices? (Compare verses 29:27–28; 30:9, 20 with 30:15–16, and relate this to what Yeshua told the rich, young ruler in Matthew 19:16–19.)
Deuteronomy 30:6, Will circumcise your heart…and of your seed. This is a prophecy concerning the Renewed Covenant, to which Jeremiah makes reference (Jer 31:31, 33) as does Ezekiel (Ezek 36:26–27), and the writer of Hebrews (Heb 8:8).
Deuteronomy 30:11–14,Is the Torah too difficult to obey? Does YHVH’s Torah set an impossible standard by which we are to live? If so, we are logically compelled to ask ourselves this question: Would a righteous and just Creator who is a loving Heavenly Father give to his chosen people and children a set of standards that were humanly impossible to perform, then curse them for their inability to meet these standards? If so, then we must face the fact that Elohim is an unjust and a wicked tyrant! If Torah isn’t an impossible standard to follow, then what is the Torah’s purpose in our life and why does the Creator impose the Torah upon his people? We believe that the Torah sets a standard of faith, trusting in Elohim, and that if followed it provides a system of repentance and sacrifice for obtaining forgiveness from Elohim and restoring a condition of being considered righteous in his sight. The Torah also teaches man how to achieve peace on earth and good will toward men by showing humans how to love Elohim with all their heart, soul, mind and strength and their neighbor as themselves.
Paul quotes this same Deuteronomy passage in Romans 10:6–8 where he relates the Written Torah to Yeshua, the Living Torah or Word of Elohim incarnate (in the flesh). (Compare with John 1:1, 14.) He shows that they are one in the same and that Messiah Yeshua, through his life, came to reveal to man the righteousness of the Torah-law. This righteousness is available to us if we will but have a heartfelt faith in him (Rom 10:4, 9–10) and allow him to live out his righteousness in us through the empowering work of the Spirit of Elohim. In verses 11 through 21, Paul goes on to relate this very truth to being the central message of the gospel that Isaiah prophesied (Isa 52:7) would be preached to redeem both houses of Israel to Yeshua their Messiah. Furthermore, in Romans 10:4 Paul reveals that Yeshua is the end goal, target of or the full flowering or embodiment of the Written Torah in human form.
Deuteronomy 30:12, 13, That we may hear it. The NAS translates this phrase as: “and make us hear it…” When the Torah is in our heart, no one will have to force us to do it, for man’s love for Elohim will compel him to obey the Torah (see John 14:15), it will be the result, spiritual fruit or “good works” of man’s salvation (Eph 2:10).
Deuteronomy 30:19, Heaven and earth to bear witness against you. We find this phrase elsewhere in the Scriptures to denote a lack of obedience or awareness to the plans and purposes of YHVH on the part of his people (Deut 4:26; 30:19; 31:28; 32:1; Josh 24:24–27; Luke 19:40). The Scriptures say that in any legal matter a word is to be established in the mouth of at least two or three witnesses (Num 35:30; Deut 17:6; 19:15; Matt 18:16). In an anthropomorphic sense, heaven and earth are two witnesses against the people of YHVH for their disobedience to his covenants. On the earth and under the heaven, from the beginning of time, humans have committed an unending litany of sins, and heaven and earth have seen it all. Prior to his death, Joshua set up a large stone as a witness against the children of Israel that would testify against them if they ever turned away from YHVH and his Torah-covenants.
And the people said to Joshua, “YHVH our Elohim we will serve, and His voice we will obey!” So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Torah-law of Elohim. And he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of YHVH. And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard all the words of YHVH which He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you deny your God.” (Josh 24:24–27)
Over the millennia, the earth’s stones have witnessed much sin. Just think of the human blood that the earth has had to absorb, or how the heavens due to human greed have been polluted in countless ways…and this is only the beginning. But what happens to these two witnesses after the Millennium (or Messianic Era) both of which (anthropomorphically speaking) have seen and heard all the sins of YHVH’s people as well as the whole world? After the white throne judgment (Rev 20:11–15), the wicked whose names are not written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15), and sin will once and for all be expunged from the earth via the cleansing flames. It is at this time that the physical heaven and earth will also be destroyed (2 Pet 3:7, 10; Pss 75:3; 102:25–26; Isa 51:6; Zeph 3:8; Matt 24:35 cp. Rev 21:1)! Elohim will mercifully remove the indicting evidence against man’s sinful rebellion. HalleluYah! Hirsch in his commentary on this verse states that Elohim sends the warning first by means of heaven and earth, and if no notice be taken, uses them as his instruments for the ruin of the guilty ones, even as they are the agents of his blessings when we have made ourselves deserving of them by devotion to our duty (The Pentateuch/Devarim, p. 605). Recognizing that heaven and earth are agents of both YHVH’s blessings and curses upon his people, it behooves us to take notice of the hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, floods, droughts, forest fires, volcanic eruptions and other natural calamities that are striking our nation and the world as we are increasingly heading down the path of moral and spiritual decay and perversion and outright rebellion and wickedness.
The Tribes of Israel: Their Dispersion and Ultimate Return
My apologies, but in my print version of this article, I have numerous footnote references, which, sadly, don’t come through in this online version. If you need the footnotes, please email me and I’ll send you a pdf of this article with the footnotes. All the footnotes can be found in my longer article (https://hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/migrations.pdf) that includes the following excerpt.
A Brief History Lesson
When the children of Israel exited Egypt, they were one nation composed of twelve tribes. Contrary to popular opinion, the Jews (from the tribe of Judah) were only one-twelfth of that nation — not the whole nation. At Mount Sinai, that nation made a covenant with YHVH Elohim to obey him and keep his commandments with the Torah as the nation’s constitution. In return, YHVH promised to bless and protect the nation of Israel. Several hundred years later, the nation of Israel began to turn away from its covenantal promises by not adhering to its Torah-constitution and by worshipping pagan deities. The result of this apostasy was that the nation of Israel split in two becoming two nations: the Northern Kingdom (composed of the tribe of Ephraim and nine other tribes) and the Southern Kingdom (composed of Judah and two other tribes more or less). The tribes of the Northern Kingdom never did come back to YHVH or his Torah, but continued to walk in the ways of the heathen nations around them. As punishment for their disobedience and rebellion against him, YHVH allowed the very nations whom the Northern Kingdom “fell in love with” other than YHVH to take them captive. This resulted in the Israelite dispersion among the nations of the world as Moses predicted would happen in the Torah. Sadly, the same thing eventually happened to the Jews of the Southern Kingdom. Even though the Torah predicted this would occur (Gen 49:16; Deut 28:64; 29:25–28; 30:1–5; 32:21–29), it also predicted that YHVH would regather his people from the lands where they had been scattered (Deut 30:1–5). The Hebrew prophets spoke extensively about the exile and eventual return of all the tribes to the land of Israel. Often these prophecies were coupled with end time, Messianic and millennial prophecies. The prophecies about the return of the Israelites to their land was partially fulfilled by the return of a small remnant of Jews and Levites to the Israel during the time of Cyrus, king of Persia and Babylon. But this historical event didn’t fulfill these prophecies totally even in the least. First, Ezra makes it clear that only those from the tribes of Judah and Levi returned to Israel after the Jews’ seventy-year exile in Babylon. None from the Northern Kingdom returned. Second, the Jews only came from one nation of exile (Babylon), and not from many nations around the world — including even the furthest islands — as the Hebrew prophets predicted would happen. So the remnant of Jews who returned to Israel from Babylon was only a partial fulfillment of the biblical prophecies about all twelve tribes eventually returning to the land of Israel. Why did YHVH allow a remnant of Jews to return to Israel? Simply this. Had there been no Jews in the land of Israel, the Messiah couldn’t have been born in Bethlehem. With no Messiah, then the Messianic biblical prophecies couldn’t have been fulfilled making the Bible — the Word of Elohim — a lie. Not only that, as we shall see below, it was the purpose of the Messiah to regather the lost sheep of the house of Israel by sending out spiritual fishermen with the good news message of redemption and salvation for all those who would repent of sin (i.e., Toarhlessness, see 1 John 3:4) and place their faith in the Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah. As we shall also discuss below, the apostolic writers of the Testimony of Yeshua (the New Testament) were very well aware that the twelve tribes were still extant in their day, and the gospel message needed to be taken to them. Not only that, but in Paul’s mind, the Gentiles were, at least in part, to be viewed as the lost the sheep of the house of Israel (i.e., the Northern Kingdom). The gospel message was to be like a net to draw them back into the spiritual fold of nation Israel — back into a spiritual relationship with YHVH Elohim through Yeshua the Messiah. Paul makes this clear in several places (especially in Eph 2:11–19).
What the Jewish Sages Say
For several millennia, many notable Jewish scholars have been aware of the biblical prophecies pertaining to the return of the Israelite exiles (all twelve tribes) from the lands where they were scattered. Even today, Orthodox Jews still pray daily for and look forward to the regathering of the dispersed of Israel from the four corners of the earth. They see this as something to be fulfilled in the end times with the advent of the Messiah. They refer to this event as the final redemption. Here are some quotes from some of these Jewish sages: The late Menachem Schneerson, the head of the Orthodox Jewish Lubivicher Movement, stated that,
The future King Messiah (Messiah Ben [Son of] David) will not only redeem the Jews from exile, but will restore the observance of the Torah-commandments to its complete state, which will only be possible when the Israelites are living in the land of Israel.
At this same time, according Schneerson while referencing the notable rabbinic sage of the Middle Ages, Moses Maimonides also known as the Rambam,
On the biblical, visible or sighted new moon, abib barley calendar, listed below are the dates for the fall 2025 biblical festivals.
For those of you who are new to celebrating YHVH’s feasts or who are confused by biblical calendar issues, we invite you to study this subject out. There are many pretender calendars out there claiming to be the true biblical calendar, but upon closer examination, none are not based solely on Scripture if at all, but are based on non-biblical sources and humanistic reasoning to justify their claims. For those of you who are diligent studiers of the Bible and only want Scripture to be the source and foundations for all of your beliefs and actions, we invite you to explore the following study materials on this subject:
Yom Teruah (the Day of Trumpets/Shouting/Shofar Blasts aka erroneously or colloquially known as “the Feast of Trumpets” and “Rosh Hashanah”): Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025.
Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement: Friday, October 3, 2025.
Chag Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles (aka the Feast of Booths: Wednesday, October 8 to Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
Shemini Atzeret or the Eighth Day: Wednesday, October 15, 2025.
During the week of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, the following days are Sabbaths: the first day of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret.
And YHVH spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. (Lev 23:1–2)
Now let’s go and celebrate as we love Yeshua the Messiah by keeping his commandments (John 14:15, 21)!
Deuteronomy 21:18–21,Stubborn and rebellious son. Many of the laws of YHVH’s penal code are preventative in nature. Such is the case with the wayward and rebellious son. In ancient Israel, there were no prisons, since it was the goal of YHVH’s Torah-laws to root out evil before it spread like a cancerous tumor endangering society. In the case of the law of the rebellious son, parents’ love for YHVH must supersede even that of their children. This helps to ensure that children will remain on the straight and narrow path when they become adults. What steps are you taking to prevent your children or grandchildren from going down the path of faithlessness and rebellion?
Deuteronomy 21:22, Put to death…hang him on a tree. A man condemned of a crime worthy of capital punishment is to be put to death, and then hung on a tree. He is not killed by hanging. According to S. A. Hirsch, for two crimes only (blasphemy and idol worship) was the command given to hang the bodies. Even though these crimes brought on such an ignominious and shameful end as being hanged, Elohim still requires that the corpse—even of a criminal—to be honored by burial because it was still the life a human, who was created in Elohim’s image. As Hirsch notes, an unburied corpse is to be considered a disgrace and a degradation to all living humans. It also defiles the land, as this verse says. This commandment gives us some insight into how YHVH views the sanctity of life. The abhorrent practice of abortion, for example, degrades life in many ways. This not only includes how the baby is murdered in the mother’s womb, but how it is disposed of afterwards.
But why not just kill the criminal and then bury him? Why hang him on a tree? Much of Torah’s criminal justice system is based on preventive action. By hanging the criminal’s corpse on a tree, this signaled to all would-be criminals that this would be their fate too should they violate any of YHVH’s Torah commands that required capital punishment. To our modern sensitivities, this seems cruel, gruesome and morbid. But YHVH’s ways are not men’s ways. This preventative measure likely prevented many crimes from occurring in the first place thus alleviating much criminality as well as the necessity for capital punishment. As the old adage goes, “Prevention is the best medicine.”
Deuteronomy 21:23, For a hanging person is a curse of Elohim. Let’s compare this passage with Paul’s statements in Galatians 3:13 and then consider both of these passages in light of Isaiah 53:4–10.
Messiah hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. (Gal 3:13)
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of Elohim, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and YHVH hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased YHVH to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of YHVH shall prosper in his hand. (Isa 53:4–10)
Rashi, a medieval Jewish Bible commentator, has an interesting comment on Deuteronomy 21:23. “For a hanging person is an insult of God. It is a degradation of the King, for man is made in the likeness of His image, and Israel are His sons. This can be compared to two twin brothers who resembled each other. One became a king, while one became ensnared in banditry, and was hung. Whoever would see him hanging would say, ‘The king is hanging!’” The rabbinical commentary on Rashi’s commentary ponders the meaning of Rashi’s statement as follows: “[Rashi’s] parable seems difficult. Could people really look at a hanging corpse and think that the King of kings [sic] is hanging? Also, what does Rashi add by noting that ‘Israel are his sons’? And finally, why does Rashi say that ‘one became a king,’ rather than ‘one was a king’ After all, God cannot be said to ‘have become’ a king” (The ArtScroll Sapirstein Edition Rashi/Deuteronomy, p. 227). These comments are curious in light of the fact that these Jewish sages were not believers in Yeshua the Messiah. How would you answer the commentator’s question from a Messianic perspective as pertaining to Yeshua?
Deuteronomy 22
Deuteronomy 22:1–4,Caring for a brother’s property. Concern for the property of others is the subject of these verses. In this respect, let us not forget the second half of the shema: You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:18). What is often the response of a wicked with respect to concern for their neighbor’s well being? Genesis 4:9 gives us the answer.
And YHVH said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?
A lack of love for one’s neighbor has ancient roots in the human history!
On this passage of Scripture, one rabbinical commentator states: “[T]he commandment to return lost property is ‘fundamental’ and that ‘all society depends upon it.’ It is not just a matter of one person taking care of another’s possessions or of ‘loving’ another. What is important here is the critical matter of ‘trust’ among human beings. A society depends upon the faith people place in one another. Without people feeling that they can rely upon one another—that others are looking out for what belongs to me and I must look out for what belongs to them—society collapses in suspicion, selfishness, and bitter contention” (A Torah Commentary For Our Time, vol. 3, p. 149).
Deuteronomy 22:10,You shall not plow with an ox and with a donkey (that is, a kosher animal with a non-kosher animal). With regard to human relationships, Baal Ha Turim, the ancient Jewish Torah scholar, interprets this verse to mean that a righteous person should not enter into a business partnership with a wicked person. The Mishnah states: “Distance yourself from a bad neighbor; and do not bind yourself to a wicked person. (Avos 1:7, The ArtScroll Baal HaTurim Chumash, p. 2065). Elsewhere and similarly, the Torah and the rest of the Tanakh forbid YHVH’s people from intermarrying with heathens or forming alliances with them. Scripture also records the devastating consequences upon YHVH’s people when the committed this gross error. What does the Testimony of Yeshua say about being unequally yoked with unbelievers?
Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. (1 Cor 15:33)
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Messiah with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of Elohim with idols? for ye are the temple of the living Elohim; as Elohim hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the YHVH, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the YHVH Almighty. (2 Cor 6:14–18
Deuteronomy 22:5–12, Various laws. Matthew Henry in his commentary says of these various laws: “God’s providence extends itself to the smallest affairs, and his precepts do so, that even in them we may be in the fear of the Lord, as we are under his eye and care…. If we would prove ourselves to be God’s people, we must have respect to his will and to his glory, and not to the vain fashions of the world. Even in putting on our garments, as in eating or in drinking, all must be done with serious regard to preserve our own and other’s purity in heart and actions.” Let’s think and meditate on this.
Deuteronomy 22:6–7,If a bird’s nest. What does this passage teach us about caring for the environment and being good stewards of YHVH’s creation? How about showing mercy to animals and man’s role in preserving the species? What are the broader implications here? What are you doing to protect the environment, and to be good stewards of this earth? This starts with each of us in our own home and garden—the tiny spot on earth that YHVH has given us to tend and keep.
Deuteronomy 23
Deuteronomy 23:2, A child of incest [Heb. mamzêr] shall not. The Hebrew word mamzer (translated in the KJV as bastard; NKJV one ofillegitimate birth) means “a child of a prohibited marriage.”Contrary to uninformed opinion, this is not referring to one born out of wedlock (the result of fornication or premarital relations), but rather the fruit of an incestuous or adulterous relationship (The ArtScroll Stone Edition Chumash, p. 1054). According to S. R. Hirsch, a Jewish Torah scholar, a mamzer was disadvantaged legally in no other way except that he was excluded from the assembly or congregation (qahal) of YHVH’s people. According to The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, the Hebrew word qahal is equivalent to the Greek word ecclesia,which is commonly translated as church in the NT (ibid., vol. 2, p. 790). What does Torah’s treatment of a mamzer say about YHVH’s view of the sanctity of marriage and the family and the upholding of such as a cornerstone institution within the assembly of the saints? Hirsch comments on this verse, “[A] mamzer accordingly represents, by his existence, a sin against those laws by which God wishes marriage in His qahal to be elevated out of the sphere of simply physical association by that which [the Talmud in] Kiddushin [73a] expresses” (Judaica Press The Pentateuch/Deuteronomy, p. 456).
In the Torah, premarital sex is not a capital offense. When it happened, the man was either to marry the young lady, or he had to pay a fine to her father. Incest, however, like homosexuality, was an abomination in YHVH’s eyes (Lev 18:6–18, 26–29), thus it would stand to reason that YHVH would take a harder stand on the product of such a sexual union. The point is to teach his people not to get involved in such sinful sexual practices in the first place.
Deuteronomy 23:9–14,When the army goes out. With regard to the sanctity of the Israelite’s army camp, the Jewish sages teach that whereas other armies triumph by force of numbers and arms, Israel’s success is in the hands of Elohim, and, therefore, its army’s most potent weapon is its righteous behavior (The ArtScroll Stone Edition Chumash, p. 1055). Holiness and righteousness (i.e., obedience to YHVH’s commands coupled with trusting faith in Yeshua and in his blood atonement) can help us to defeat our enemies (see Rev 1:5; 12:11, 17; 14:12). When a saint views himself or herself as the temple of the Holy Spirit, as a holy priesthood, as a witness for Yeshua and his kingdom in this world, and that holiness and righteousness in all that one does, says and thinks, then they will view physical cleanliness as a key component in their daily lifestyle. Although the phrase, “Cleanliness is next to godliness” is not found in the Scriptures, it is nevertheless a true statement in light of this Torah passage.
Deuteronomy 23:9,Keep yourself from every wicked thing. This principle not only applies to physical warfare but also to spiritual warfare. Keeping oneself from wicked things when engaging in spiritual warfare is a subject that many Bible teachers overlook. The focus is usually on the enemy or the battle tactics employed, but, not on the condition of soldier who is going up against the enemy of the people of Elohim. This section of the Torah covers this oft-overlooked subject (vv. 9–14).
The word wicked verse nine is the generic Hebrew word ra or ra’ah meaning in its most basic sense “evil, bad or distress.” So what does the Torah state in this passage that makes a person evil or bad and unclean and is thus offensive to Elohim? Simply this: bodily emissions that happen to naturally emanate from the human body whether it be human waste or seminal emissions. Such occurrences take a man from a state of ritually purity or being clean (Heb. tahor) to being unclean (Heb. tamay). The solution to the problem, as in the case of nocturnal emissions, is cleansing by water, and in the case of the eliminations of bodily waste, burying the waste. This includes washing one’s hands after using the toilet as well as bathing and washing one’s clothing and bedding regularly. What this teaches us is that if one goes into battle in an unclean state, this is offensive to Elohim, and the soldier may not have the favor of Elohim, while he is engaging the enemy in battle. This is not a good thing for the warrior!
When it comes specifically to spiritual warfare (as outlined in 1 Cor 10:4–6 and Eph 6:10–18), the drash or homiletical level understanding of this passage teaches us that when engaging the enemy in spiritual battle, the saint must be as clean as possible both physically and, more importantly, spiritually. On the spiritual side, this means that all unconfessed sins need to be repented of and that all illicit behavior must be eliminated from one’s life if one expects the benefits of YHVH’s miraculous aid. One must be continually washed clean of sin by the blood of Yeshua the Messiah and by the water of the Word and the Spirit of Elohim (1 John 1:5–10, esp. v. 9).
Because these principles of ritual and spiritual purity are usually not taught to the saints, it is no wonder that many times our prayers are not answered and that the enemy trounces Christians on the streets, in the courts, in the political arena and many other spiritual battlefields in various venues in our society.
All this is to say that the saint must clean up his own act and house first before confronting the enemies of Elohim. Both Yeshua and Paul address the hypocrisy of those who point their finger at others while guilty of the same or similar sins.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matt 7:1–5)
Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of Elohim is according to truth against those who practice such things. (Rom 2:1–2)
Deuteronomy 23:18,Price of a dog. The price of a dog, according to Keil and Delitzsch, is not the price paid for the sale of a dog, but is a figurative expression used to denote the gains of a male prostitute, who was called thus by the Greeks because of the dog-like manner in which homosexuals debase themselves sexually. YHVH considers homosexuality so abominable that he specifically lists dogs (along with sorcerers, murders, idolators and liars) as being excluded from the New Jerusalem (Rev 22:15).
Deuteronomy 24
Deuteronomy 24:1–4, When a man takes a wife. For an explanation of this passage in light of YHVH-Yeshua’s remarriage to adulterous Israel as sit relates to the gospel message, see notes at Romans 7:1–6.
Deuteronomy 24:1, Write her a bill of divorcement. Divorce laws and a bill of divorcement (Heb. get)is the subject of this passage. This verse forms the basis of the divorce laws of the Torah and the actual get or bill of divorce, which was a written document that a husband gave to his wife because of some immoral activity on her part (The ArtScrollStone Edition Chumash, p. 1058). The subject of divorce and remarriage is a large subject and is beyond the scope of this present work, yet it is interesting to note that Moses himself, the one who YHVH used to pen the Torah, was very likely divorced and remarried. (We have discussed this subject in Parashat Yitro.) YHVH himself divorced Israel and gave her a get because of her unfaithfulness to him, though he never remarried. (See the teaching below.)
The Real Purpose for Divorce Under Torah
Deuteronomy 24:1–4, Natan’s Notes on the Biblical Reasons for Divorce
Divorce and remarriage is a highly controversial topic due to the emotional nature and its prevalence in society. Thus arriving at a balanced biblical perspective is not always easy. Those who advocate divorce and as well as those who are against it have their favorite scriptures that justify their position, while each side tends to overlooks the Scriptures that disagree with them. In this study, we will look at one aspect of divorce and the reasons that Scripture permitted it under certain circumstances. To be sure, this is a delicate subject that affects the lives of countless people.
Jeremiah 3:14, After YHVH divorced Israel (v. 8), he was still married to her. What’s going on here? Even though YHVH divorced Israel, he still considers himself married to her because he had made a covenantal vow with Israel, and vows can’t be broken (except by death or under very stringent requirements). Period.
Look at Hosea 1:2 cp. 3:1–3. Hosea’s actions toward Gomer, his adulterous wife, is an example of YHVH’s unfailing love for is Israel, who was his spiritual adulterous wife. Marriage is a covenant vow that when broken by adultery requires the death penalty for the offending party. Gomer committed adultery. Yet Hosea brought her back and redeemed her from adultery. He loved her unconditionally and laid his life down for her (as YHVH does for us, see Eph 5:28).
Deuteronomy 24:1 cannot be used as a justification for divorcing under just any circumstances. Only if the wife has committed or is committing sexual immorality (in Hebrew ervah) can her husband put her away. A bill of divorcement, in Hebrew called a get, must first be issued for the purposes of restoring the immoral woman. One cannot put their wife away for any reason. Even Yeshua confirmed this in Matthew 5:32. Ideally, according to the Torah and to Yeshua, some sexual immorality (in Hebrew ervah)has to have been committed for a man legally to divorce his wife according to the Torah-law. I inserted the word ideally because there are seldom ideal situations in life, and humans rarely live up to YHVH’s ideal moral and spiritual standards. As such, Yeshua admits that the Torah as administered by Moses allowed for divorce to occur, sadly, because of the hardness of human hearts (Matt 19:8). What does “hardness of heart” mean? Scripture doesn’t say. The following is simply my speculation on what this means. For example, I would not expect one to be required to stay married if several severe conditions existed such as physical abuse, criminality, drug addictions, abandonment, total dereliction of responsibilities or extreme heathenism. Such sins make it all but impossible for a righteous person to remain in such a spousal relationship. A spouse who is practicing such has violated their contractual marriage vows and thus there legally and technically is no marriage. A believer shouldn’t be forced to remain in such a relationship. Having said this, it is the saint’s duty, as much as possible, to vet out a prospective mate before marrying them to ensure that they have never been involved nor are currently involved in such activities. One should only marry an Elohim-fearing, commandment-keeping, born again faithful believer in Yeshua the Messiah, who has a long fruit-bearing track record of such a lifestyle. Again, this is Natan Lawrence speaking, not Scripture, but it is my best understanding of scriptural principles as they relate to marriage and divorce.
Marriage between two believers is a vow with YHVH. Marriage between two unbelievers is something else. It is simply an agreement or contract between two people. Maybe YHVH is part of it, maybe he is not. It all depends on the vows and the situation.
Deuteronomy 24 is not a permission to divorce and to remarry. Rather it is a judgment because of sin. It must be viewed in this manner. YHVH’s Torah-laws, statutes and ordinances are for when things go well. The judgments of Torah, on the other hand, were for when things went wrong. A judgment was meted out because some Torah-law had been broken and now a solution to the problem had to be found or worked out within the framework of Torah. This is the situation Deuteronomy 24 is dealing with respect to the marriage covenant that has been violated. A get was a temporary legal measure to protect the adulterous woman from stoning, so that the marriage could be restored.
In the Torah, divorce was to be a temporary situation to bring the sinning wife to repentance and to restore YHVH’s perfect ideal of marriage—to restore order back into the home, to heal the family structure. If the sinning wife refuses to repent and remarries (Deut 24:2–3), and continues in her sin and she becomes divorced again or if her second husband dies, then this severs the marriage covenant permanently. This act on her part renders the marriage covenant null and void forever.
Again, a bill of divorcement or a get under the Torah was a temporary legal measure to protect the adulterous woman from stoning, so that the marriage could be restored. Matthew 1:19 demonstrates this. Joseph acted righteously in not putting Miriam (Mary), his pregnant betrothed wife, away, which could have resulted with her being stoned to death. By all outward appearances, she was guilty of adultery, but Joseph’s act of mercy was an example of his exercising mercy over judgment. It ended up that she was pregnant not by a man, but by the Spirit of Elohim resulting in the birth of Yeshua the Messiah. Thus Joseph’s act of mercy spared the Messiah from potential death.
In Malachi 2:10–17, YHVH addresses the issue of divorce. Here the prophet speaking for YHVH is discussing the treacherous nature and misuse of divorce, which is one of the reasons YHVH says he hates divorce (v. 16). This is because divorce often results in treacherous dealings between people (vv. 10–11, 14), it violates and profanes a sacred covenant (vv. 10), and it profanes the holy institution of marriage, which YHVH loves (v. 11), because it is often the result of adultery (vv. 11–12), and adultery leading to divorce often causes a man to leave the wife of his youth (v. 14) thus breaking the oneness of marriage (v. 15), and divorce covers one’s garments with violence (v. 16). Again, for these reasons, YHVH hates divorce, which is why he refers to it as “evil” and unjust (v. 17).
According to YHVH’s Torah standard, the righteous are to care for widows and orphans, not to create them as a result of the misuse of Torah’s laws regarding divorce.
In Matthew 5:32, Yeshua’s words fit into the above context. Only, ideally under the strictest standards of the Torah, for sexual immorality is divorce permissible. Otherwise divorce is unlawful, since the couple is legally still married and a bill of divorce (in Hebrew, called a get) is simply a temporary measure for the purpose of reconciling the couple and bringing the marriage back together.
In Matthew 19:3, when Yeshua mentions divorce “for just any reason,” he is referring to the Pharisaical schools of Beit Shamai and Beit Hillel of the time. The Pharisees that came to him asking the question were from School of Hillel. Yeshua is taking the Beit Shamai conservative position as was the case when John the Baptist took Herod to task for his adultery. Verse 8 shows that there is a provision for divorce but it is not YHVH’s perfect will. Rather it is a judgement and an indictment against carnal men.
Again, in 1 Corinthians 7:10–11, we see that the primary purpose of divorce is for reconciliation of the marriage, not so that one can justify themselves in getting out of a less than ideal marriage in order to fetch themselves another spouse. Divorce and remarriage, as millions of people will attest to, causes a shipload of unintended negative consequences on the lives of many people and often for generations to come. It is something to be avoided if at all possible.
Yeshua Teaches About Divorce
While on this earth, Yeshua taught on many subjects pertaining to all areas of human existence—136 in all. He taught on everything from angels to worship, from money to taxes, sexuality to celibacy, fasting to food, joy to sorrow and yes, on the subject of divorce as well (see Matt 19:1–12). Malachi says that YHVH hates putting away, a Hebraism for divorce (Mal 2:16). Yet Yeshua says in Matthew 19 that in the Torah divorce was permitted if one of the parties had a hardened heart resulting in irreconcilable differences. Adultery was cause for divorce if the offending party refused to repent.
Marital divorce was far from a popular subject in ancient times even as it is today. Sadly it results in division and strife and usually leads to sorrow and pain that can last a lifetime and beyond involving many people. But how many Christians know that YHVH was married to Israel, and because of her unfaithfulness, he had to divorce her. One biblical prophet after the other lamented this sad affair. Yet, at the same time, YHVH revealed to them a message of hope leading to restoration through—wait or it!—Yeshua the Messiah’s death on the cross! This is a news flash to most Bible believers—a message they have never heard preach from the pulpit on Sunday or any other time, but that has been hidden in plain sight in the pages of our Bibles all along.
What follows is the revelation of the marriage, divorce YHVH-Yeshua to his ancient Israelite bride, and then the remarriage to his New Covenant Israelite bride at his second coming. This then is the rest of the story of the gospel message—the back story that you probably have never heard before and never knew was even in the Holy Scriptures, yet involves each Christian believer in a beautiful way, for it reveals the sacrificial love YHVH Elohim and Yeshua the Messiah in a deeper and more expansive way than one ever imagined. This understanding should help to stoke the fires of each Christian of their first love for Yeshua the Messiah, their soon coming Heavenly Bridegroom.
The Scriptures are clear, YHVH-Yeshua (while in his pre-incarnate state) married the whole house of Israel (i.e., all twelve tribes) at Mount Sinai and the Torah was the marriage agreement (See The Bible: The Good News – The Story of Two Lovers & YHVH’s Set-Apart Feast Days Are the Outline of that Love Story: A Plan of Redemption where the Jewish wedding is outlined historically and prophetically in a biblical context, available at http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/love_story.pdf). Ezekiel describes the marriage between YHVH and Israel succinctly and allegorically in Ezekiel 16:6–8.
Yet because both the houses of Judah and Israel committed spiritual adultery by whoring after foreign gods and lovers and failed to live up to their marital agreements they had made with YHVH at Mount Sinai when they said “I do” three times (Exod 19:8; 25:3, 7). YHVH sent prophet after prophet as recorded in the pages of the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures) in attempts to turn the heart of Israel back to him, yet her heart was hardened toward him and she refused to repent of her adulteries; therefore, YHVH was forced to do that which he hates and dissolve the marriage and divorce Israel.
In light of these issues, what are the prophetic implications of the divorce of YHVH from the nation of Israel and his future remarriage to the same nation? To understand this issue and to gain a deeper understanding of YHVH’s wonderful plan of salvation for his people, read “The Prophetic Implications of Divorce in Light of the Two Houses of Israel,” which is available at http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/divorce.pdf. In these teaching articles, Nathan reveals the full story of the marriage, divorce and remarriage of YHVH-Yeshua to his people and how this involves each of us. As with everything else in the Bible, Yeshua the Messiah and the message of the cross is central to this story. It is the gospel message expanded in a way that you never imagined, and which ties the whole Bible in a new way from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible is a literal love story!
Deuteronomy 24:4,Her first husband who divorced her shall not take her again to become his wife.The prophetic implications of this are astounding in light of YHVH’s divorce of unfaithful Israel and his eventual remarriage to her. The whole message of the gospel and Yeshua’s death on the cross relate to this verse. (See the teaching below.)
Deuteronomy 24:8–9,Remember what YHVH…did unto Miriam. Moses’ sister Miriam was struck with a skin disease because she spoke evil against her brother. Slander is defined as making false or damaging statements about someone. The Torah keeps returning to the subject of “gossip, slander and other forms of selfish and antisocial behavior” (The ArtScrollStone Edition Chumash, p. 1060). Obviously such activity was a problem then as it continues to be now. It can literally destroy human relationships, families, marriages, ministries and congregations. The interesting things is that those who commit such sins usually fail to admit their error, yet such is all too clear to those who are their victims. (Read Prov 6:16, 19 and Jas 3:1–12.)
Deuteronomy 24:19–22,When you reap. In many places, the Scriptures command that the righteous give to the poor (the stranger, the fatherless and the widow). Yeshua said that the poor would always be present (Matt 26:11). Let’s never forget that many of us may have once been poor, or could become poor were it not for YHVH’s grace. Therefore let’s be generous and give as we are able to support first the poor of our immediate family, then our larger family, then our spiritual family and then those in the community around us. How charitable are you in your giving? Is your heart open to YHVH to obey him when he directs you to give to someone in need?
Deuteronomy 25
Deuteronomy 25:4,You shall not muzzle. According to S. R. Hirsch, this law applies not only to animals, but to workmen as well. It stands to reason logically, for if YHVH cares about feeding animals while they are working, how much more should employers be concerned for their workmen? Rashi, the Medieval Jewish Torah scholar, disagrees and says it refers only to animals (and not to workmen) and specifically to those animals that are involved in the production of food as would be the case with an ox that was used in treading out grain (to separate the kernel from the chaff). Paul, on the other hand, like Hirsch disagrees with Rashi and views this Torah command as having a broader applicable proverb implying that an employer should not deprive his employees of their wages. He specifically applies this principle to individuals who minster the gospel (1 Cor 9:9; 1 Tim 5:19). Those who work in YHVH spiritual field (i.e., the church), Paul reasons, should be supported by those they serve.
A half shekel
Deuteronomy 25:13–16,Different weights. When the Torah was written there was no money as we know it today. Coinage originated around 600 B.C., about 1000 years after the Torah was written. Prior to coinage, people carried around nuggets of gold and silver and a certain amount would be weighed out using stone weights as a counter balance. Dishonest merchants would carry two sets of stones: a heavy and a light stone. If a stone was represented as weighing one shekel the dishonest merchant would have a stone weighing more than a shekel for cheating a seller when buying goods, and one weighing less than a shekel for cheating a buyer when selling a good. What are some modern parallels of dishonest weights and measures? For example, at your job, do you charge your employer for eight hours when you only worked seven and three quarters hours? Do you give an honest day’s work to your employer or clients (if self-employed)? How many times have you gone to the store to buy some ice cream or a can of juice and you get home and you read the label and it’s a now a smaller volume or weight than in time’s past, but for the same price? How about a box of cereal or chips? The box is large, but in reality it is only half full. The rest is air. This is a form of false advertising. You pay more and get less. The deception of false weights and measures comes in many forms. Inflation is another example. Your money is worth less and less as time goes on. This is due to the fraudulent practices of the greedy mega-bankers and the deceptive fiscal policies of greedy government officials who control the world’s economies. The list goes on and on of examples of diverse weights and measures. This is how most of the mega-rich become wealthy—by cheating others. But the rich are not the only ones guilty of this sin. Various forms of dishonesty, greed, covetousness and deceitfulness occurs at all levels of society and among all people.
Deuteronomy 25:19,Blot out Amalek. The Hebrew name Amalek literally means “I am king.” Remember how the people of Amalek attacked the children of Israel as they were coming out of Egypt (Exod 17:8)? These heathens attacked the weary, stragglers and weak Israelites who were falling behind in the rear ranks (Deut 25:18). For this evil deed, Elohim put a curse on them. What can we learn about Israel’s ancient enemies and how it relates to us today? Who are the modern “Amalekites” and how can the saints defeat them? Both human and demonic entities exist that are continually endeavoring to kill, steal and destroy at the expense of others.
The Israelites ended up defeating Amalek militarily under the leadership of Moses and Joshua, when Moses stood on a hill with his arms outstretched in the form of a cross (Exod 17:10–13). It was at this spot that Israel learned that YHVH Elohim was their spiritual banner (Heb. Yehovah Nissi; Exod 17:15).
There is a spiritual lesson in this story for us today. Amalek may be viewed symbolically as representing the perennial enemy of YHVH’s people. That enemy includes this world, the flesh and devil which are intent on destroying the saints as they are exiting spiritual Egypt and beginning their long trek through the wilderness of life en route to Promised Land of our spiritual inheritance, which is the kingdom of Elohim from heaven.
This reminds us of Yeshua’s Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:3–9) where the good seed of the Word of Elohim was sown on four types of soil. The seed failed to grow in the three types of soil representing the world, the flesh and the devil (Matt 13:18–23). This is another picture of Amalek. What defeated Amalek? Joshua the valiant warrior defeated the Amalekites militarily, while at the same time Moses was perched on a hill overlooking the battlefield with his arms raised to heaven. Both Joshua and Moses are a prophetic picture of Yeshua the Messiah. Joshua’s Hebrew name is Yehoshua, which is the long version of the name Yeshua or Joshua in English. Both names contain the Hebrew word for salvation.
At the same time on the mountain, Moses’ arms grew tired and had to be supported by Aaron and Hur, and in so doing his arms took the form, more or less, of a cross or the even universal sign of surrender. What are these things a spiritual picture of? Moses and Joshua combined form a prophetic picture of Yeshua defeating the world, the flesh and the devil at the cross on Golgatha’s hill. Coincidentally, as Yeshua had two other men crucified with him—one on each side, Moses had a man on each side of him. This is another prophetic picture pointing forward to the Messiah and his death on the cross.
Another way to look at the picture of Moses with his arms upraised is this: When Moses surrendered to the will of YHVH and completely trusted in him, the Israelites experienced victory over their enemies. From this we learn that when we are facing enemies who are intent on destroying us, we too need to surrender to the will of YHVH and trust in Yeshua, who is our salvation. The Bible declares that we are more than conquerors through Messiah and that nothing can defeat us if we are in the will of our Father in heaven (Rom 8:37 cp. vv. 28–29), and greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). And finally, if Elohim is for us, who can be against us (Rom 8:31)?
Only when Moses’ arms were outstretched and raised up to heaven in openness, surrender and supplication to the Almighty did Joshua experience victory over the Amalekites. Similarly, only through prayer and the intercession with arms open and upraised to heaven as we beseech our Heavenly Father, and as we come before his throne through the blood of the resurrected Yeshua the Messiah in heaven, who is acting as our Great High Priest before Elohim’s throne, will we be able to defeat the spiritual enemies that are attempting to prevent us from entering our own eternal Promised Land.
The enemies of our salvation will attempt to destroy us when we are weak, tired and falling behind in our spiritual walk, even as Amalek attacked the weak and straggling Israelites who had fallen behind the camp. However, when we recognize our plight and weakness and then determine to fight, we have Yeshua’s victorious death on the cross as well as his help in heaven to overcome our enemies.
One of YHVH’s covenant names is Yehovah Nissi or YHVH Is My Banner. A military banner is something used to help build the morale of troops during the battle. YHVH is our strength and morale booster in the time of battle, and through or faith in YHVH-Yeshua, we already have the victory over the world, the flesh and the devil!
This lesson illustrates the fact that the Scriptures contain many rich and deep spiritual mysteries and truths that if it weren’t for the physical examples or prophetic shadow-types contained therein we might be bereft of the revelatory and powerful lessons contained therein.
In our modern, ultra-secular and hyper-rationalist society, the idea of believing in the God of the Bible, much less thinking that he communicates to people, or that people can hear him “speaking” is a totally foreign concept to most people including a majority of Christians. If you think you can hear from YHVH Elohim you are probably viewed as a member of radical fringe element if not an outright religious wing nuts! Yet the Bible from cover to cover records numerous accounts of YHVH “speaking” in numerous ways to his people over the millennia. Are these merely fanciful, fabulous legends that have been passed on down through the generations from dim antiquity? Should they be taken with a grain of salt as the modern readers snicker in amusement at the ignorant and superstitious ancient who actually believed these accounts? Or did the God of the Bible who is the same yesterday, today and forever actually speak to people then, and, more amazingly, does he still speak to people today? Do we take the Bible literally, or do we acquiesce to the atheistic and agnostic mindset of our current secular culture when it comes to hearing the voice of YHVH? Either the Bible is true and men are liars, or it is the other way around. Which is it? Is YHVH still speaking to people, and if so, can we still hear the voice of Elohim and if so how?
YHVH Wants to Commune With His People
Consider this. From the beginning of man’s time on earth starting in the Garden of Eden, Yehovah Elohim has longed to have a personal, communicative relationship with men.
And they heard the voice [Heb. kol] of YHVH Elohim walking in the garden in the cool [Heb. ruach] of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence [Heb. panyim] of the YHVH Elohim amongst the trees of the garden. And the YHVH Elohim called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. (Gen 3:8–10)
Despite what some religionists may tell us, the Bible reveals that YHVH is the same yesterday, today and forever, and that he does not change (Heb 13:8; Mal 3:6). He is still talking to humans. The issue is this: do we desire to hear him? Do we know how to hear him? If he is “talking” are we listening? We say that we believe the Bible, but do we really believe that we can hear YHVH?
The Tabernacle of Moses on Hearing YHVH’s Voice
Now let’s enjoy a little biblical history lesson. After giving the children of Israel his Torah-instructions in righteousness, the first thing that YHVH asked the children of Israel to do was to build a tabernacle. Why?
And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. (Exod 25:8)
Imagine that! The Creator of the universe wants to hang out with his people. Pause for a moment and consider this amazing thing. In the feebleness of our thinking, can we really understand this? What’s more, YHVH Elohim has never changed from then until now. After all, he made man in his own image, gave him his instructions in righteousness—a path that leads to a blessed life on earth with the possibility of eventual eternal life and inclusion in the actual, immortal family of Elohim. Then he sent his Son not only to redeem man from the curse of death because of sin, but then to show man the way to his and our Father in heaven. Then Yeshua the Son sent his Holy Spirit to guide us, empower us and to speak to us from within further enabling us to make this incredible journey upward to YHVH Elohim and his kingdom from heaven.
The tabernacle that YHVH commanded Moses and the Israelites to build reveals to humans an upward spiritual path toward the Creator from the physical to the spiritual level. It is literally a diagram from its outer courtyard, to the holy place and then to the holy of holies representing the body, soul and spirit of man as one draws closer and closer to Elohim. The closer one gets to the holy of holies, which represents the actual throne room of Elohim, the clearer and louder the voice of YHVH becomes. Consider this. Another name for the that most holy place within the Tabernacle of Moses was the d’veer—a Hebrew word meaning “oracle.” It was there under the glory cloud that Moses would hear the actual voice of Elohim and receive much of the Torah that we now have recorded in the Bible. One could not come into the d’veer except through the blood of a sacrificed animal, ritual cleansing, and by following specific physical and spiritual protocols pertaining to holiness and righteousness that had YHVH laid out. Once done, sweet incense representing prayer, praise and worship were offered before entering into the actual presence of the Creator. What can we learn from all of this? To commune and communicate with Elohim including hearing his voice, there are steps and protocols to follow. It is not that YHVH cannot speak to anyone anytime anywhere. But to commune with Elohim in a close, ongoing and a personal relationship certain things must be done and the relationship must be maintained, or humans will lose connection with YHVH. This is not unlike any close human relationship such as between a husband and wife, parents and children or close friends. Maintaining close relationships requires effort and purposeful intention.
You Can Hear the Voice of YHVH
Yeshua the Messiah, a Christian’s Lord and Savior, tells us that his disciples will be able to hear his voice.
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. …My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:3–5, 27, emphasis added)
Throughout the Bible, there are many examples of YHVH’s servants hearing his voice. Here are a few examples from the Book of Acts alone of people hearing YHVH.
Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. (Acts 8:29)
While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. (Acts 10:19)
And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house. (Acts 11:12)
And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem. (Acts 21:4, emphasis added on all)
It’s All About Spiritual Activation
To enter into a relationship with YHVH Elohim, our Creator and Father in heaven, and to become his sons and daughters, we must be spiritually activated.
Man is comprised of spirit, soul and body (1 Thess 5:23). Before being spiritually regenerated or born again, our soul (our mind or intellect, will and emotions) controls what we think, say and do must learn to submit to the spirit of man. However, the typical soul dominated human overlooks the spirit part of man, yet the Bible has much to say about the importance of a person’s spirit as it relates to one’s relationship with YHVH.
Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? (Eccl 3:21)
The burden of the word of YHVH for Israel, saith YHVH, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. (Zech 12:1)
The word of YHVH is clear that YHVH speaks to his children through their personal spirit.
But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. (Job 32:8)
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of Elohim knoweth no man, but the Spirit of Elohim. (1 Cor 2:11)
Man cannot enter into a relationship with a YHVH, who is a Spirit, through his soul (i.e., his mind, will and emotions). This is because Elohim is a Spirit, and we must relate to him through his the Spirit.
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of Elohim, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor 2:14)
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. Elohim is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23–24)
For man to relate to Elohim, he must do so through his personal spirit or his innermost man. This means one’s spirit must be activated at the time of his new spiritual birth. When this For man to relate to Elohim, he must do so through his personal spirit or his innermost man. This means one’s spirit must be activated at the time of his new spiritual birth. When this occurs, a one receives in oneself the Spirit of Elohim, which then activates, instructs and controls one’s personal spirit, which in turn controls the soul (the mind,will and emotions), which in turn tells the body what to think, say and do.
When we are born again from above, our spirit man is activated by the Spirit of Elohim.
The spirit of a man is the lamp of YHVH, Searching all the inner depths of his heart. (Prov 20:27)
But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. (Job 32:8)
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of Elohim (Rom 8:16)
That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith (Eph 3:16–17)
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from Elohim, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by Elohim. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of Elohim, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor 2:12–14)
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. …But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. (1 John 2:20, 27)
And every spirit that does not confess that Yeshua the Messiah has come in the flesh is not of Elohim. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. (1 John 4:3)
Deuteronomy 3:23, Pleaded with YHVH. YHVH forbids Moses from fulfilling his life-long dream of entering the Promised Land. What was Moses’ repsonse? Did he cry, pout and pitch a fit, or did he accept YHVH’s will for his life? We all know the answer as to what the reaction of this holy man of God was. What can we learn from this? Do you have so much love for and faith in YHVH that you would be willing to let go of your greatest dream, even to the point of laying your life on the altar of faith and obediently trusting in YHVH no matter the outcome? Though YHVH were to slay you, will you like Job still love and trust him (Job 13:15)? If your entire life was devastated, you lost all your money, the land was desolate and your life had become a desert, would you, like Habakkuk, still praise YHVH (Hab 3:17–19)? Selah (pause and reflect).
Deuteronomy 4
Deuteronomy 4:2, You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor shall you subtract/diminish from it. YHVH warns his people against adding or subtracting from his written word elsewhere as well (see Deut 12:32; Rev 22:18–19). Men seem inclined to ignore YHVH’s command in this regard. In fact, whole religions have been founded based on disregarding this prohibition. Some claim to be Bible-based (e.g., Mormonism with their Book of Mormon and rabbinic Judaism with its Talmud), and some have supplanted the entire Bible with their own book (e.g., Islam with its Quran). Other people want to add the books of Enoch and Jasher to the Bible. This doesn’t even include the numerous unbiblical traditions and man-made doctrines that many traditional churches and denominations have constructed out of whole cloth and patched into the teachings of the Bible. This cannot be pleasing to Elohim!
Do not add or subtract from the Bible, the Word of Elohim!
Who is the author of and real power behind adding to and subtracting from or twisting YHVH’s Word? It is Satan the serpent (see Gen 3:1ff and Matt 4:3ff). Make no mistake, adding or subtracting from the Word of Elohim is to fall for the lie that the devil told the first humans at the tree of knowledge that the Word of Elohim can be molded and formed to fit men’s ways of thinking instead of Elohim’s.
What did Yeshua warn the religionists of his day against in this regard? He said, “Thus have you made the commandment of Elohim of none effect by your tradition” (Matt 15:6) and, “Howbeit in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7). What are some examples of traditions and theologies in the modern-day Christian and Jewish religions where YHVH’s word has been superseded by man’s traditions? What are some traditions and doctrines of men you have turned away from in order to bring yourself into greater alignment with YHVH’s Word, Bible? How is your life better for it? What has been the reaction of those around you in response to your aligning your life more closely with the truth of YHVH?
Finally, the Bible ends with a warning to those who would add to the word of Elohim.
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, Elohim will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Elohim shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Rev 22:18–19)
When this passage says “this book,” which book is it talking about? The Book of Revelation or the entire Bible? To err on the side of caution, it is prudent to assume that John is referring not only to the Book of Revelation, but to the whole Bible as well, since Revelation is the last book of the Bible. Why do I take the position that John is referring to the whole Bible here? Simply because who in their right mind would want to experience any of Elohim’s curses? Isn’t life is already difficult enough as it is?
Deuteronomy 4:2, Observe the commandments of YHVH. The word observe (RNA/shin-mem-resh)is a common Hebrew verb meaning “to keep, guard, give heed, watch, protect, have charge of.”In its noun-form, shamar means “a watchman.” According to The TWOT, the basic meaning of shamar is “to exercise great care over something.” One of the most frequent uses of this verb in Scripture is how it is used in this verse. YHVH commands his people to shamar his Torah-commandments some 30 times in the Torah alone. What does this mean to you? Are you learning to not only “hear,” but “to do” his commands (which is the Hebrew word shema)? How has your life changed and what are the resulting blessings? Though YHVH clearly commands his people “to keep” or “to guard” his Torah-law or commandments, what is commonly and sadly taught in most Christian churches in regard to “the law” of YHVH?
Deuteronomy 4:6,Keep. Keeping Torah (i.e., YHVH’s instructions in righteousness) was the means for YHVH’s chosen people to be salt and light to the surrounding nations. Torah is literally a “witnessing tool.” What kind of righteous witness are you (via your Torah lifestyle) to those around you who are lost in spiritual darkness?
Wisdom [Heb. chokmah] and understanding [Heb. biynah]. What is the biblical definition of wisdom and understanding? Let’s explore this subject to see what we can learn from the word of Elohim in this regard.
Chokmah means “intelligence, skill (in war); wisdom (in administration); shrewdness, wisdom; prudence (in religious affairs); wisdom (ethical and religious).” It derives from the verb chakam meaning “to be wise, to be or become wise, act wisely; to make wise, teach wisdom, instruct; to show oneself wise, deceive or to show one’s wisdom.” According to The TWOT, chokmah and its root verb represents a manner of thinking and attitude concerning life’s experiences including matters of general interest and basic morality. These concerns relate to prudence in secular affairs, skills in the arts, moral sensitivity, and experience in the ways of YHVH. In the Tanakh, chokmah is used in relationship to the whole gamut of human experiences whether it be technical artisan skills, military tactics or political and administrative leadership. It is expressed in shrewdness as opposed to foolishness or silliness. Prudence is another aspect of chokmah as it relates to how one speaks, uses his time carefully and in the practical affairs of life. The Bible reveals that Elohim is the source of all wisdom, and wisdom is not to be found in human speculation. Elohim alone provides wisdom for man’s guidance, so that he can live the best possible moral and ethical life (ibid.).
Biynah means “discernment or insight” or “the ability to understand something, comprehension, the power of abstract thought, an individual’s perception or judgment of a situation.” According to TheTWOT, biynah refers to knowledge that is superior to the mere gathering of data. It is necessary to know how to use the knowledge one possesses, and this is where biynah or perception and judgment comes into play. One must properly interpret the data and make wise and discerning decisions as to how to act.
Torah is your wisdom in the sight of the nations. Consider the following:
Your life may be the only “Bible” that some people read.
Torah is light. Light quietly does, it is silent. It doesn’t talk about doing, it just does! YHVH is looking for doers, not talkers.
What kind of reputation do you have in your local community?
People may not be turning to the light of Torah as a result of your example, YET when times get tough in this country (“when you are in tribulation … in the latter days, Deut 4:30), they may well turn to you for the answers because they remembered that there was something different about you—something pure, pristine and holy. That may well be when they will be looking for answers to some of the deeper questions of life.
Torah makes us a great people. YHVH measures greatness differently than the world does. Are you great by the world’s standards or by YHVH’s standards?
How does YHVH measure greatness? Love, faith, truth, obedience, servanthood, giving, selflessness, self-sacrifice.
Comparatively speaking, how does the world measure greatness? Money, power, fame, possessions, intellect, physical appearance, good sounding words.
Which type of greatness will last into eternity?
Never forget this: The Bible reveals that Yeshua the Messiah is the spiritual light of the world (John 8:12) that came from heaven to guide men through the spiritual darkness of this world, and to lead them to his Father in heaven (John 1:7–9). He is not only the Light, but the Word of Elohim made flesh (John 1:1, 14). In other words, he is the Living Torah Word of Elohim. He was the exemplification and personification of the Written Torah. Only through him living in us via is Set-Apart Spirit can we properly obey YHVH’s Torah commandments (see 1 Cor 9:21 where we learn that the saint is “under/in/subject to the Torah-law toward Messiah”). This we are able do by his divine power working in us through a personal and loving relationship with him (Jer 31:31–33 cp. Heb 8:10; John 14:15; 1 John 2:2–6; 3:24; 5:2–3; Rom 13:8–10). The Testimony of Yeshua (or NT) makes these truths very clear for those who have eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts to comprehend! The rewards and blessings are incomprehensibly awesome for those who walk according to the instructions of Elohim.
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. (Rev 22:12–14)
Deuteronomy 4:10; 5:29; 6:2, 13, 24,Learn to fear me.The concept of fearing YHVH has become almost a taboo subject in many churches. Why is this? Probably because it’s a hard message for people to swallow and therefore not a popular one. The fear of YHVH is an important subject because it is the beginning of both knowledge and wisdom (Prov 1:7, 9:10). It seems that most believer’s attitudinal relationship with YHVH has become so casual and commonplace that there is no place left for a healthy fear (i.e., dread of sin and the resulting consequences before a just and set-apart or kadosh Elohim) in a one’s life. The church has emphasized the love and grace of the saint’s relationship with their Creator, while overlooking the fear aspect of it. Is this not a disastrous and foolish path? Is the church not suffering for this lack of regard for YHVH and his instructions? For sure, the Christian church is no longer a respected moral force in the society in which it finds itself. Rather, it has become the object of mockery and derision by the unchurched pagans!
