Nathan’s Commentary on Parashat B’reisheet Genesis 1:1–6:8

Posted on 10/17/2025 by Natan Lawrence

Introduction to the Book of Genesis/B’reisheet

The name Genesis comes from the Greek and means “beginning.” The Hebrew name for the same book is B’reisheet meaning “in the beginning” and is taken from the first three Hebrew words at the beginning of the book. It reveals truth pertaining to the beginning of YHVH’s creation including the universe, light and darkness, the earth, man and good and evil.

Genesis is the first of the five books of the law or Torah. Genesis, along with the next four books of the Bible, are called the Torah (meaning “YHVH’s instructions” in righteousness), the Chumash (another Hebrew word for the Torah) or the Pentateuch (the Greek word for Torah). Under the divine inspiration of the Spirit of Elohim, Moses wrote the Torah, which is a compilation of the history of historical facts about early man and the nation of Israel, as well as recorded instructions from YHVH to his people, Israel.

The Book of Genesis forms not only the introduction to the Bible, but the foundation for it. It is foundational to understanding the rest of Scripture, for it answers the universal questions as to the origin of man (and the rest of the creation), his purpose on earth, and introduces the Creator of man and begins to explain man’s relationship to his Creator. We learn about marriage and family. The concepts of good and evil and obedience and rebellion to YHVH are introduced. The concept of truth is introduced and sin is defined as is YHVH’s plan of redemption for sinful man. Genesis reveals that the redemption of sinful man involves a Redeemer and a relationship with Elohim, the Creator, through a covenantal relationship with the nation of Israel comprised of people who are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Genesis 1

Genesis 1:1, In. In Hebrew, the preposition in is written as the better bet בּ corresponding to the English letter b). This is the first word in the Torah. Interesting, the last word in the Torah is Israel (Deut 34:12). In the Hebrew language, pictographically the letter b is a picture of a house (or a tent) with the front door open. From this, some commentators have correctly reasoned that the Torah was written to the house of Israel whose spiritual doors are wide open for all nations to enter therein in order to enter into a spiritual relationship with the Elohim of Israel.

In the beginning. The letter bet/בּ in b’reisheit is enlarged teaching that there are two beginnings: the beginning of the Torah and the beginning of the nation of Israel (See The ArtScroll Tikkun, p. 3).

The Torah pre-existed the creation of the cosmos not only as the eternal light of the world that shone before the creation of the sun and moon on the fourth day; as the teachings, precepts, instructions, and laws of YHVH; but as his wisdom (Prov 8:22–36) and his understanding (Prov 3:19) as well. Therefore, Torah is the very essence, nature and character of YHVH Elohim.

The Godhead is revealed in Genesis 1. Elohim is the family name of the Godhead and is the plural form of the Hebrew words El or Eloah. Elohim is more than one being; it is an “us” (verse 26).

In Deuteronomy 6:4, the famous shema passage and declaration faith for the Jewish people, we find the statement “YHVH our Elohim, YHVH is one.” The Hebrew word for one is echad and can mean “a unit, unity.” Examples of this in the Scriptures include the curtains in the Tabernacle of Moses that are fastened together to form a unit (Exod 26:6, 11; 36:13). The Bible describes Adam and Eve as “one flesh” (or echad, Gen 2:4). When echad is used in this way, it suggests diversity within unity (The TWOT, vol. 1, p. 30). This diversity within unity is suggested in the Bible’s “us” passages when referring to Elohim as noted above. This concept is elucidated upon in the Testimony of Yeshua where Yeshua clearly states that the Godhead or Elohim is comprised of three parts: the Father, the Son and the Set-Apart Spirit (or Holy Spirit; in Hebrew, Ruach HaKodesh, see Matt 28:19).

YHVH is the name of the Father and the Son. Elohim has a female component as well (verse 27). The Father and Son are obviously the male component of the Godhead. What is the female component? Through the process of elimination, that leaves the Ruach or Spirit of Elohim. Ruach is a feminine word.

The idea that the Spirit is masculine is a Greco-Roman concept and isn’t rooted in the Hebrew concept of the Spirit as revealed in the Tanakh. In Koine Greek Testimony of Yeshua (New Testament), pneuma, the word for spirit, is in the neuter gender (neither masculine nor feminine). The other word used in the Testimony of Yeshua for the Set-Apart Spirit is paracletos—a word that is often translated as Comforter or Helper (q.v. John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). In the Koine Greek, this word is in the masculine gender. This fact, however, has no bearing on the gender of the entity known as the Ruach, since the Testimony of Yeshua derives its information from the Tanakh, which reveals it to be a feminine entity. Furthermore, nowhere in the Scriptures is the Spirit termed as YHVH Ruach or Ruach YHVH. YHVH is the masculine appellation for the male side of the Godhead, while Ruach is the name of the female side. There are numerous instances in the Scriptures where we find the phrase “the Spirit of Elohim” (Gen 1:2; Exod 31:3; 1 Sam 10:10; Job 33:4) or the “Spirit of YHVH” (Judg 3:10; 6:34; 1 Sam 6:14; Isa 11:2; 40:13; Ezek 11:5; 37:1, etc.). In a sense, it seems this could be a way of saying, “the wife of YHVH Elohim.”

For more biblical references referring to the plurality of the Elohim the Creator, see my notes at Eccl 12:1.

In the beginning. Some alternative translations of this first verse in the Bible include:

At the beginning of God’s creating of the heavens and the earth…” (The Schocken Bible, The ArtScroll Stone Edition Tanach)

In the beginning of God’s creation of the heavens and the earth… (The Gutnick Edition Chumash)
From the beginning of God Created the heaven and the earth… (The Pentateuch by S.R. Hirsch)sdAt the beginning the Lord created the heavens and the earth… (Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Etheridge)
In the first times the Lord created the heavens and the earth… (Targum Onkelos, Etheridge)
In the bigynnyng God made of nouyt heuene and erthe. (The Wycliffe Bible, 1395)
In the beginning of God’s preparing the heavens and the earth… (Young’s Literal Translation)

Who or What Is the Aleph and Tav (the Alpha and Omega) of Scripture?

Genesis chapter one verse one reads,

In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth.

If we were to translate this verse into English exactly as it appears in the Hebrew, it would read,

In the beginning Elohim created et the heaven and et the earth.

Between the words heaven and earth is an untranslatable Hebrew particle (a small grammatical word) that makes no sense in English, but that at times can carry deep spiritual significance depending on the vowels that are attributed to this grammatical particle. This is the first occurrence in Scripture of the enigmatic aleph and tav (,T) that intrigues newcomers to a more Hebraic understanding of the Bible. What is the spiritual prophetic significance small word and how does it relate to the Yeshua’s several curious statement about himself in the Book of Revelation? There he refers to himself in several places as “the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending.”

Who Is the Aleph and the Tav?

What is the meaning of the aleph /א and tav/ת in the Genesis chapter one creation account? The Jewish sages once give us clues to answer this intriguing question. For this, we must look deeply into the Hebrew words and letters themselves found in the first few verses of Genesis one. Again in Genesis 1:1 we find something hidden in the Hebrew language which does not translate into English or any other foreign language. It is a Hebrew grammatical particle that is untranslatable outside of Hebrew and is comprised of two Hebrew letter: aleph and tav. These are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Grammatically, this word is simply word the indicates the direct object of the verb. It is found thousands of times in the Tanakh. However, under certain circumstances (i.e., when the letter aleph has one of two Hebrew vowel marker—called a niqqud—under it—either the segol [three dots like an inverted triangle] or tsere [two horizontal dots]), the aleph and tav word has an additional meaning. On this, the rabbinic Hebrew scholar Michael Munk in his book, The Wisdom In the Hebrew Alphabet, explains,

The definite article is expressed in Hebrew by prefixing the letter V to a word. Often, for extra emphasis, the word ,3T (or ,2T) is employed in addition to the prefix. Comprising the first and last letter of the Aleph Be[t], ,3T alludes to completion and perfection. Thus the Torah uses the emphatic article in describing the beginning of Creation: MRTV <3TU OHNAV <2T OHVKT TRÜ <HATRÜ, In the beginning of [Elohim’s] creating the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). This alludes to the fact that the universe was created in complete perfection, ‘from aleph to tav’ (p. 34).

This is very interesting from a Hebraic, Messianic perspective. Believers in Yeshua the Messiah know who the Aleph and the Tav is,or to use the Greek New Testament terms with which everyone is familiar: the Alpha and the Omega. It is, of course, a reference to Yeshua the Messiah. Speaking of himself Yeshua states:

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending said the Master, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. (Rev 1:8)
Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven congregations which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. (Rev 1:11)
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Rev 21:6)
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. (Rev 22:13)
Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I YHVH, the first, and with the last; I am he. (Isa 41:4; see also 44:6; 48:12)

We know from Scripture that Yeshua in his preincarnate state created all things in the physical creation:

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.… He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (John 1:3, 10)
But to us there is but one Elohim, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one master Yeshua the Messiah, by whom are all things, and we by him. (1 Cor 8:6)
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in Elohim, who created all things by Yeshua the Messiah. (Eph 3:9)
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Col 1:16–17)
Has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.… And, Thou, YHVH, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands. (Heb 1:2, 10)

Other notable passages that contain the aleph and tav direct object marker that point to Yeshua the Messiah who is the Aleph and Tav or Alpha and Omega include:

And thou shalt love ,תאYHVH thy Elohim with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deut 6:5)
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me ,תא whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zech 12:10)

Other Scriptures where the two noted forms of the aleph and tav occur include Genesis 15:10, 14, 18 when YHVH made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants in the offering of the pieces which is a prophetic picture of Yeshua. In all honesty, though, it must be noted that in verse 20 the aleph and tav is found with the segol niqqud and there seems to be no indication that it refers to Yeshua, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. So we urge caution in seeing a reference to Messiah in every passage of Scripture where the aleph and tav is used even with the seemingly appropriate vowel markings.

As a side note, another word of interest to our study is the Hebrew word for truth which is emet (<NT).The Scriptures state that Yeshua is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6), that his word is truth (John 17:17) and that Yeshua, the Word of Elohim, was full of grace and truth (John 1:14), and that the Torah-instructions of YHVH is truth (Ps 119:142). The word emet is spelled using the first, last and middle letters of the Hebrew alphabet signifying the completeness or fullness of the Torah-truth of Elohim. This is another confirmatio from the Scriptures that Yeshua the Messiah is the Word of Eloim (John 1:1) that came to the earth as a human (John 1:14) and that as the both the Written and Living Word of Elohim he is the beginning and end, the fullness of all divine Truth as revealed to humans, and nothing more is needed! Amein.

What we see in the actual Hebrew letters themselves, and especially in the aleph and the tav in Genesis one is the spiritual thumbprint, if you will, of Yeshua the Messiah prior to his incarnation! Do you see this? Does this not strengthen you in your most precious and set-apart faith in Messiah Yeshua?

Genesis 1:1, Elohim created the heavens and the earth. The process of creation lasted for a literal six days as is also stated in Exodus 20:11.

Heavens. The Bible reveals that there are at least three heavens: the heaven of earth’s atmosphere, the heaven of the sun, moon, planets and stars, and the heaven of YHVH Elohim’s abode.

Genesis 1:1–3, Elohim…Spirit…Light. In verse one we read that in the beginning was Elohim, the uniplural Godhead. In verse two the Spirit of Elohim (Set-Apart Spirit; Heb. Ruach haKodesh) is revealed, which according to biblical evidence the feminine side or “wife” part of the Godhead, for Elohim is both male and female (Gen 1:26; 5:2).

In verse three Elohim’s first creative acts was to create light. This Light was the Word of Elohim or the preincarnte Yeshua who was the Light of the World (John 1:7–8; 8:12), and whose face shines like the sun (Rev 1:16), is the Sun of Righteousness (Mal 4:2), was the Spiritual Light that shone before the creation of the physical luminaries on the fourth day, and is the same Light that will again shine in the New Jerusalem at the end of days and the beginning of the olam habah or eternity (Rev 21:23).

It appears that in the Genesis chapter one creation account, Elohim the Father and Mother, so to speak, broke a piece of themselves off and “created” the Son (John 1:18; 3:16, 18; Acts 13:33; Heb 1:5; 5:5; 1 John 4:9), who was the Word of Elohim, and Elohim’s spokesman to humans (John 1:1), and who eventually became Yeshua the Messiah (John 1:1, 14, 18). The Word of Elohim was wisdom to the world from the very beginning before there was an earth (Prov 8:1, 22). It was at this time that the Word was brought forth from Elohim (Prov 8:24; John 1:1; Rev 3:14). The Word of Elohim is the source of life (Prov 8:35), the way to favor with YHVH (Prov 8:35), and is not to be sinned against (Prov 8:36). Those who hate him will die (Prov 8:36). This perfectly describes the role of Yeshua the Messiah.

It was before the creation of everything physical that the Son was begotten of Elohim (John 3:16; 1:1; Rev 3:14). The Son wasn’t created in the same sense as man in that the latter had a beginning. On the contrary, Yeshua existed eternally in the bosom of Elohim or the Godhead (John 1:18). The Son was before all things and Elohim used him in as the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person (Heb 1:4) to create everything (John 1:3; Col 1:16–18; Heb 1:3, 10; 11:3). This is what John refers to in Revelation 3:14 when he says that Yeshua is the beginning, head or ruler of Elohim’s creation (see notes at Rev 3:14). As a separate Spiritual Entity from the Father and the Ruach-Mother, the glorified Yeshua presently sits at the right hand of Elohim (the Father and Ruach-Mother) in heaven (Heb 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; Acts 7:56; Rom 8:34; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 3:21).

However, at the end of the Book of Revelation in the eternity or olam habah of the New Jerusalem in the new heavens and earth, we see only one throne (see notes at Rev 3:21), for the Son, if you will, seems to have been reabsorbed back into the Elohim of the Godhead from whence he came originally, yet he is still visible therein as the Lamb of Elohim (Rev 21:3–5, 23; 22:1, 3–5).

A Hebraic Perspective on the “Godhead” or the So-Called “Trinity”

Many Christians returning to a more Hebraic, whole-Bible understanding of Christianity are often challenged to explain the Godhead in terms of the mainstream, traditional Christian trinitarian viewpoint.

What is this author’s view on the Christian doctrine of the trinity? Actually, I have very little to say on the subject, except that I fear that any explanation a man (including myself) could proffer on the subject of the “Godhead” would be just that: man’s attempt at an explanation of it. How can the mind of man with its limited intellect and language that is only capable of describing earthly and physical things comprehend much less explain the unexplainable — namely the “Godhead”? Think about it for a moment. If he could, then he would be an a par intellectually with Elohim (Hebrew for God). For man, this is an impossible feat.

Moreover, for a man, or a men, regardless of the height of their intellectual capacities to quantify the “Godhead” in human terms would be a violation of the second commandment — idolatry or making a god in our own image. Man is incapable of comprehending much less explaining that which is uninvestigatable, incomprehensible and unexplainable.

Having made these disclaimers, let me share with you what I tell people when they ask what my view of the trinity is. I simply tell them what the Bible says. Elohim is a plural noun, yet we know that Elohim is one. The Hebrew word that explains this oneness is echad (see Deut 6:4) meaning “a compound unity.”

What’s more, in the Testimony of Yeshua (New Testament) we learn that Elohim is comprised of the Father, the Son (Yeshua the Messiah) and the Set-Apart Spirit.

I will go one step further. The Scriptures reveal that Elohim is both male and female (Gen 1:27 and 5:2). When Elohim created male and female it was a reflection of the “Godhead.”

As already noted, Elohim is plural and is the Hebrew word that comes the closest to our term “Godhead.” But there are two other Hebrew words that are roots of this uni-plural noun. They are El and Eloah. Both are found in the Scriptures. Now this is where it gets fun, and might challenge some people’s traditional concept of the trinity being all male entities. What I’m about to say I’m not making up. It’s in your Scriptures. I’m just reporting what’s there and what most people have been blind to all along. The Hebrew lexicons tell us that El is a masculine singular noun. No problems here. They also tell us that Elohim is a masculine plural noun. No problems here either. However, when it comes to Eloah, they leave out the gender. In Hebrew, the ah ending or suffix on a noun almost always makes it feminine. Hmm. This is interesting. Why did the lexicologists leave out this interesting tidbit of information?

As mentioned above, the Testimony of Yeshua reveals to us that the “Godhead” is comprised of the Father, the Son and the Set-Apart Spirit. Well, it’s a no brainer that the Father is the Father, the Son is the Son, but what part of Elohim is the feminine side? Process of elimination. That leaves the Set-Apart Spirit or in Hebrew Ruach haKodesh. Guess what? Ruach in Hebrew is a feminine noun.

I don’t like labels like “the trinity.” Labels put the limitless Elohim in a box—the box of man’s limited understand where he creates false concepts of who he thinks Elohim is or is not. We have to be careful when we start venturing into this territory. I fear Elohim too much to diminish him by my pea sized brain capacities. I also could really care less how many people believe a wrong or unbiblical concept—labels and all. It is still an unbiblical concept!

I can hear some women out there in the audience clapping!

Genesis 1:1–2, In the beginning…without form and void. Was the earth created at this time or did it pre-exist the seven days of creation? See notes at Hebrews 11:3.

The idea that there is a gap of time between verses one and two in which the world was previously created and then fell into a state of being formless and void (Heb. tohu v’bohu) is called the Gap Theory. For more on this, see notes at Exod 20:11; Isa 45:18 and Heb 11:3. What is my view on the young earth versus the old earth idea? I do not know, for I was not there at the time.

Genesis 1:1–18, Light. What follows is a discussion on the nature of physical and spiritual light as revealed in the first chapter of Genesis.

Genesis 1:5, The evening and morning were the first day.

When Does a Biblical Day Start?

The Hebrew Yom (Day) Defined

To help us to understand when the biblical day begins, let’s first define the Hebrew word for day which is yom. This will give us a clearer, contextual understanding of how the biblical writers use this word and what its many meanings are and how, and if, it relates to the 24-hour period we normally think of as a day.

According to the The Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (or The TWOT), the primary meaning of yom is “day, time, year.” Yom can represent a point of time and a sphere of time. It can represent (a) a period of light in contrast to a period of darkness, (c) a period of 24 hours, (c) a general vague time (e.g. time in general, a long time, a season of time, “the day of the Lord,” or years of time), (d) a point of time, (e) a year or years. Reflecting these various meanings, we find yom translated in Scripture (the KJV) using the following English expression:

today
when
in the time of
as long as
day
continually

The TWOT goes on to note that other Hebrew words sometimes translated in Scripture as day include the Hebrew word ohr meaning “light” as well as boqer (or boker) meaning “morning.” Conversely, antonyms of yom include layila meaning “night,” and erev meaning “evening.” The TWOT also notes that the Bible reveals that the day can start in the evening (Est 4:16; Dan 8:14) as well as in the morning (Deut 28:66). This fact adds confusion to the question as to when a biblical day actually begins. We will discuss this below. So, what does this all have to do with the biblical definition of a day? It is important to know this, for how else are we to know when to observe the biblical Sabbath and feast days?

Does a Biblical Day Begin at Sunset or Sunrise?

The Creation Model

At the creation, Elohim defined a day as beginning in the evening (Gen 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). Each of the six days of creation follow this model. Although the phrase “And the evening and the morning were the [first, second, etc.] day” is not found in reference to the seventh day Sabbath (Gen 2:1ff), the parallel linguistic construction of the first six days beginning at evening strongly suggests or hints (a remez) that the same pattern for delineating the beginning point of the seventh day would continue over into the Sabbath. Some argue that daylight or morning begins the day since light was the first thing that Elohim created. While spiritual light (not physical light [i.e. the sun, moon and stars] were created on day four) is what was created on the first day, this in no way nullifies how Scripture defines a physical day in the same creation account. All attempts to say that because spiritual light was created first as proof that the day begins in the morning overlook the plain (or pashat) meaning of the text, which says that “the evening and the morning were the [first, second, etc.] day.” We will discuss this point further below.

The Model of the Biblical Feasts

The fact that evening begins the day in Scripture—a pattern that is clearly laid out in the Genesis chapter one account—is transmitted into the starting times of several of the biblical feasts as well.

Exodus 12:6—Passover

In this verse we find the command to keep the Passover. We read,

On the fourteenth day of the first month in the evening [Heb. beyn ha-er’va’im literally meaning “between the evening] is YHVH’s Passover. (KJV)

We see this same grammatical construction elsewhere (Lev 23:5 and Num 9:3, 5,1. ) plainly showing that the day of Passover is to be kept “between/beyn the evenings/ha-er’va’im,” that is, between the setting of the sun of one day and the setting of the sun of the next day. This correlates with the Genesis one account that shows that the Bible reckons a day beginning at sunset and continuing until the sunset of the next day.

It must here be noted that confusion often occurs if the reader doesn’t understand that Scripture uses the word Passover to mean two different things. First, the word Passover can refer to the actually day of Passover, that is, the fourteenth day of the first month of the biblical year (Lev 23:5). But the word Passover can also refer the actual lamb that was slaughtered on Passover day (Exod 12:21). While it was slaughtered and roasted on the day of Passover (Exod 12:5–6), the Passover lamb was eaten after Passover day had passed and the next day (the fifteenth day of the first month) had begun the following evening after the daylight portion of the fourteenth day had ended (Exod 12:8). The point of this brief discussion is that just because the Israelites ate the Passover lamb in the evening, this was not the evening of Passover day, which occurred 24 hours earlier when that day begin. By the time they were eating the Passover lamb, Passover day had already ended and they were now eating the lamb at the beginning of the next day (the fifteenth day of the first month), which was the first high holy day (a Sabbath) of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Leviticus 23:32—The Day of Atonement

Another clear biblical passage that shows that the day begins in the evening is found in Leviticus 23:32.

It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from evening unto evening, shall you celebrate your Sabbath.

Although this scripture is a reference to the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the same word for Sabbath is used here as is used in elsewhere in the biblical references to the weekly Sabbath. From this we learn that Scripture defines Sabbath as being from evening to evening, not morning to morning. Therefore, holy day Sabbaths and weekly Sabbaths are both kept during the same time period, that is, from sunset to sunset, not sunrise to sunrise.

Deuteronomy 16:4—The Feast of Unleavened Bread

In this passage we find another clear reference that the Bible reckons a day as starting in the evening and not for one day, but for the entire seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even [in the evening], remain all night until the morning.

Nehemiah on When the Sabbath Begins

In the book of Nehemiah, we find one of the clearest Bible scriptures that tells not only when the day begins, but also when Sabbath begins.

So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath. And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. (Neh 13:19–22)

This passage clearly shows that as soon as the evening shadows began to fall, Nehemiah had the city gates shut, so that no one could enter into the city to buy or sell, which is a violation of the Sabbath law. They shut the gates at this time, since they knew that the Sabbath was coming. If the Sabbath began in the morning, why would they shut the gates twelve hours early?

Some folks who promote a sunrise to sunrise day will counter by saying, “They closed the gates the night before because who wants to get up at sunrise and shut the gates?” or “They closed the gates the night before because there were hedge laws enacted by that time such that the gates were closed well before the Sabbath to ensure that no one would violated the Sabbath law.” But where in Scripture does it say that they were shutting the gates for these reasons? It doesn’t. To assume this is adding to Scripture something that isn’t there, and adding to the Word of Elohim is a serious sin (Deut 4:2; 12:32; Rev 22:18–19).

The Work Day Began in the Morning and Went Until the Evening

Although the Bible gives us many examples of the work day beginning in the morning, this doesn’t mean that the 24 hour period, which the Bible calls a day (Gen 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31), begins in the daylight portion of that 24 hour period.

For example, Moses’ work of judging Israel began in the morning (Heb. boqer, Lev 18:13, 14), but this doesn’t prove that the 24 hour period that Scripture the Genesis one creation account calls “a day” began at this time.

Similarly, YHVH provided manna for the children of Israel in the morning and instructed them to collect it then (Exod 16:4–5, 7, 16, 21, 26). The sixth day was a work day, a day of preparation for the Israelites for the Sabbath (v. 5). The Israelites stored the manna until the Sabbath morning and ate it then. But the Bible doesn’t say that the Sabbath began in the morning (Exod 16:24–25).

Moreover, even though the Israelites began gathering manna in the morning and finished by gathering quail in the evening (Exod 16:8, 12), this doesn’t prove that the day began in the morning. It only proves that they started their work in the morning and finished it in the evening. That’s all, and nothing more, so let’s leave it there and not attempt to cherry pick a verse out of context and then to make a doctrine out of something that isn’t there. This is called cramming it to fit and painting it to match. As the saying goes, “That boat don’t float!”

Another example of morning activities include Moses’ work of building a stone altar beginning early in the morning (Exod 34:4), as well travelling, warfare and other work activities that all began in the morning (Num 14:40; 22:13, 21; Josh 3:1). However, these activities don’t prove that this is when the 24-hour day began. To say it does is equivalent to saying that because most people in our day go to work in the morning this begins the day, even though the day really starts at midnight.

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Linking the Infinite and the Finite—A New Paradigm in Which to View the Bible

Posted on 10/15/2025 by Natan Lawrence

The Bible’s Torah Connection

Pretend you were the infinite, all-powerful, omniscient and loving Creator of the universe who had made man to have a relationship with him, how would communicate with finite humans? How could you pour all that you know and are into man, so that he could experience the love, joy, peace, goodness, holiness, wisdom, understanding and truth that you have? Would it not be like trying to pour the world’s oceans into a thimble. At best you would need to distill down the essence of who you are and what you know into its simplest and most basic form so as not to overwhelm your human creation. But how would you do this, and what would be the vehicle you would use to convey this vast revelation to puny man? And does a physical human being ultimately traverse the vast gulf between him and his Creator to become like his Father in heaven?

There is a path between here and there! It has been laid out. It is called the Torah—a biblical Hebrew word meaning “instructions, teachings, precepts and law.” The Torah is a tiny kernel of the essence of the very mind, will, character and heart of the Creator, and it is his gift to man, for man to live an abundant physical life here and now with the possibility of graduating to a position of immortality in Elohim’s eternal kingdom and spiritual family. The Torah is the thimble into which YHVH poured his heart into bite sized pieces that would not choke man’s understanding of the vastness of who he is.

How do we know these things? The Bible likens the Torah that emanates from the Eternal Creator to divine light that pierces the spiritual darkness of the man’s physical existence. Moreover, the Torah is like a path that leads man to YHVH Elohim, the Creator. It is the epitome of all wisdom, knowledge and understanding that when embraced and obeyed leads man to the fulfillment of his highest desires. This very Torah is revealed in the pages of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Yes, not just in the books of the law of Moses, but in the New Testament or Testimony of Yeshua as well! To those who will remove the religious blinders from their eyes, they will see that this truth-path has been hiding in plain sight from the beginning of man’s creation. It is merely requires one to freely choose this upward path.

The Living and the Written Torah Is the Central Theme of the Bible

In the pages of the Bible we revealed the Creator’s path laid out that enables man to transcend from the physical, mortal and temporal plain to the spiritual, immortal and heavenly plain. YHVH’s Torah is way upward and it is a highway that contains two lanes both going in the same direction. They are at the same time indivisible yet separate like two sides of the same coin; they co-labor together and together make a complete picture. That two lane highway to heaven is the Living Torah (i.e., Yeshua the Messiah who is the Word of Elohim in human form) and Written Torah (specifically the biblical books of Genesis to Deuteronomy, and in the larger sense, the entire Old Testament or Tankah, and eventually the Bible, the Written Word of Elohim). The Torah in both forms are the dominant them of the entire Bible from beginning to end as we are about to discover.

Yeshua and the Torah-word of Elohim is one and the same thing—totally unified and absolutely indivisible, which is why I used the singular verb is above and not are in order to illustrate a point. Another way to say this is that the whole Bible is about Yeshua the Torah-Word of Elohim who came in human form (John 1:1, 14).

To further illustrate the unity of the Written and Living Torah Word of Elohim, we will discover later that the Bible’s dominant Torah theme is prominently highlighted at the beginning, middle and end of the Scriptures. This brief lesson is, by no means, a comprehensive study of the subject of the Torah as presented in the Bible. It is merely a quick overview to help you to begin viewing the Bible through a different set of spiritual glasses. To ensure that the locomotive driving your faith onward and upward is set on the right two rails—the Living Torah and the Written Torah. Thus, your spiritual train will not be derailed by wrong doctrine and false teachings.

In this study, we will focus more heavily on the Written Torah, as opposed to Yeshua the Living Torah, although I squarely rest my faith in the fact that without Yeshua the Messiah, it is impossible to fully understand, much less obey, the Written Torah. Furthermore, it is only Yeshua, the Living Torah and not the Written Torah who is capable of saving us from our sins (which the Bible defines as the violation of the Written Torah), and granting to us, by his merciful grace, the righteousness required to receive eternal life and entrance into Elohim’s everlasting kingdom and spiritual family.

The Written Torah Defined

Let us first define our terms. What does the word Torah mean as defined in the Bible? The primary meaning of the Hebrew word Torah/תּורה is “teaching, precept, instruction” and not the word law (as translated in most of our English Bibles), although it is translated as such some 219 times in the Tanakh (Old Testament). What is the fuller meaning of the word Torah?

According to Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Torah, as already noted, signifies primarily “direction, teaching and instruction” (Prov 13:14). It is derived from the verb yarah/VRh meaning “to project, point out” and hence “to point out or teach.” The law of Elohim is that which points out or indicates his will to man…Seen against its background of the verb yarah, it becomes clear that Torah is much more than law or a set of rules. Torah is not restriction or hindrance, but instead the means whereby one can reach a goal or an ideal place.

Similarly, The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament states that the word Torah means “teaching” whether it is the wise man instructing his son or Elohim instructing Israel. The wisdom of the Torah gives insight into all aspects of life so that a young person may know how to conduct themselves and to live a long blessed life (Prov 3:1f). Likewise through the Torah, Elohim, motivated by love, reveals to man basic insights on how men are to live with each other and how man is to approach Elohim. Through the Torah, Elohim shows his interest in all aspects of man’s life which is to be lived under his direction and care. The Torah of Elohim is his word to mankind—his instructions in right living or in righteousness.

As already noted, the word Torah originates from the root word yarah, which also means “to flow as water, to lay or throw as in shooting an arrow; to point out as if aiming the finger to make a point, to teach.” Another cognate (related word) of the word Torah is the Hebrew word moreh, which means “teacher or archer (as in one who shoots at a target).” Moreh derives from the same Hebrew root word, yarah, as does the word Torah, and signifies that law is the revelation of Elohim’s will (e.g., Isa 1:10). Therefore, when one is walking according to the Torah of YHVH Elohim, one is walking in the light of YHVH’s truth, which is hitting the mark of righteousness. Likewise, YHVH’s teachings or instructions are a river of life flowing from his throne aimed at hitting the mark of truth and righteousness. Conversely, the Hebrew word for sin is chata, which means “to miss the mark,” or to transgress the Torah as 1 John 3:4 states, “Sin is the transgression of the Torah-law.”

The Origin of Torah and Its Introduction into the World

To the biblically naive, it is believed that the Torah-law originated with Moses. In reality, the Torah predates Moses. He was merely the human vessel through which Elohim gave the Torah-law in its codified form to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. There are many examples in both the books of Genesis and Exodus before Mount Sinai that YHVH’s servants both knew of and followed the Torah or as much of it as had been revealed to them up to that time. This, however, is a different study and beyond the scope of this present discussion. Moreover, the Bible reveals that the Torah not only predated Moses and his ancestors, but the creation of man as well as the following points will hopefully make abundantly clear. Scripture makes numerous allusions to the Torah at the very beginning of the Bible in poetic and metaphorical terms. For example,

In the creation account, Elohim said, “Let there be light” (Gen 1:3). The light of Elohim came into the darkness of this world. The creation of light was Elohim’s first creative act. As we shall see below, light is a Hebraic metaphor for the Torah, which is the divine knowledge and wisdom of Elohim representing his perfect and undefiled character and nature.
By Yeshua who is Elohim and is the Word of Elohim (John 1:1), everything was created (Heb 11:3). Elohim’s Word is light and truth. Yeshua is the Word of Elohim and is also the Light of the world (John 1:1, 8, 14; 8:12; 14:6). He is the Living Torah-Word of Elohim incarnate (John 1:1, 14)
The Word of YHVH is Torah; it is his instructions in righteousness (Ps 119:176).
The Torah is truth as we read in Psalms 119:142, “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy Torah is the truth.”
The Torah is spiritual light as we read in Proverbs 6:23, “For the commandment is a lamp; and the Torah is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.”

As we can see, the Torah or light of Elohim, which is the truth or Word of Elohim, which is Yeshua the Word of Elohim predated the giving of the Torah-law to Moses and the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. To say that the Torah originated with Moses is to hold to a very narrow and, quite frankly, an unbiblical and a naive understanding of the concept of Torah.

The Torah in the Beginning, Middle and End of the Bible

As stated at the beginning of this brief study, the Living and Written Torah is the dominant theme of the Bible. Let’s quickly see how this is the case by reviewing the three parts of the Bible—the beginning, the middle and the end to see how Torah is revealed here.

In Genesis one, at the beginning of the Bible we find the following:
Genesis 1:1, The Hebrew grammatical marker word consisting of an aleph and tav/<t (the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet) are found twice in verse one, just before and after the word heaven. They are the fourth and seventh Hebrew words in this sentence. The astute Bible student will see this as a prophetic reference to Yeshua, who is the Beginning and the End (the Alpha and Omega /AW, Rev 1:8, 11; 21:6; 22:13). It also points us to the fact that Yeshua would come from heaven in the fourth millennia and would come back to earth from heaven in the seventh millennia.
Genesis 1:3, The introduction of light into the world was the first creative act of Elohim. Light is a biblical metaphor for Torah or the Word of Elohim (Prov 6:23; Ps 119:105). Light pierced and still pierces the darkness of evil. Darkness is a biblical metaphor for Torahlessness or all that which is of the world, the flesh and the devil and which is contrary to or is in rebellion to and against the will and Word of Elohim (John 1:5; 3:16–21).
Genesis 1:3–5, Light is mentioned five times here. Some Bible teachers refer to this as the five points of light—a reference to the five books of the Torah (Gen through Deut), and to Yeshua, who was the light of the world before the sun was created on the fourth day in Genesis 1:14. Yeshua, that same spiritual Torah-light, will eventually replace the sun in the heaven on earth of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:23; 22:5).
In Genesis 1:3, we find the complete spelling of the Hebrew word for light (or/אור spelled aleph, vav, resh), as opposed to a defective spelling minus the vav that the physical sun gives (see Gen 1:14, the first reference to light in that verse is spelled defectively). This points to the supreme and supernal Torah-light from heaven, which is Yeshua, the Torah-Word of Elohim that was made flesh and dwelt among men (John 1:1, 14), and who was the spiritual Light of the world (John 1:4–5; 8:12).

Next we come to the exact middle of the Bible, which is Psalm 119. This is the Bible’s longest chapter and the highest praise of Torah to be found in all of the Scripture. This psalm examines all aspects of the Torah much like a jeweler examining and admiring every facet and angle of a large, priceless and one-of-a-kind gem stone. In this psalm, we learn what should be our view of and response toward the Torah of Elohim.

Finally, we come to the end of the Bible, which is the Book of Revelation. In the last two chapters of the Bible we find a number of references to the Written Torah, and to Yeshua, the Living Torah.

Revelation 22:14 states, “Blessed are they who keep his [Torah] commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.”
Revelation 21:23; 22:5 (also 2 Cor 4:6) reveals that Yeshua will be the light of the New Jerusalem. Yeshua is the Light of the World (John 1:4–5; 8:12) and the Sun of Righteousness (Mal 4:2) whose face shines like the sun (Rev 1:16). As the pre-incarnate Yeshua, Living Torah-Word of Elohim was the light that illuminated the earth until day four of creation when the physical sun was created, even so Yeshua will once again be the Light of the world as he was during the first four days of creation.
Revelation 22:3, In the New Jerusalem, there will be no more curse because there will be no more sin or Torahlessness (1 John 3:4 states that sin is the transgression of the Torah), which brings on the curses of the law (Deut 28:15–68), which is death (Ezek 18:4; Rom 6:23)—the ultimate curse for violating the Torah, which are Elohim’s instructions in righteousness.
Revelation 22:12, Yeshua is bringing spiritual rewards to his servants based on how faithful they were to obeying and teaching the Torah (cp. Matt 5:19).
Revelation 22:13, The alpha and omega or (in Hebrew) the aleph and tav—the beginning and end of the Torah-Word of Elohim—is another reference to the written Torah and to Yeshua, the Living Torah. This is a repetition of the same concept found in the first verse of the Bible.
Revelation 22:15 (also 21:8), Outside of the New Jerusalem are found sinners or those who are Torahless or violators of the Torah, for sin is the violation of the Torah (1 John 3:4).
Revelation 22:17, The Spirit and bride say come. Who gets to come into the kingdom of Yeshua as his bride? Those who have prepared themselves for the marriage supper of the Lamb by putting on the robes of the righteous acts of Torah (see Rev 19:7–9, NIV and NAS). Again, the Scriptures define righteousness as obedience to the Torah (Ps 119:172).
Revelation 22:18–19 tells us to neither add to nor subtract from the Book of Revelation, and by implication, the entire Bible. This echoes the warning Moses wrote at the end of the Torah (Deut 4:2; 12:32). The Torah of Elohim is the word or instructions of Elohim and not only encompasses the first five books of Scripture, colloquially called the Torah or Pentateuch, but ultimately includes the whole Bible.
Revelation 22:20–21, The Hebrew word amein is found twice in the last two verse of the Bible is the very last word of the Scriptures. Amein means “verily, truly” and is a Hebrew word that originates from the Hebrew word emet/<nt meaning “truth.” The word emet is spelled aleph, mem and tav, which are the first, middle and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Therefore, emet is a word that signifies all that is revealed on a subject from aleph to tav, thus comprising all that can be written on it and no more can be added to it. Thus, the very last word in the Bible clearly points to both the written Torah of YHVH Elohim, and to Yeshua, the Living Torah, which is the Word of Elohim in human form and is the Truth in its final and highest form. Spiritually speaking as revealed in the Bible, Yeshua, truth and Torah are one in the same and are indivisible.

The 32 Blessings and Benefits of Obeying YHVH’s Torah-Law

The Scriptures reveal that the Torah is much more than a list of dos and don’ts as many people have falsely been led to believe, and is therefore, in their mind, a negative thing. Deuteronomy 4:6 says that the Torah is our wisdom and understanding before the nations of the world. In Deuteronomy 11:8, we learn that the Torah makes us strong. The word strong in Hebrew is chazaq meaning “to be strong, grow strong, to prevail, to be firm, be caught fast, be secure, to grow stout, grow rigid, to restore to strength, give strength, sustain, encourage, make bold, encourage, to repair or to withstand.” This sounds like a good thing!

Sadly, most Christians have been told again and again ad infinitum and ad nauseam that the law of Moses or God’s Torah-law is “against them,” that they are “not under it,” that “it was nailed to the cross” or “done away with.” Nothing could be further from the truth as we shall see below.

Contrary to what most people have been told, YHVH’s Torah is not against man; rather, it might be said that God’s (Elohim’s) Torah-law itself is neutral; neither positive nor negative. In reality, it is like a mirror that simply reflects the image portrayed in it. Torah reacts according to human action. Those who obey it are blessed and those who disobey it are cursed. For example, just as the law of gravity is also neutral. Even as it benefits humans by keeping them from floating off to a certain death in outer space, so the same law is against us should we choose to jump off a bridge, a high building or a cliff; the results are death. Again, Elohim’s Torah-law, like his law of gravity is neutral. It can be for or against us depending on whether we acknowledge, respect and then obey it or not. To ignore it is called sin and results in death, for the wages of sin (i.e., the violation of Torah; 1 John 3:4) is death (Ezek 18:4; Rom 6:23).

The following lists delineate the few aspects of the YHVH Elohim’s Torah-law that are “against” us (that is, against sinners), and them the many aspects of YHVH’s Torah-law that are for man’s blessing and benefit.

On the negative side, when we disobey the Torah…

Continue reading →

Nathan’s Commentary on Parashat V’zot HaBerachah (Deuteronomy 33:1–34:12)

Posted on 10/05/2025 by Natan Lawrence

Deuteronomy 33

Deuteronomy 33:1–5, Spiritual attributes of Israel. In the opening remarks of this chapter, we note three outstanding qualities of Israel: (a) Elohim dwelt among them through the presence of his divine glory; (b) they accepted his Torah; (c) they acknowledged his sovereignty. Can these things be said of you?

Deuteronomy 33:1, Now this blessing. One of the most important things a righteous saint can do before he or she dies is to leave a prophetic blessing and some words of wisdom with their loved ones—especially children and grandchildren—that one is leaving behind. It is one thing to gift one’s loved ones with a legacy of righteous living, but it is another thing, at such a crucial, tender and poignant moment as the end of one’s life to plant one’s last verbal will and testament into the tender ground of the hearts, minds and emotions of those who are about to grieve the loss of a family member. This is what Moses did for the children of Israel before he passed from the scene.

Deuteronomy 33:2, From his right hand. Yeshua as the Living Torah-Word of Elohim is at the right hand of the Father. As the Word of Elohim, he is the one who gave the Torah to the children of Israel before he was incarnated as the Messiah.

A fiery law. There are two main aspects of YHVH’s Torah-law. This is implicated in the cloven tongues of fire that fell on the saints on Shavuot (the Day of Pentecost) in Acts 2:3), and relates to a curious statement that Yeshua made in John 4:23–24,

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Spirit and truth are two aspects of the Torah that may be characterized as law and grace, judgment and mercy, or letter of the law and spirit of the law. Our Father in heaven is seeking those who will understand his Torah in both of its aspects—Spirit and Truth—and then worship and obey him accordingly.

Additionally, YHVH’s Torah-law is like a fire which both consumes and purifies. Of the fiery law, Matthew Henry says in his commentary on this verse, “If received, it is melting, warming, purifying, and burns the dross of corruption; if rejected, it hardens, sears, causes pain, and destroys.”

The Jewish sages have another explanation for the two-part aspects of YHVH’s Torah. The ArtScroll Kestenbaum Edition Tikkun—The Torah Reader’s Compendium states, “This verse contains an example of a keri uchesiv, that is, a word spelled one way in the Torah scroll, but pronounced differently. Here we find…eshdote, waterfalls…[pronounced] as two words, esh daht, literally, fire of law. The Torah states that when [Elohim] presented the Torah to Israel, all of Mount Sinai was smoking because [YHVH] had descended upon it in fire (Exod 19:18). Additionally, King David writes of that event: “The earth trembled, even the heavens dripped…this is Sinai…A generous rain did You pour down, of [Elohim],” (Ps 68:9–10). Thus the Torah was given through fire and rain” (p. 495). Discuss the implications of YHVH’s Word being like both water and fire. (See Eph 5:26; Deut 5:5; Isa 5:24; Jer 5:14; 23:29 for further insights.)

Deuteronomy 33:3, All his saints. In verse two, the right hand of Elohim (i.e., Yeshua) that gave the Israelites the Torah is mentioned. In this verse we read that “all his saints are in your right hand.” This seems to be allusion to two components of the Godhead: the Father and the Son who is the Father’s right hand and who is also the Word of Elohim, and from whom came the Torah-law. Moreover, when the Torah was given at Mount Sinai, the children of Israel were at the foot of that mountain, or that is to say, they had sat “down at your feet.” That is to say, they were literally sitting at the feet of YHVH-Yeshua was speaking to them from the mountian. Similarly, when we sit at the feet of Yeshua to learn of him, he will teach us his Torah—both the spirit and Truth aspects of it with the help of his Spirit, the Comforter or Helper who will lead and guide us into all Truth.

An alternate translation of this verse reads: For they planted themselves at [YHVH’s] feet bearing [the yoke] of [YHVH’s] utterances. This is speaking of the children of Israel when they received the YHVH’s Torah instructions at the foot of Mount Sinai. Can this be said of you? Have you firmly placed yourself at YHVH’s feet and declared (not only through your words, but also your actions) to those around you (e.g., your spouse, children, family, employer, spiritual leaders), “All that YHVH has spoken we will do” (Exod 19:8)? Yeshua states that such a determination is a response of love for him (John 14:15), and John states in his epistle that the only way to intimately know YHVH is to keep his [Torah] commandments (i.e., obey him, 1 John 2:3–6).

Deuteronomy 33:4, The Torah…is the heritage of the congregation of Jacob. The Bible is clear. If one has the faith of Abraham, then you are his children and are therefore a part of the congregation of Jacob (Gal 3:7, 29). The ArtScroll Stone Edition Chumash states, “The Torah is an inalienable possession of Israel, transmitted from generation to generation,” and the difference between an inheritance and a heritage is that “[a]n inheritance belongs to the heirs to use and dispose of as they please. A heritage, however, is the property of generations before and after; it is incumbent upon the heirs to preserve it intact” (p. 1113). How can one keep one’s heritage intact if one believes parts of one’s heritage “were nailed to the cross,” “done away with,” “fulfilled,” “is a curse and burden” or has otherwise been done away with as the mainstream church teaches?

Deuteronomy 33:5, He was a king. There were three leadership positions in Israel: the priest, the prophet and the king. Moses was the only other person besides Yeshua the Messiah who held all three positions. For example, Samuel was a Levite and prophet, and David king and a prophet. In a loose sense, the patriarchs as tribal heads held all three positions, but not in the full sense, since they were merely the heads of a family unit or tribe, and not an entire nation per se. In the same sense and ideally, a righteous and saintly father is to be a priest, prophet and king over his family as well under Yeshua, who is the King of kings, the great High Priest over everyone. How many fathers as heads of their households do you know who take this position and divine mission seriously—or are even aware of their responsibility if fulfilling this divinely mandated heavenly calling?

Deuteronomy 33:7–12, Judah…Levi…Benjamin. Judah was the bearer of national power, Levi was responsible for teaching of the Torah and the maintaining the temple, and it was in the territory of Benjamin that the temple (or at least the holy of holies) was located. That is why these three tribes are grouped together (The Pentateuch/Deuteronomy, by R. Hirsch, pp. 672–673).

Deuteronomy 33:8, Thummim…Urim. To this day, no one knows exactly what these objects were that the Levites used for determining the will of YHVH in specific matters. One thing we can learn from this, however, is that YHVH has tasked his ministers with determining his will and then passing this on to his people.

Deuteronomy 33:8–11, Purpose of Levitical priesthood. (Also see Lev 10:11; Num 3:11–13; Deut 24:8; Neh 8:7 cp. 1 Chron 6:48–49; 23:27–32.) Here, the four main functions of the Levitical priesthood are outlined: to discern oracles or to understand the will of YHVH (verse 8), to teach Torah (verse 10a), to intercede before YHVH on behalf of the people through their ministry in the tabernacle (verse 10b), and to offer sacrifices (verse 10b).

Deuteronomy 33:13–17, And of Joseph he said. “Power, service of the Torah and the Sanctuary, and the site of the sanctuary were the distinguishing specialities that marked the tribes of Judah, Levi and Benjamin respectively” (ibid., by R. Hirsch p. 674). However, Hirsch notes that the richest abundance of the blessing of the soil followed the tribe of Joseph, since Joseph inhabited the largest, richest and most productive farmland in Israel (ibid.). In light of the richness of Joseph’s material blessings, it is interesting to note that the two tribes descended from Joseph (i.e., Ephraim and Manasseh) at the height of their material richness at the time of King Solomon were afterwards responsible for dragging ten-twelfths of Israel down into idolatry (under Jeroboam). Is this a warning to modern Ephraim (the Christian church, loosely speaking)? What has happened morally and spiritually in America and England (as well as to some of the other rich western, Christian nations)? One by one, the western Christian nations have all fallen from their greatness morally, economically and politically and America stands alone in these areas, but is sinking quickly. What is the spiritual state of the church in America, despite the false peace and comfort message of many Christian “prophets” who say otherwise? The strength (or weakness) of the church is no more or less than that of the individual. (Read and reflect on Revelation 3:14–22.) How easy it is to apply these admonitions to others, but ASK YOURSELF whether your spiritual walk (or level of obedience) is based on convenience or upon discipline, duty and obedience? Do you fit YHVH and loyalty to his Word around your finances, pleasures, convenience (i.e., the foreign gods or idols of your life), or do you obey him without regard to your physical circumstances based on a heart of devotion, dedication, service and love for him? Have we become so rich with material blessings, as ancient apostate Israel did, that we have become blind to YHVH’s higher spiritual purposes for our lives? Are our lives more a reflection of the hedonistic and materialistic culture around us than of the light of YHVH’s Word and Spirit? Let’s pass over these questions lightly, for history repeats itself, and we may be the very generation upon whom it repeats itself. Let’s search our hearts and minds and ask the Father for revelation in these areas.

Deuteronomy 33:22, Leap from Bashan. (On Dan see notes at Matthew 16:13.) Dan’s tribal territory was in northern Israel near the base of Mount Hermon in the land of Bashan. This geographical area was too small for their tribe, so they took to the sea and began to explore other lands in which to settle. This was likely in conjunction with the seafaring Phoenicians who lived in the coastal areas of modern Lebanon which was adjacent to the tribal territory of Dan.

Lion’s whelp. As Yeshua was the lion of the tribe of Judah, some Bible commentators see Dan in this prophecy as the opposite of Yeshua in that this is an indication that Antichrist will be the antithesis of Yeshua will come from the tribe of Dan. This is because the tribe of Dan is not mentioned among the 144,000 righteous saints in Revelation 7 and 14, and because Dan settled in northern Israel near Mount Hermon and in the region of Bashan where the heathen inhabitants embraced the religion of Baalism and worshipped the nephilim.

Deuteronomy 34

Deuteronomy 34:1, and 7. Moses passes from the scene in a condition of spiritual strength. Moses died in the wilderness, though prior to his death YHVH in his grace gave Moses a view of the Promised Land. Most of YHVH’s servants died without having obtained their promised inheritance. All await the glory of their future spiritual state. Despite not being able to enter the Good Land, Moses stayed faithful to the call and mission that YHVH had given him to the very end, and Torah records that “Moses was 120 years old when he died: “his eye had not dimmed, and his vigor had not diminished” (verse 7). Can this be said of you in your walk of faith before YHVH? Hebrews 11 chronicles those notable saints who all “having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise” of their heavenly inheritance. Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Deuteronomy 34:9, Joshua…laid his hands on him. This is an example of apostolic succession through the laying on of hands to accomplish the symbolic, YHVH-ordained transference of ministry anointing, blessing, power and authority.

Deuteronomy 34:5, So Moses…died. Even at age 120, Moses never retired; he died with his spiritual boots on, while continuing faithfully in the spiritual mission that YHVH had given him. Retirement, as in sitting around doing little or nothing productive once one has reached a certain age, is not a biblical concept. Yeshua instructed his saints to occupy until he returns (Luke 19:13). Elsewhere, Paul tells the followers of Yeshua to stand (not sit) as they battle against the forces of darkness (Eph 6:14). Moreover, the Bible characterizes the spiritual journey toward the kingdom of Elohim as a walk, not a sit and not doing little or nothing. The concept of retirement as is commonly promoted in our modern culture is a recent one, and not a biblical one as I discuss in the article below.

Where is retirement mentioned in the Bible?

Here is a challenge. Show me in the Bible where the word retirement or the concept is even mentioned? The idea of retirement, as it is now commonly understood to mean ceasing to work and doing little or nothing after a certain age, is not found anywhere in the Bible. What the word of Elohim teaches, however, it that we are to work six days each week and to rest on the seventh day (the Sabbath or Shabbat, Exod 20:8–11). Moreover, because of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, the Creator told man that the “free lunch” had ended and he had to get to work (Gen 3:17–19). What does this mean for you and me if we claim to be Bible followers—especially after we reach the age where due to health and age regular physical work may be a challenge?

Only in our overindulgent, materialistic and wealthy western society is retirement an option.

For many who are lacking in a spiritual faith and who have no concept of biblical truth, retirement has become their “heaven on earth.” Retirement, in fact, is a sort of humanists’ replacement “heaven” in that it becomes a sort of heaven on earth until one dies and goes back into the soil.

Admittedly, as one becomes elderly, the body doesn’t function as it once did. But that doesn’t mean one has to resort to a life of inert, non-productive inactivity and lassitude. For example, in ancient Israel, when the Levites reached the age of fifty, they presumably took on more of an advisory role in helping to train the next generation of Levites (Num 8:25). This rule didn’t, however, may not have applied to those in the priesthood who likely served until death. The kings and prophets of Israel served until their death as well. Likewise, Moses never retired and served YHVH and the Israelites until age 120! Neither did Joshua, David or the apostles retire from the ministry. As they grew older, they obviously slowed down, but they never quit their work and retired to life on a golf course, or sitting in front of the television watching old re-runs of Western movies or the daytime soap operas and game shows. No! They all died with their spiritual boots while doing YHVH’s work.

Once we reach a certain age where hard physical labor becomes impractical or even impossible, we are faced with two choices: we can either rust out or burn out. Like an automobile or piece of equipment, it can sit there rust away inactively, or it can be used until the engine wears out. Wouldn’t you rather burn out then rust out? Similarly, Yeshua commended the wise servants in the Parable of the Talents for being profitable with the talents the master had given them while he was away in a far country. Conversely, the master sternly rebuked the servant who did nothing but bury his talents in the soil (Luke 19:11–27).

Moreover, the elders (wise and older people) were to serve as leaders of the congregational assembly in the New Testament era (see 1 Tim 5:5–15). To be sure, the older generation was busy during their so-called retirement years.

These things being the case, why is it that so many Bible followers and even supposedly Torah-obedient individuals don’t work six days a week, but stop working in their 60s and even their 50s and acquiesce to the concept of what our humanistic society calls “retirement age”? What’s more, why do so many woman, even in the church, nowadays support their husbands, who proudly laud their new status as “house husbands”? Why are there so many men on welfare feigning a disability, so they can collect a check from the government, when, for many of them, there is something they could do to help support their families. Instead, they proudly live off the labors of others? In reality they’re lazy bums—thieves! This is hardly a godly virtue. To be sure, unless one is bed-ridden due to severe health issues, there is something everyone can do to be a profitable servant rather than a lazy couch potato bum.

Even those who have worked hard and have the financial resources to be able to “retire” , is it biblical to resort to a life of laziness and self-indulgent ease? Hardly! The biblical model is for the older folks to be using their resources including their time, knowledge and wisdom to help others—especially the younger generation. Kudos to those who are doing so. Shame on those who aren’t!

Sadly, we have become a society of lazy bums all too often living off of the labor of and resources of others. Is this something to be proud of? If this is our lifestyle, do we really think we will hear YHVH’s words on the day of judgment, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant”?

Deuteronomy 34:9, Joshua…Moses. Moses brought the Israelites to the border of Canaan, but it was the divine mission of Joshua (or Yehoshua) actually to take them into the Promised Land. This prophetically points to Yeshua the Messiah, who leads the way for his saints into the kingdom of Elohim (see Hebrews chapters 3 and 4). After all,

As we close out the Book of Deuteronomy and this commentary on the whole Torah, we leave you with a number of questions to ponder.

Is it possible to enter the kingdom of Elohim or the Promised Land of our spiritual inheritance through the works of the Torah-law, or by grace through faith alone? (See Eph 2:4–10.) Was it Moses (the vehicle through which the Torah-law came) who led the Israelites into their inheritance or Joshua (Yehoshua) who is a prophetic picture of Yeshua the Messiah? The name Yehoshua means “salvation of YHVH” and the name Yeshua is a shortened version of Yeshoshua and means “salvation.” Will we enter into the rest (or salvation) of Yeshua (whose name means salvation) through our own efforts or through faith (Heb 4:2, 10)?

We see the answer to this question in the fact that Joshua and not Moses led the Israelites into the Promised Land, which is a picture of eternal life in the kingdom of Elohim. Furthermore, did Joshua annul the Torah-law given through Moses or did he strengthen and confirm it as the path of righteousness they were to follow to stay in possession of the land, to receive the blessings of the land and to stay in right relationship with YHVH, the Possessor of the land? Who or what led the Israelites into the Promised Land? (Read Josh 3:6.) What were Joshua’s first instructions to the Israelites? (See Josh 1:8.)

What was one of the first things the Israelites did after crossing the Jordan River into the land to confirm their allegiance to YHVH’s Torah (his instructions in righteousness)? (Note Josh 8:30–35.) What will determine our level of reward—not our salvation—in YHVH’s kingdom of heaven? (See Matt 5:19.) What is the point here? If Joshua confirmed and strengthened the validity of the Torah upon entering the Promised Land, will not Yeshua, who is a prophetic picture of Joshua do the same thing for the saints who will be entering into his spiritual kingdom?

The Rabbinic Jewish Calendar—Following Error for the Sake of Unity? Really???

Posted on 09/27/2025 by Natan Lawrence

All the time, I hear people say, “I follow the traditional or rabbinic Jewish calendar when celebrating the biblical feasts because I want to be in unity with my Jewish brothers.” Is this a biblically-based argument? Does it line up with what the Bible says? What did Yeshua/Jesus say about following the traditions of men that go against the Word of Elohim? Are Christians beholden to rabbinic Jewish dictums? If so, is there a biblical basis for this? What does the Torah say about following a crowd in its error? If we can make an argument for following the Jewish calendar, isn’t this also valid argument for following them in their denial of Yeshua as the Messiah? These and more questions are answered in this short, hard-hitting exposé.

This and other videos by Nathan are available as podcasts on Spotify and Apple podcast under “Hoshana Rabbah.”

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Nathan’s Commentary on Parashat Vaylekh (Deuteronomy 31:1–30)

Posted on 09/22/2025 by Natan Lawrence

Deuteronomy 31

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 secular humanism, 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).

Deuteronomy 31:16, 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.

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 The ArtScroll 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.

Deuteronomy 31:29, 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?

Nathan’s Commentary on Parashat Nitzvaim (Deuteronomy 29:9–30:20)

Posted on 09/16/2025 by Natan Lawrence

Deuteronomy 29

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 ArtScroll Stone 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 ArtScroll Stone 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 …” The ArtScroll 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,

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Nathan’s Commentary on Parashat Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 22:6:1–29:8)

Posted on 09/09/2025 by Natan Lawrence

Deuteronomy 26

Deuteronomy chapter 26 discusses the joy of giving financially by people who are called and ordained of YHVH to do his spiritual work on earth. This also includes giving to the poor among us. Heaven blesses those who give (vv. 1–15, 19). Giving is a holy activity (v. 13), and when YHVH’s people obey him in this manner and observe his other commandments as well, he proclaims them to be his special people and promises to promote them high above the nations of the world as his own holy people (vv. 17–20). This YHVH did for ancient Israel when they obeyed him, and he promises to do the same for those who obey him now (2 Cor 1:20). These eternal and immutable principles of the Torah are for all people and for all time; these divine principles have not changed over time regardless of men’s traditions and religious doctrines that say otherwise.

You may not feel like YHVH has presently exalted you above all those around you, but consider this: What is your salvation worth and what will your status be after you have received your glorified body and are ruling and reigning with King Yeshua over this earth after his return and during his millennial kingdom on this earth?

Deuteronomy 26:4–11, You shall answer. This was the prayer that one was to make when one brought their tithe to YHVH. Bringing one’s tithe to YHVH was an act of gratefulness and worship and was brought with a joyful heart for the blessings that the Almighty had bestowed upon the tithe-giver. You may not always feel overly blessed, but at the very least, the Creator has given us life. Beyond that, most of us are not starving, nor are we homeless or naked. Most importantly, YHVH Elohim gave us his only begotten Son through whom we have eternal salvation. This is greatest blessing of all! If we pause for a brief moment and reflect on our lives, we will find many things for which to be thankful to the Almighty.

Deuteronomy 26:5, My father was a Syrian. Syrian is the Hebrew word ‘ărammıy for Aramaen and is derived from Aram, the father of Aramaen people and who was the son of Shem, the son of Noah (Gen 10:21–22). Thus both the Israelites and the Syrians or Aramaens were Semites (i.e., descendents of Shem) due to their common ancestry. Moreover, Rachel, Leah and Rebecca were also from the region of the peoples Aram, so technically the descendents of Jacob were part Aramaen.

Deuteronomy 26:11, You shall rejoice. Bringing one’s tithes and offerings to YHVH is to be a joyful event since it is a reflection of our gratitude to him for abundantly blessing us. (Compare this verse with 2 Corinthians 9:6–11.) Giving to YHVH is a form of worship since it allows us to put our treasure where our heart is (Luke 12:34). Please join me in praying this prayer:

Father, help us to give to you out of the abundance of our hearts joyfully and with gratitude for your blessings and bounty in our lives. Help me not to be a fair-weather giver only, but to give out of obedience, even sacrificially, that we may learn to have faith in your promises of provision and to obey you no matter the circumstances. Amein.

(For a brief study on tithing and giving, please see my teaching entitled, “Is Tithing for Us Today?” which is available on our ministry website at http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/tithing.pdf.)

Deuteronomy 26:12, You shall give to the Levite, to the proselyte, to the orphan, and to the widow. Throughout the Tanakh, YHVH has a special place in his heart for the “underdogs” of society, as did Yeshua during his earthly ministry. There are people, who through no fault of their own, and due to their own faults, need help and extra grace and mercy. What is your attitude toward those who fall into this camp? What are you doing to help them if you have the means to do so as YHVH has blessed you?

Deuteronomy 26:13, Have given to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. Israel’s social welfare system. This reveals Israel’s social welfare system as instituted and commanded by YHVH, who promised to bless the Israelites so abundantly when they obeyed his Torah-instructions that they would not only have plenty for themselves, but their proverbial cup would overflow onto those around them, so that they would be able to give materially to those in the Levitical ministry as well as to the poor. This welfare system was not instituted by the government through legalized extortion enforced at the point of a gun of the state’s legal punitive system. No! Rather, this system of benevolence was powered by the good will of the people from hearts of love and care for one’s neighbor as well as gratitude to YHVH for his blessings. This was the golden rule of loving one’s neighbor as oneself in action on a societal level. In modern socialistic nations, social welfare systems require major governmental expenditure and bureaucratic management including enforcement actions often being taken against “the wealthy” who refuse to pay “their fair share.” Man’s system may benefit the genuinely poor and needy but also rewards those who are lazy plus grifters who refuse to work but choose to take advantage of the largess of others. In YHVH’s system, there was neither a governmental bureaucracy nor a legal structure of forced confiscation of taxes to fund the welfare system, nor punitive enforcement if people fail to pay the mandated tax. Rather, this system was based on love for one’s neighbor, gratitude to YHVH for the blessings received from him, and was community based and reciprocal; that is, if your neighbor needed help and you were able, you helped him, and when you were in need he reciprocated. YHVH’s system is based on people who are motivated by love and godly values as taught in the Torah. On the other hand, man’s system thrives where the spiritual values of people have declined and where government is forced to step in to take up the slack. Moveover, man’s social welfare system is often driven by political operatives who are motivated by their lust for control, power and money. This system not only benefits politician but tends to engender generational poverty among those who are lazy and indolent. This all proves the point that YHVH’s Torah-ways are much higher than those of men when they reject his laws.

Deuteronomy 26:13–15, Prayer offered when giving. This is the prayer that the tithe-payer is to pray upon bringing his tithe to YHVH. Tithing leads to prosperity, but for whom? Just the individual? Notice in verse 15 the wording: “bless your people Israel….” The tithe-payer is praying for blessings not just upon himself, but upon the entire nation. What can we draw from this? Is there room for selfish and self-centered prayers here? What happens when the whole community is tithing and everyone is praying for everyone else’s well-being and blessing?

Deuteronomy 26:17–19, You have distinguished YHVH…YHVH has distinguished you. What does this mean? What is YHVH’s attitude toward Israel? What does the word avouched or distinguished (some translations read: proclaimed or agreeing) mean here? What is transpiring here with the people distinguishing YHVH and YHVH returning the action in verse 18? The resulting action is in verse 19.

Deuteronomy 27

Deuteronomy 27:2–10, Set up for yourselves. Immediately upon crossing the Jordan and entering the Promised Land, YHVH instructed the Israelites to set up a stone monument containing the Torah and to construct an altar for burnt sacrifices. What is the significance of these symbols, and why was it so important that this be Israel’s first order of business upon entering the Land of Promise? Matthew Henry states in his commentary that the Word of YHVH (the Torah) and prayer (the altar) must always accompany each other. How does this relate to Psalms 51:16–19 and Hosea 6:6 and the believer’s spiritual walk? Also, why did YHVH command the Israelites to construct the altar of uncut and whole stones? To whom does this prophetically point? (Read Dan 2:35, 45; Ps 118:22; Matt 21:42; Luke 20:17.) The stones of the altar were rough and uncut. To whom does this point who became our Living (spiritual) Altar and Sacrifice? (See Isa 53:2.)

Deuteronomy 27:2, 4, 8, Set up great stones. On Mount Ebal and on whole, uncut stones, the Israelites were to write YHVH’s Torah-law and then coat these stones with lime plaster. Elohim also told them to build an altar there where they were to make burnt and peace offerings. Why was the Torah written on stones on Mount Ebal—the mountain of the curses? Why not on Mount Gerizim, the mountain of blessing? Certainly this cannot mean that the Torah is a curse, for Paul calls it kadosh (holy), just and good in Romans 7:12. What could these stones represent symbolically?

First, this symbology tells us that those who do not follow the Torah will come under a curse, for to violate YHVH’s laws is sin (1 John 3:4), and the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23), and every person has sinned (Rom 3:23).

Second, Who is the Chief Cornerstone, the Stone that the builders rejected (Ps 118:22; Matt 21:42; Acts 4:11; Eph 2:20), and the stone cut without hands (Dan 2:34)? What was the purpose of these offerings and to whom do the burnt and peace offerings point? The white lime plaster symbolically obviously represent the saints, the bride of Messiah, being clothed in robes of righteousness (see Rev 19:7–8). Who is the King of Righteousness through whom redeemed sinners become righteous? Who is clothed in robes of righteousness once their sins have been atoned for? (Read Heb 7:2, 20–28 cp. Rev 19:7–8 cp. 3:5, 18; Isa 61:10.) Who was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, had laid on him the iniquities of us all, and was made an offering for sin (Isa 53:5, 6, 10)? Who was the Living Torah, the Word of Elohim made flesh (John 1:1, 14)? Who redeemed us from the curses of the law (Gal 3:13), which came upon us as a result of our sinning (sin is the violation of YHVH’s law, 1 John 3:4), and thus bringing a death penalty upon us (the wages of sin is death, Rom 6:23)? Obviously, the answer to all these questions is Yeshua the Messiah, the Savior or Redeemer of all those who place their trusting faith in him and volitionally choose to become his disciple and to love him and allow him to become the Master of their lives.

Is it now making sense why the Torah and the altar were placed on Mount Ebal? This is another one of the many prophetic shadow pictures in the Torah pointing to the redemptive work of Yeshua at the cross. Let us give glory to Elohim who knows the beginning from the end and to Yeshua the Messiah, the Lamb of Elohim, who was slain from the foundation of the world for our salvation!

Does seeing all of these prophetic pictures in the Bible prophesied more than one thousand years before Yeshua’s birth not strengthen your faith that Yeshua is indeed the Messiah, the Lamb of Elohim slain from the foundation of the earth? Who else could have fulfilled these prophecies?

Deuteronomy 27:5–5, An altar of stones…not use an iron tool on them.On the significance and spiritual symbolism of an altar of whole, unmarked or uncarved stones, see notes at Exodus 20:25–26.

Deuteronomy 27:11–28:68, Moses commanded the people. YHVH required the Israelites to recite a “pledge of allegiance” affirming their commitment to him before entering the Promised Land. What can we learn from this? Is this something we should do from time to time in our own spiritual walk: recite pledges of commitment to YHVH and set up spiritual markers or reference points in our lives as tokens of our allegiance to him to which we can harken back from time to time? These are acts of the will that when done can engage the heart and stir up feelings of love, devotion, commitment and remembrance.

Deuteronomy 27:11–16, Freedom versus bondage. Christian author Matthew Henry in his commentary on this verse points out something very interesting that none of the Jewish Torah commentaries I have read mention. The six tribes appointed to read the blessings from Mount Gerizim were all children of free women (Leah and Rachel). What are the spiritual implications of this? (Compare this with Paul’s discussion of the free and bondwoman pertaining to Isaac and Ishmael in Galatians 4:21–31.) To which children do the promises of YHVH’s material and spiritual blessing (namely, eternal life through Yeshua the Messiah) belong? Is it to those who are in bondage to or under the curses of the Torah-law because they walk in sin (which is the transgression of the law, see 1 John 3:4), or to those who walk in obedience to the Torah (i.e., in sinlessness or those who walk in YHVH’s instructions and teachings in righteousness)? This brings up yet another issue. As is taught in the most Christian churches, is the purpose of the Torah simply to condemn people, to bring people into spiritual bondage, and beyond that, the Torah’s main purpose is to point people to the cross after which it is to be discarded like a dirty old rag? While this may be what men’s traditions and doctrines teach, this is not what the Word of Elohim declares. Selah.

Deuteronomy 27:11–26, Cursed. What are the broader principles or remez understanding behind each of these curses? Imagine how much better the world be if people obeyed YHVH’s commandments and what they imply. The Creator gave man his laws to keep the civil peace and order in society. When violated, they result in social upheaval, wars, strife, conflicts, destruction and all sorts of evil consequences between individuals, people-groups and nations.

Verse 16—Do not treat your father or mother with contempt. That is, respect your elders and older people in general.
Verse 17—Do not move your neighbor’s property line. That is, respect the property rights of others, and do not steal anything from your neighbor.
Verse 18—Do not make the blind to wander off the road. That is, take care of the handicapped, disabled and sick among you. Do not take advantage of them.
Verse 19—Do not take legal advantage of the stranger, fatherless or widow. That is, do not take advantage of the underprivileged, poor or the helpless people in society.
Verse 20—Do not have sexual relations with your step-mother. That is, do not have sexual involvements with any blood related family members.
Verse 21—Do not have sexual relations with animals. What more can be added to this command?
Verse 22—Do not have sexual relations with your sister. All incest is forbidden.

Verse 23—Do not have sexual relations with your mother-in-law. Do not have sexual involvements with any family member.
Verse 24—Do not attack your neighbor secretly. That is, have open and honest dealings with everyone around you including your enemies.
Verse 25—Do not take a bribe to slay an innocent person. That is, do not pervert justice, lie or twist the truth to your advantage.
Verse 26—Do not violate YHVH’s Torah-law. All of YHVH’s commandments are to be followed.

Deuteronomy 27:11–28, Blessing and curses for obedience. In these verses we find listed some of the blessings and cures for Torah obedience. Do you believe the Torah principles (YHVH’s eternal spiritual truths) of blessing for obedience and curses for disobedience to YHVH’s Word are for us today? If not why not? Is it because you are listening to Bible preachers and teachers who claim to know and teach the Word of Elohim, but who are instead teaching the doctrines and traditions of men by which the Word of Elohim has been made of none effect (see Mark 7:13)?

The following are some questions to ask yourself when considering Elohim’s Torah and the blessings and curses that come upon us as a result of our response to these instructions in righteousness, which are a reflection of the character and nature of the Creator. Does YHVH’s character, his Truth or Word change? If the blessings listed in these verses are not being manifested in your life why might that be? Could it possibly correspond to your level of Torah obedience and faith or trust level vis-à-vis YHVH and his Word? What changes could you make in your life that might place you in a more favorable position to receive his blessings for obedience rather than the curses for disobedience?

Deuteronomy 27:15–18, The commandments are all inter-connected. To the casual reader, the admonitions contained in these verses may seem to be arranged in a random order, but this is not the case. Let’s discuss the purposeful design of the order in which Elohim gives these commandments.

Consider the following. The prohibition against idolatry (verse 15) is juxtaposed with that of degrading one’s parents (i.e., not honoring one’s parents, or as S. R. Hirsch states in his commentary, “who outwardly is respectful to his parents but inwardly considers himself vastly superior to them”) along with trespassing against one’s neighbor’s property by removing his neighbor’s boundary markers or landmarks.

Now consider this. One who does not honor and fear YHVH but turns to idolatry (the second commandments) will not honor one’s parents (the fifth commandment) and vice versa. Such a person will likewise not honor the property of one’s neighbor including his neighbor’s wife.

Juxtaposed next to these commands is the prohibition against misleading a blind person (verse 18). This means that we should not take advantage of one’s blindness by advising a blind person in a way that is beneficial to us and detrimental to the blind person.

Following this commandment is the principle about one who steals justice from another by perverting judgment against one who is weaker socially or financially or who is less informed at law than another thereby giving the advantage to the stronger (The ArtScroll Davis Edition Baal HaTurim Chumash/Devarim, pp. 2126–2127).

Can you see how each command is interrelated with all the others? Does this not give one insight into the curious statement found in James 2:10, which declares that if you have broken one commandment you have broken them all? This should help us to see that in one way or the other, all of YHVH’s commandments are inter-related, all depend on each other, and they all stand or fall together.

Now relate James 2:10 back to verse eight of the same chapter where James notes that the entire Torah-law can be summarized as the “royal law of love” (Jas 2:8).

As you review YHVH’s list of prohibitions in Deuteronomy 27, can you see any other relationships between these juxtaposed concepts? Learning to exegete (draw truth out of) Scripture in this manner will yield a whole new level of spiritual revelation to the reader.

Deuteronomy 28

Deuteronomy 28:1–68, Blessings and curses for Torah obedience. Are the curses for Torah disobedience and the blessings for obedience still applicable in the life of the redeemed believer today, or because “we’re now under grace” are these blessings and curses irrelevant to us? Or, as some preachers teach, do Christians now only receive the blessings, and not the curses of the law regardless of whether they violate the Torah or not, since Yeshua took away the curse of the law? What is the answer to this question? The short answer is this: Is the law of gravity still in effect if you jump off a cliff? For a further explanation, see my notes at 2 Cor 3:7.

Deuteronomy 28:1, Commandments. Most people with whom I have engaged in discussions about the Torah-law of Elohim have a limited understanding of the breadth, scope and purpose of Elohim’s law. If they were to understand the full ramifications of the Torah, they would likely be less inclined to dismiss its validity in their lives. When discussing the Torah with people who have a traditional Christian view of “the law,” it might be helpful to keep the following truths in mind; they help to “blow the lid” off of people’s theological boxes!

What Is the Purpose of the Torah?

(Excerpted from a larger work by Ya’acov Natan Lawrence entitled, YHVH’s Instructions In Righteousness—A Messianic Believer’s Introduction to the Torah available online at http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/torahprimer.pdf)

What is the Torah’s main purpose? It is to reveal the very character and nature of YHVH Elohim, and then to show man how to walk in right relationship (or righteousness) with his Creator becoming like him. YHVH’s Torah instructs us how to love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Deut 6:5; Mark 12:30) and how to love our neighbor as ourself (Lev 19:18; Mark 12:30). Once one is saved by grace through faith (See my teaching article entitled: The Abrahamic Covenant: The Covenant of Salvation, available at http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/abracov.pdf.), Torah is the revelation of how to walk in the straight and narrow path that leads to blessings and life and avoids the curses of the law brought on by man’s sin (Deut 30:15; 32:47). The Torah shows man how to avoid sin (which is the violation of YHVH’s Torah-commandments, 1 John 3:4), which is walking contrary to YHVH’s instructions in righteousness that are for our blessing and benefit.

The Torah does not set an impossible standard by which to live. We must ask ourselves, would a righteous and just Creator and a loving Heavenly Father give to his chosen people and children a set of standards that were humanly impossible to perform, and then curse them for their inability to meet these standards? Of course not! Rather, the Torah (including both the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants) sets a standard of faith, trusting in Elohim, and of following its system of repentance and sacrifice for obtaining forgiveness from Elohim and restoring a condition of being considered righteous in his sight. After all, Moses, the human instrument through whom YHVH revealed the Torah to the Children of Israel, states in Deuteronomy 30:11–14:

For this [Torah] commandment which I command you this day, it is not hidden from you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?” But the word is very near unto you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that you may do it.

Paul quotes this very 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, see John 1:1, 14). He shows that they are one in the same and that Messiah Yeshua came to live and reveal to us the righteousness of the Torah-law (verse 4) that is available to us if we will but have a heartfelt faith in him (verses 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.

The 32 Blessings and Benefits of Obeying YHVH’s Torah-Law

If the Bible is clear on anything, it is this! YHVH’s Torah-law, commonly referred to as “law of Moses,” is much more than a mere list of dos and don’ts as many people have erroneously been led to believe. Contrary to popular belief, the Torah is not a negative thing. How could it be? News flash! It reveals the very heart, mind, will and character of YHVH Elohim, the Creator and Originator of all goodness, purity, holiness, righteousness and love. Elohim created humans in his image to become like him. Torah is the path that leads to him through Yeshua who is the Living Torah Word of Elohim in human form (John 1:1, 14). The more we learn about and live out the Torah, the more we will learn about the nature and character of Elohim, and the more we will become like him. Let us pause for a moment and reflect on this. In YHVH’s loving kindness and mercy, he gave us a window into his heart and mind, and then gave us a path forward to become like him, so that we can eventually adopted into his forever and eternal family. How could this possibly be negative a negative thing? So welcome to the blessedness of YHVH’s Torah—and this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg concerning the blessings and benefits of the Torah!

Deuteronomy 4:6 reveals that the Torah is a person’s and nation’s wisdom and understanding before the nations of the world. In Deuteronomy 11:8, we learn that the Torah makes us strong. The word strong in Hebrew is chazaq meaning “to be strong, grow strong, to prevail, to be firm, be caught fast, be secure, to grow stout, grow rigid, to restore to strength, give strength, sustain, encourage, make bold, encourage, to repair or to withstand.” This sounds like a good thing!

Sadly, most Christians have been told again and again ad infinitum and ad nauseam that the law of Moses or God’s Torah-law is against us, that we are not under it, that it was nailed to the cross or done away with. Nothing could be further from the truth as we shall see below.

On the negative side, when we disobey the Torah…

1) The Torah has the capacity to stir up sin in an individual. This is not the fault of YHVH’s instructions in righteousness or Torah-law, but our fault because we have chosen to go against YHVH’s life-giving commandments. A healthy person thrives in an environment deadly to someone who is ill; likewise, the Torah is beneficial to a righteous person who is living by it and in loving obedience to Yeshua as guided by his Set-Apart or Holy Spirit. Other hand, the Torah is an instrument of death to those who are controlled by their sinful nature.
2) YHVH’s Torah-law acts as a guide to man’s inner spirit or conscience and produces guilt feelings and shame when we violate it, that is, when we sin. The remedy for the guilt and shame that sin brings on is once-and-for-all trust in Yeshua the Messiah’s final atonement for sin (Rom 3:21–26), followed by ongoing confession of and repentance from sins (1 John 1:9).
3) The Torah also provides a framework of justice by which Elohim, the Just Judge of the universe, will judge the actions of men to determine both their level of punishment for its violation and their level of reward for obedience to it.
4) The Torah sets out righteous standards for the sinner to follow, and it points out the fact that they have sinned and how far they have fallen short of the glory of YHVH (Rom 3:23) and hence their need for a Savior or Redeemer. The Torah actually leads us to Yeshua as Paul points out in his epistle to the Galatians (Gal 3:25).
5) The Torah delineates the curses that automatically come as a cause-and-effect judgment against a person or a group of people (e.g., a family, nation or the whole earth) when they fail to live up to its righteous standards (Deut 28:15–68; Ps 119:21) and, instead, give into the negative influences of their fallen sin nature or the influences of the world and the devil. The law of gravity, like YHVH’s Torah, does not harm us until we choose to ignore it and jump off a cliff. It is only then that we feel its negative effect. Until then, gravity keeps us grounded to the earth, so we don’t float off into space. Similarly, the Torah keeps us on YHVH’s straight and narrow path of righteousness and life so that we don’t float off into all sorts of weird notions and beliefs that cause us to sin resulting in death.

On the positive side, when we obey the Torah…

1) YHVH’s Torah shows us what the Truth is (Ps 119:142, 151).
2) The Torah defines YHVH’s standards of righteousness—what YHVH expects from his people (Ps 119:172; Deut 10:12).
3) The Torah defines what sin (1 John 3:4) and righteousness are (Ps 119:172).
4) The Torah provides a framework of grace in which one can live. YHVH’s people are to live within the framework of Torah, so that they will not come under the penalty of Torah as a consequence of violating it. YHVH’s giving of the Torah was in itself an act of grace that the Testimony of Yeshua compares with his sending of Yeshua (John 1:17 cp. Rom 10:1–13).
5) YHVH’s Torah functions as a protective border for the people of Elohim in that the Torah save us from much harm (Ps 119:146, 170). It’s like a fence around a flock of sheep that keeps predators out and from attacking the sheep as well as keeping the sheep from straying into dangerous areas outside of the safe confines of the sheep pasture. The Torah is also like the guardrail on a mountain road that protects motorists from veering to their death over a steep embankment or cliff.
6) The Torah, as written in man’s heart and in union with faith in Messiah, produces love (Rom 13:8–10; 1 John 2:3–6; 5:3), joy (Pss 19:8; 119:24, 47, 70, 77, 82; 14, 174), peace and hope (Pss 119:81, 114; 130:5–6) resulting in an abundant life. Paul declared that he “was under the law toward Messiah” or literally “in/subject to the law toward Messiah,” (2 Cor 9:21), and this is an aspect of the gospel message of salvation (vv. 22–23).
7) Obeying the Torah brings us physical blessing in this life (Deut 28:1–14; Ps 119:50) as well as eternal rewards (not eternal life, which is by grace through faith alone, see Eph 2:8) in the world to come (Matt 5:19).
8) Obeying the Torah helps deepen our loving and intimate relationship with YHVH-Yeshua and helps us to abide in Yeshua (John 14:15; 1 John 2:3–6).
9) Obeying the Torah helps us to maintain a loving and civil relationship with Elohim (Mark 12:29–30; 1 John 2:3; 5:3) our fellow man, for it shows us how to love one another as ourselves (Mark 12:31; Rom 13:8–10; 1 John 3:23).
10) Obeying the Torah helps to keeps our ways clean (Ps 119:9) by keeping us from sinning (Ps 119:133), for sin is the violation of the Torah (1 John 3:4).
11) Obeying the Torah helps us to stay spiritually pure (1 John 3:3–6).
12) Obeying the Torah protects us from the influence of the devil (1 John 3:8).
10) Obeying the Torah-Word of YHVH helps to perfect YHVH-Yeshua’s love in us (1 John 3:6).
13) Torah-obedience strengthen’s man’s spiritual immune system to protects us from the lethal spiritual disease called sin.
14) YHVH’s Torah-Word acts as the rails to keep a train on its track, or like the rudder of a ship to keep it on course, or like a compass or map to guide an explorer or traveler to his intended destination, or like the radar system on a ship or plane to help it through the fog and to keep it from smashing into the rocks or crash landing, or like a flashlight to reveal one’s path through the darkness of the night (Ps 119:105).
15) The Torah reveals to man how to know Elohim intimately (1 John 2:3), for the Torah is a reflection of the heart, mind, will and character of our Creator. It shows us how to abide in him (1 John 3:24
16) The Torah unifies both the Old and New Testaments (1 John 2:2, 7).
15) The Torah keeps YHVH’s people in the light of Truth (Pss 19:8 119:129–130; Prov 6:23; 1 John 2:9).
17) Obeying YHVH’s Torah helps to insure that our prayers are answered (1 John 3:22).
18) The Torah makes us wiser than our teachers and the ancient sages and philosophers (Ps 119:98–100).
19) Obedience to YHVH’s gives us greater wealth than any money or material possessions can give (Ps 119:14, 72, 127).
20) Torah obedience revives us spiritually (Pss 19:10; 119:40; Prov 3:13–14; 8:10–11; 16:16 cp. Matt 13:44–46).
21) Our Torah-obedience is a spiritual light to those around us, for they will see us as a wise and understanding people, and perhaps, thanks to our good example, that will draw into or least toward the kingdom of Elohim (Deut 4:6–8).
22 The Torah unifies or binds YHVH’s people together relationally (Ps 119:63).
23) YHVH’S Torah shows his servants how to outwit their enemies (Ps 119:98).
24) The Torah helps us to have compassion for those who are unsaved, who do not have the light of YHVH’s Torah-Truth (Ps 119:136).
25) The Torah provides a framework or basis for YHVH’s divine justice or judgment (Deut 17:11; John 12:48; Heb 4:12 cp. Rev 1:16; 2:16; 18:15, 21).
26) The Torah forms the basis for the jurisprudence system of civil government (Deut 17:11).
27) The Torah is heaven’s revelation of divine grace. It reveals how sinful man can be reconciled to a righteous Elohim; it reveals the path of redemption or salvation from slavery to sin through the idea of substitutionary sacrifice. This all points to Yeshua the Messiah, the Redeemer or Savior of the world.
28) The Torah reveals the concept of covenant between YHVH and man involving YHVH’s chosen people—the nation of Israel. Only through covenantal relationship with the Elohim of Israel and by being grafted into the Israel of Elohim can one have eternal life (Eph 2:11–19).
29) The Torah—both the Written Torah and Yeshua the Living Torah-Word of Elohim in flesh—is our light in a dark world; the answer to life’s questions and dilemmas (Ps 119:99, 105; Prov 6:23).
31) Obeying the Torah-Word of YHVH helps to perfect YHVH-Yeshua’s love in us (1 John 3:6).
32) The Torah convicts man of sin or lawlessness and brings us to Yeshua by way of the cross (Gal 3:24).YHVH’s Torah points us to Yeshua who is our salvation (Ps 119:174; the word salvation in this verse is the Hebrew word Yeshua).

Deuteronomy 28:4 and 5–12, The fruit of your womb. Please note that the blessings of children are mentioned before material blessings. What does this teach us about how YHVH views children and families? Is such a view reflected in the mores of our current society? Are those with large families more respected than those who have large homes, drive expensive cars and have high social positions?

Deuteronomy 28:15, To the voice of YHVH. What is the voice of YHVH? Is his voice that which uttered the Torah at Mount Sinai? Is it the voice of his Spirit inside of a Spirit-led, redeemed believer? Is it the voice of Yeshua as largely recorded in the red letters of the Testimony of Yeshua, or is it the entire Word of YHVH Elohim called the Scriptures? If the answer to the question is “all of the above,” then should any parts or aspects of Elohim’s voice contradict any other? If we have a Biblical view or theology where we believe that one aspect of YHVH’s voice contradicts another in that we believe a part of it has been “done away with,” then what does this imply about the mind and nature of YHVH? There is a psychological term for this. It is called schizophrenia. What believer, in their right mind, would dare to label YHVH as being schizophrenic? To do so would be blasphemy, right? Yet, in reality, the mainstream Christian church’s doctrine that aspects if not all of YHVH’s Torah-word has been annulled or done-away is unwittingly declaring that YHVH is a liar and a schizophrenic, which is blasphemy! It may be a hard reality to accept that the church system has lied to us and misrepresented if not blasphemed the God of the Bible in some of its false theologies, but it is time that Elohim’s people wake up from their spiritual stupor and face the facts. One thing is certain. YHVH is not a liar, nor does he ever contradict himself. If so, then we can toss the Bible aside as another work of men. If so, let us eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. No! Our faith is based on the fact that Elohim is not a liar and that is word is unalterable and immutable. If there seems to be a problem with inconsistency in YHVH’s Word, the problem is with OUR misunderstanding or misinterpretation of it, and NOT with the actual Word or voice of YHVH!

Deuteronomy 28:15–68, Judgment on a nation and a saint’s responsibility. Read the list of punishments for Torah disobedience listed in chapter 28. Are not these curses coming upon America and other formerly Christians nations as thier political leaders enact legislation and its judicial leaders make legal rulings that help to turn YHVH’s people away from their historic Judaic-Christian heritage, while at the same time our religious leaders are largely silent? Few of us have a large voice in our nation, but we do have a small voice. What can we do to help turn the spiritual tide? What are you doing to be the salt and light in this society that Yeshua has called you to be with regard to keeping YHVH’s Torah commands?

Deuteronomy 28:47, Ungratefulness versus thankfulness. YHVH states that ungratefulness for the blessings he has given us and failure to obey him out of a joyful and glad heart will bring curses on us. Reflect on this. How much time each day do you spend thanking him for his blessings in your life? When you get up in the morning? Every time you eat? At noonday do you stop to praise him, as David did? Before you go to sleep? Not only is doing so a form of worship, but such a heart attitude and orientation helps us to keep our focus continually upon him so that we will forget not all his benefits (Ps 103:2) and fall into a state of hardened heart and forgetfulness (Deut 29:2–4). Israel forgot what YHVH had done for them, which led to their disobedience, faithlessness and explains why the older generation was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. Will we learn from their examples (1 Cor 10:11)?

Deuteronomy 29

Deuteronomy 29:1, The covenant…besides the covenant…Horeb.

“The Moab Covenant Vs.” the Sinaitic Covenant

Was the Deuteronomic Covenant (sometimes referred to as “the Moab Covenant”) that Moses (acting as Elohim’s agent) made on the plains of Moab with the younger generation of Israelites who were about to enter the Promised Land simply a renewal of the Sinaitic Covenant that Elohim had made with their forefathers (in Exod 24)? Or was it an entirely new covenant with additional terms? In other words, was this latter covenant merely a “reconfigured Sinaitic Covenant,” which later become known as the “law of Moses” (Josh 8:31) or “this law” (Deut 31:24) or simply, “the law”? In other words, was it different from “the law of Elohim” (Exod 16:4; Deut 4:12, 23) that was originally given at Mount Sinai?

Scripture reveals that there was no difference between the Sinaitic Covenant and the so-called Deuteromic Covenants for two major reasons. If they were different, then why does Malachi equate “the law of Moses” with the law given at Horeb (Sinai) in Malachi 4:4? In his mind, there was no differentiation between the two. Moreover, why do the Jews have no tradition stipulating that the Torah is to be subdivided into two separate entities, namely, “the law of Elohim” and “the law of Moses” ?

The fact is that the Moab Covenant was simply a reiteration or renewal of the first Sinaitic Covenant (Exod 19:5–8; 24:3–8), as well as the second Sinaitic Covenant that Elohim made with Israel after the golden calf incident, which was itself a renewal of the first covenant with the additions of the Levitical priesthood and sacrificial system (Exod 34:10–11a). The covenant that Moses made with the Israelites at Moab was simply a tweaking of the first two covenants with some additions to the previous two covenants. The New or Renewed Covenant (Jer 31:31, 33), by contrast, is simply a magnification, expansion or the full flowering of the Torah (Isa 42:21 cp. Yeshua’s Sermon on the Mount teaching of Matthew chapters 5–7) with the elimination of the Levitical priesthood and sacrificial systems, since they were temporary institutions or insertions into the larger Sinaitic Covenant that merely served as prophetic signs pointing to Yeshua’s death on the cross, as the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews shows us. As such, the Levitical and sacrificial system were no longer needed after the cross, since that to which they prophetically pointed had come in the Person of Yeshua the Messiah. Not only that, the Levitical priesthood and sacrificial systems were what was added to the law (Gal 3:19), which then passed away with Yeshua’s fulfillment of them through his death and resurrection. It is these temporary additions to the covenants that Elohim made with Israel to which Paul makes reference in Galatians 3:19 and to which Jeremiah also makes a prophetic reference in Jeremiah 7:21–22 (see my notes on Gal 3:19).

Hoshana Rabbah Blog

Midrash with Natan Lawrence

Category Archives: Torah-law

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