Terry L. Newman, 2015 5775 Parashah 46 'Ekev (Because) 'Ekev (Because) {Deuteronomy 7:12 11:25} Haftorah: Yesha'yahu (Isaiah 49:14 51:3) B rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Matthew 10:28; 1 Corinthians 10:11-12; 2 Corinthians 2:9; Matthew 4:1-4; James 5:7-11; James 5:8 This week's portion is from Deuteronomy 7:12 11:25 (Bold, Underlining and Italics added for emphasize){nkjv-new King James Version, CJB-Complete Jewish Bible, TEV-Today's English Version} Our Prayer today, for understanding of G-d's word with His promises and requirements for us: Psalm 86:11,6 (NKJV) " 6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications... 11 teach me your way, O LORD; I will walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name." As we continue with our study of Deuteronomy, Moses is giving his final speech, his final exhortation to the children of Israel, now the 2 nd generation since the exodus from Egypt. Israel, G-d Almighty's special Nation, His chosen people, are preparing to enter the Land, which has been promised since their forefather Abraham. Think about it, the majority of this generation has known only life in the desert. Those that know of the previous life and experience of deliverance from Egypt and the rebellion of the people with the resulting judgment would be a minimum of sixty years old (those twenty years old and under were spared the death sentence in the desert). The rest were born in the desert wandering. The beginning of this portion, the first word, is a word that has brought curiosity of Biblical Scholars over the years. It is because 'Ekev is unusual to use in this context. In the Torah other words are normally used which mean "because" and "if". 'Ekev literally means, "heel". Therefore it is proper to say the blessings of G-d, come on the "heel(s)" of our listening or obedience (Shema) to G-d's commands, His Law. Deuteronomy 7:12 (CJB) 12 Because you are listening to these rulings, keeping and obeying them, Adonai your God will keep with you the covenant and mercy that he swore to your ancestors." Moses not only drives home the point of obedience, through this teaching he shows the wonderful and amazing blessings of G-d when Israel listens to and obeys the word of G-d, His commandments. As any concerned parent frequently does, Moses tells them the consequences of disobedience. In fact as many times parents do, Moses dredged up the past, reminding of what they did or someone else did and what happened to 1
them as a result of their disobedience. Hopefully you have already read the portion for today and could not help notice how Moses repeats over and over several words or phrases such as "remember", "do not forget", "take care to obey", "I am warning you in advance" and "be careful". Moses is giving warnings about the "problems" that the children of Israel may fall into over time and his advice for these problems is, "remember" the past in order to solve the "problems" of the future. Let us examine some of these problems, which may arise! 1. FEAR or in other words a lack of faith or a lack of trust in G-d. Deuteronomy 7:17 (NKJV) 17 "If you should say in your heart, 'These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?' Moses tells them to remember the plagues in Egypt and how G-d interceded and brought the children out of Egypt. This type of fear is not so much an emotion as it is a paralysis of mind and body from thinking a threat is bigger and beyond G-d's control. Deuteronomy 7:18-21 (NKJV) 18 you shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: 19 the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs and the wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. So shall the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid. 20 Moreover the LORD your God will send the hornet among them until those who are left, who hide themselves from you, are destroyed. 21 You shall not be terrified of them; for the LORD your God, the great and awesome God, is among you. Moses is teaching and preparing the children of G-d to enter into the Promised Land, a foreshadowing the full plan of G-d for all who believe and obey Him. Yeshua has been teaching and preparing the children of G-d, the Body of Messiah for when He returns bringing the Kingdom of G-d to earth as it is in Heaven, preparing us to enter the Kingdom of G-d! 2
2. Security and prosperity which can lead to an exaggerated self-confidence and self imposed sense of importance, that leads to Pride and the failure to recognize and give credit where credit is due. Credit to G-d Almighty for everything that one has, EVERYTHING! Deuteronomy 8:11-17 (NKJV) 11 "Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 lest--when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end-- 17 then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.' Of course Moses has the answer to this problem also: Deuteronomy 8:18 (NKJV) 18 And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Moses continues to give a stern warning about failure to obey and he gives a very stern warning here as well as warning of what will cause them to fail: Deuteronomy 8:19-20 (CJB) 19 If you forget Adonai your God, follow other gods and serve and worship them, I am warning you in advance today that you will certainly perish. 20 You will perish just like the nations that Adonai is causing to perish ahead of you, because you will not have heeded the voice of Adonai your God. 3
3. Another problem from Pride, beginning to think more of one self, a self imposed self-righteousness, thinking ones self to be spiritually superior to others and because of your own self, one is more deserving. Moses shows this wrong and exhorts them to remember G-d's grace is the reason for them possessing the land: Deuteronomy 9:4-5 (NKJV) 4 Do not think in your heart, after the LORD your God has cast them out before you, saying, 'Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land'; you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. What Moses was telling the children of Israel is very important to us as well. Now with 20/20 hindsight, the children of Israel could see what it was they were truly lacking during the years of slavery and wandering in the wilderness a formative period of their history. They did not lack food, drink, clothes, physical comfort, G- d's presence, a direct connection with G-d, no, rather they severely lacked in recognizing their, the human dependence on G-d and unshakeable, infallible faith and trust in G-d's abilities as well as His interest in sustaining and preserving them! Have not we all felt being in, the wilderness, a lonely and dry place at one time or another? The desert, the wilderness as written in Hebrew means "the place of the Word". Food for thought isn't it? Deuteronomy 8:2 (NKJV) 2 And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. Since we are seeing the word "forget" so much here, just what does it mean? Is it as used more commonly today, such as a temporary lapse in memory? No it is used more as verb meaning to forget due to 4
distractions or inattention. Remember chapter 8 verses 12 and 13? The distractions which lead to forgetting G- d and also developing a self imposed importance (Pride) are our full stomachs, our beautiful homes, our jobs, our money, our possessions and our entertainment! Using "forget" as a verb is indicated with an action. Let's look and see how: Forget G-d, by not keeping His commandments: Deuteronomy 8:11 (NKJV) 11 "Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, Forget G-d, by following other gods: Deuteronomy 8:19 (NKJV) 19 Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. Forget G-d, by living in fear of harm or danger (living fretfully and timidly): Forgetting in this manner is also living in rebellion and turning away from Torah, from G-d's commandments, His laws. How often do we "forget", making excuses, rationalizing our actions because of our distractions? Moses continues to hammer away at the children of Israel, telling them to remember and dredging up the past wrongs for them to use as an example of what not to do. He continues to tell them the blessings G-d will bestow upon them for their faithfulness in obedience to G-d's commandments, His Torah. Here is how the lesson today closes. Deuteronomy 11:22-25 (NKJV) 22 "For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do--to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him-- 23 then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and mightier nations than yourselves. 24 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even to the Western Sea, shall be your territory. 25 No man shall be able to stand against you; the LORD your God will put the dread of you and the fear of you upon all the land where you tread, just as He has said to you. 5
Haftorah - Prophets Yesha'yahu (Isaiah 49:14 51:3) In this portion of the Haftorah, Isaiah is still dealing with the children of Israel. His prophecy covers the many facets of the judgment to come, including the redemption of Israel if they are ready, if they are fit for deliverance. Isaiah talks of the excuses and justifications, including that Israel will use G-d's own words against Him to justify their problems as of not their own doing. Does that sound familiar? Haven't we all done that ourselves, at some time or another, in our desperation grown out of our being judged or if you prefer, corrected by G-d? So Isaiah starts with the excuses and justifications. Take note of how G-d let's them know it is the consequences of their actions that are causing the judgment upon them. G-d sends Isaiah who very justly charges Israel for their self imposed troubles. Isaiah 49:14-15 (NKJV) 14 But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me." 15 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. Just as with the turbulent covenant relationship with Israel, even though we fall, we sin, forget the Father, He does not forget us or His promises to us. G-d even mourns for the situation. Isaiah 50:3 (NKJV) 3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, And I make sackcloth their covering." However as with Israel, there must be repentance, true repentance from the heart for G-d to redeem us back. Look at how great the redemption will be for Israel and the punishment for her oppressors will be. Isaiah 49:22-26 (NKJV) 22 Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations, And set up My standard for the peoples; They shall bring your sons in their arms, And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders; 23 Kings shall be your foster fathers, And their queens your nursing mothers; They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, And lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD, For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me." 24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, Or the captives of the righteous be delivered? 25 But thus says the LORD: "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children. 26 I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. All flesh shall know That I, the LORD, am your 6
Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob." G-d does not forget those who are true to Him, fear Him and keep His commandments as He promises. Isaiah 51:1-3 (NKJV) 1 "Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. 2 Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him." 3 For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody. B'rit Hadashah New Testament Matthew 10:28; 1 Corinthians 10:11-12; 2 Corinthians 2:9; Matthew 4:1-4; James 5:7-11; James 5:8 Time to review and summarize this week s teaching and study Yeshua also taught and spoke on this principal of fear. Yeshua was teaching preparation of His return and our entrance into the Kingdom Of G-d in the end time, as Moses was teaching preparation for entrance into the Promised Land, Yeshua addressed this particular fear. Matthew 10:28 (NKJV) 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. According to G-d's plans for man, we are to learn from and put into practice the suggestions and admonitions of Moses as the Apostle Paul pointed out. 1 Corinthians 10:11-12 (NKJV) 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. We have many times been taught that a "test" is to strength us, sharpen us or refine us. True enough, however as we see above, G-d can have a test for us to check us out also, to reveal the trueness of our heart by the revelation made visible by whether we keep G-d's commands, in other words whether we are obedient or not, again as the Apostle Paul pointed out. 2 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV) 9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. "Forgetting" is also living in rebellion and turning away from Torah, from G-d's commandments, His 7
laws. How often do we "forget", making excuses, rationalizing our actions because of our distractions? It is noteworthy, that Yeshua himself quotes from this portion of Torah as he responds to the tempting of Satan, the tempter, while in the wilderness after His baptism with John and the anointing by the Father through the Holy Spirit for His coming ministry. Matthew 4:1-4 (NKJV) 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' " Also referencing to the prophets such as Isaiah, we see Yeshua giving exhortation just as Isaiah. James 5:7-11 (NKJV) 7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. Closing: Just as Moses was preparing Israel spiritually for their taking possession of the Promised Land, Yeshua HaMashiach started preparing us spiritually for the end times and His return with the Kingdom of G-d. He is preparing us spiritually to enter the Kingdom, the ultimate Promised Land! Going back to James 5:8 to close with: James 5:8 (NKJV) 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Hazak, Hazak, v nit chazek!! Be Strong, be strong and let us be strengthened!! YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE WORD, FOR THE WORD TO BE IN YOU! Shabbat Shalom, G-d Bless and Keep you! Terry L. Newman, 2015 5775 8