09/21/10 — Va’eschanan (And He Implored) Part I
There was alot of revelation in this weeks Torah portion. We didn’t finish the entire portion during the midrash section of the portion. Here is what we discussed.
Deut 3:27
YHVH tells Moses to go to the top of the cliff andraise his eyes westard, northward, southward, and eastward to see the promised Land. If you follow these directions Moses is NOT turning in a circle. He turns 90 degrees, 180 degrees and then 90 degrees again. Not sure exactly what this means or why he was instructed to turn in this matter but I found it interesting.
Deut 3:28
“But you shall command Joshua, and strengthen him and give him resolve, for he shall cross before this people and he shall cause them to inherit the Land that you will see.” Before we can enter the land Salvation must enter in first. Without Salvation we can not cross over into the promise Land. We are then strengthen and given resolve (convert or transform by any {YHVH only has His method} process). Once this transformation has occured then we shall beable to inherit the Land.
Deut 3:29
“So we remained in the valley, opposite Beth-peor”. Beth-Peor (House wide open or house of hiatus) Hiatus — any gap or opening. The Children of Israel as on the bank of the Jordan opposite the wide open house, this is symbolic as when they enter into the Land they will be filling this wide open house.
Starting in Chapter 4 there is alot to consider and alot to understand. We noticed that their are alot of action verbs with specific noun associations.
The first verb is listen.
Deut 4:1
“Now, O Israel, listen to the decrees and to the ordinances that I teach you to perform, so that you may live, and you will come and possess the Land that YHVH, the God of your forefathers gives you.”
Listen means to heed or obey, to wait attentively. The noun associated with listen is decrees (formal order) and ordinances (law or rule that must be obeyed). So YHVH is showing us that when we listen, heed, obey or wait attentively, (we’re not distracted, talking, or in rebellion) that the decrees (His formal order) and ordinances (laws/rules) will be given to us.
The next verb is teach (give instruction). When giving decrees and ordinances, you must be shown (given instruction) on how, when and where to carry out those orders. Then you can perform (to carry out, execute, do, to carry into effect, fulfill) them. The end result of this obedience is to live (remember, YHVH told Adam that if he ate of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil that he would surely die) Because this was against his decrees. Disobedience and rebellion bring death. Obedience brings life. The reward is that then you can come (into blessing and in this case into the Land or the wide open house) and possess the Land. (YHVH told Adam to sudbue the earth, and to have dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth).
Deut 4:2
“You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor shall you subtract from it, to observe the commandmens of YHVH, your God, that I command you.”
YHVH says that we can not change His Word. We can add to it, subtract from it. This means literally and includes anything by implication or application.
The next verb is observe (to obey, comply with or conform to; to see watch, perceive or notice; to regardw ith attention so as to see or learn something). So when we observe his commandments we are obeying but also we will see or learn something. So we can dismiss what He says because we don’t understand.
The example that we gave was the counting of the Omer. I still do not fully understand the full symbolism of the counting of the Omer leading to Shavuout. But mom told me to just start by counting, literally. Omer 1, Omer 2 etc and each year as you count the Omer YHVH will show you something and you will learn something.
The noun associated with the verb observe is commandments (to direct with authority or order). YHVH has full and all authority in heaven and on earth, so when he commands us to do something we need to heed His voice. He has told us that HE will never forsake us and leave us and therefore, we should know that His commandmens will never lead us astray even when we do not see where we are going. He knows and we need to have full trust, belief and faith in Him.
Deut 4:5-6
“See, I have taught you decrees and ordinances, as YHVH, my God has commanded me, to do so in the midst of the Land to which you come, to possess it. You shall safeguard and perform them, for it is your widsom and discernment in the eyes of the people, who shall hearl all these decrees and who shall say, ‘Surely a wise and discerning people is this great nation!'”
The next verb is safeguard (to guard, protect, secure). YHVH is giving us his word, the decrees, ordinances and commandments. We are to guard and protect them. We are to not allow anyone to challenges us on what we think of His word. This is the deception the serpent used against Eve in the garden. See Genesis 3:1 – 4. The serpent raised doubt in Eve’s heart to make her question what YHVH said. She then in Genesis 3:6, found her own justifications for what the serpent made her question. YHVH word is full and complete, and so are His ordinances and decrees. When we safeguard the word we do not allow doubt to enter in and to begin to question why YHVH has given His word as He has.
When we safeguard and protect His word, then the nations around us will consider us wise and discerning.
Deut 4:9
“Only beware for yourself and grealy beware for your soul, les you forget the things that your eyes have beheld and lest you remove them from your heart all the days of your life, and make them known to your children and your children’s children”.
When the doubt sets in and then we justify the wrong opinion this leads us into rebellion and there by jeopardizes are souls. We soon forget everything that YHVH has shown us and we remove all His good deeds and works from our hearts. We stop teaching them to our children and their children and then pretty soon no one remembers what YHVH did for us. Our children then end up without any identity in YHVH. See Exodus 1:8.
Deut 4:11
“So you approached and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire up to the heart of heaven, darkness,cloud and thick cloud”.
Not sure what all of this means but I do know that it’s important
Deut 4:12
“YHVH spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you were hearing the sound of words, but you were not seeing a likenss, only a sound.”
The reason why the Children of Israel were only hearing the sound of YHVH was because YHVH knows that if we saw Him someone would try to make a graven image of Him. Pretty soon the people would worship the graven image and place it higher than Himself. We also only heard the sound only because remember at the beginning of this chapter it say, “Now O Israel, LISTEN”!! Listen (heed, obey, wait attentively). We were told of the covenant (the contract/agreement He wished to make with us).
Deut 4:16 – 19
The graven images. YHVH shows us from where we will obtain the images for our graven/carved images. The one thing that we discussed is the word carved. Many times when we think of carving we think of something being cut from wood or stone, but we have the ability to carve metal. I related how when I was driving the other day to work that I saw a dark blue Mercury Cougar. The reason why I knew it was a cougar is because the front end of the cougar looks like a cat. The next vehicle I saw was a Hyundai Tiburon (means Shark in Spanish). A lot of the vehicle in the automotive industry are designed from or named after the things which YHVH told us Not to do. The last car I mention was the Solara (this being named after the Sun).
Deut 4:20
“But YHVH has taken you and withdrawn you from the iron crucible, from Egypt, to be a nation of heritage for Him, as this very day.”
The word that struck me for the first time was crucible (a severe, searching test). Egypt was a very long trial for the Children of Israel. The Children of Israel were in Egypt for 430 years, See Ex 12:40-41. This is a SEVERE, SEARCHING test.
Deut 4:26
“I appoint heaven and earth this day to bear witness against you that you will surely perish quickly from th Lnad to which yo are crossing the Jordan to possess; you shall not have legthy days upon it for you will be destroyed.”
YHVH appointed heaven and earth as witness against the Children of Israel. Since He knew that they would disobey and forget his decrees and ordinances heaven and earth were appointed as witness of this disobedience. We talked about how we can see the obvious ways that the heaven could bear witness against us (hurricanes, tornadoes other acts of nature) and earth but I’m sure there is a greater level to which heaven and earth bear witness against us. We discussed how YHVH being the creator of everything can create heaven and earth to even bear witness.
Deut 4:28
“There you will serve gods the handiwork of man, of wood and stone which do not see, and do not hear, and do noteat and do not smell.”
YHVH is telling us even though we seek after the graven images, those “gods” are NOT like Him. They can’t see, (have no wisdom or discernment), do not hear (so prayers and supplications will fall on deaf ears), do not eat (not sure of the symbolism) and do not smell (when ever the Children of Israel offered up an offering the word says that is was a pleasing or satisfying aroma to YHVH.
Deut 4:29 – 30
“From there you will seek YHVH, your God, and you will find Him, if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have befallen you, at the end of days, you will return unto YHVH, your God, and hearken to His voice.”
We discuss Ask, Seek Knock; and that will all our hearts and souls people who are distressed will see YHVH out. We’ve all heard of the stories where people were desperate and finally at their wits end and they say, “God if you exist” or “God if you’re out there” God if your listening” and in some way some how YHVH revels Himself to them and then they know that He is there. Because there are now at the state of listening for Him and they hear Him.
The last thing we discussed were the 3 cities of refuge named here. We mainly discussed Golan, this is the modern day Golan Heights. Mom talked about how before 1949 this was Arab controlled but Golan was fought over and won. And ever since then it has been attacked and missle have been fired at it. This city of refuge belonged to Manassah. Since Manassah is a son of Joseph and Joseph has the ability to add it no wonder why there is some much spiritual warefar for this city.
Next week we will continue with Va’eschanan starting with Chapter 5.