Jimmie
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Bible study section: DEUT: 11:26-16:17
This section begins with "behold," or in Hebrew, the word is "Re'eh," or “see,” yet it is not so much “physical sight” but “insight.” To be aware of following the LORD and his commandments, our faith walk. It is also about “understanding” (Binah). It gives the reader a choice. What do we want in life? Blessings or curses? Well, anyone will say, "I want blessings." So, do blessings come automatically? Or...do they depend on what we do in life, or rather, what we "choose" to do? God's biggest blessing is "salvation by faith" and "membership in His Family." Yet there are also blessings when we follow His WORD.
Moses, speaking to the second generation of Israelites saying; See” (Re’eh) this day I set before you a blessing and a curse); we wonder why YHVH did not say in plural, “blessings and curses?” One could say perhaps “blessing” goes with “obedience” and “curse” with “disobedience” both words are also singular. One could also say that “all blessings” fall under “ONE BLESSING” and all curses fall under ONE CURSE, because Moses is directing this to "ONE people group in unity" The blessing will affect the group as a WHOLE, yet also, individually as well. the word “echad” is ONE in UNITY, Elohim (who is unity) blesses all humanity (also echad) that is in obedience to the WORD, and to the LIVING WORD. The "Living Word" is "Yeshua" (Jesus), who paid the price of sin on the cross of Calvary. He took upon himself the "Curse" so that we might receive the "blessing"
Moses states to his people, “You have not yet come into your rest” (12:9). Once they get into the promised land, and IF they obey the commands of Adonai, follow HIS precepts, and drive out all the pagan peoples, THEN they will have their rest. Yet Israel did not obey all the commandments since they were still fighting against enemies and did not drive them all out. They never really came unto their “perfect rest” The LORD wanted a permanent rest for His people, yet because of disobedience, that was never accomplished.
Adonai wants a “rest” for us all. "Rest" comes from the Hebrew word “Menuchah,” which, if looked at from an ancient Hebraic point of view, could symbolize (by the paleo-Hebrew letters) “behold the living water who gives life through the nail) The name "Noah" comes from "Menuchah" (Noach). He and his family "rested" within the ark and rode out the global judgment, protected from within.
We are protected and surrounded by HIS love, through the sacrifice of blood by our Messiah, who is the Living Water, who gives us life, through the nails that he received in his wrists. This gives us spiritual peace and rest from a lifestyle of sin. It is interesting to also note that one of the towns where Yeshua ministered was “Capernaum,” which, in Hebrew, is “Kaphar-Nachum” (Village of rest)
12:2 “you must destroy all the sites….” The pagan nations gathered together at different places to erect false gods and worship them; these must be destroyed! Today, we must walk away from false gods, put them behind us, even destroy them if necessary. If a TV has become a god to you, and you find yourself addicted to it, sell it, give it away. If money has become like a “god” to you, give some of it away to the poor and needy. Anything that comes before your love and worship of Adonai is considered a “false god”; get rid of it! Even sports can become a false god. Things in general are not false gods. TVs, the internet, cell phones, money, sports, etc... can be used for good things, yet they can also be misused and can take first place in our lives; then, those things become "false gods." We need to place all things in their correct places in our lives.
12:13 speaks of burnt offerings; it is good to dedicate our meals to Adonai. We are blessed to be able to go to a store and buy chicken and beef already prepared. We must remember to thank YHVH for this food; there is even a prayer to thank God for our food after the meal. Now, verse 15 says: “The unclean and the clean alike may partake of it, as of the gazelle and the deer…” This is NOT talking about unclean and clean FOODS; it is talking about PEOPLE who are clean and unclean.
Anyway, gazelles and deer are both clean animals, but I have never seen gazelle steaks in the supermarket; maybe in Africa they have them. It is saying that people who have diseases that render them “unclean,” like lepers, may partake of this food, just like disease-free people may; verse 22 mentions this again: “the unclean may eat it together with the clean” (people). Another point to mention is that even though the gazelle and deer are clean animals to eat, they were not permitted as sacrificial animals. Animals permitted for sacrifices were bulls, sheep, goats, rams, and certain birds.
Another way of saying this is that both healthy and unhealthy people may eat. Unfortunately, today, depending on the illness, some people may not or can't eat certain foods because of the effect that food would have on their bodies, yet food is for ALL to partake of and enjoy, and thank God for it.
Chap 13 deals with false prophets. These deceivers were NOT TOLERATED back then! Turning people away from true worship of Adonai warranted a death sentence. Back then, God was dead serious about true worship and teaching the truth, and…HE STILL IS! We must all worship him in SPIRIT and in TRUTH. When we study the scriptures (Truth), we must do so in the ‘spirit” of joy and ask for wisdom. Even today, there are false religions that have twisted God's Word and try to seduce others. What are we to do? Stay firm in our Judeo-Christian faith and "know" what we believe, and not turn neither to the right nor the left.
Chap 14 deals with the chosen kosher foods which YHVH has selected for all humanity; it is a repetition of Leviticus 11. However, man thinks he is smarter than God and has added stuff to His perfect menu, and the result is obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease. We all know what foods have been added to the menu; I won’t go over them, as that will produce a bunch of negative comments from readers when their“food comfort zone” is threatened. Look, Leviticus 11 and now here in Deut 14, God goes over (through Moses) the foods which he has selected for his people. Why again? Remember, the people present now is the "second generation" because the first generation is dead and buried. Those of the second generation left Egypt when they were but teens or small children; many had not even been born yet. It is necessary that they too hear God's diet. We ask why certain meats? It is because God made our bodies, and he knows what we must ingest to maintain our health. It is for our "physical well-being" that God is repeating what he said in Leviticus 11. People today, however, will eat what they feel like eating. Is that why there are so many diseases? Fat bodies? High cholesterol, diabetes?
” You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.” This verse has caused questions and traditions, even unto separating meat and milk items, getting separate refrigerators (within mainline Judaism). All it is saying is (literally) if you have a female goat, and the mother goat is raising its kid, do not kill the kid, then milk the mother goat, and boil the kid in its mother’s milk. I mean, who would go out of their way to do that anyway? However, this might also have a deeper spiritual meaning. Perhaps this was a custom or practice among the pagan people of the land of Canaan, so, God did not want his people to do that.
” Meat” can symbolize the “flesh,” and “milk” symbolizes “life.” It is the mother’s milk that sustains life in her young, yet “meat,” once off the bone, is dead! Dead flesh! So, the connection is “our carnal flesh is sinful,” yet the “milk of the WORD” (as said by Rav Shaul/Paul the Apostle) is what gives us LIFE. So, there may be separation between "death and life," between "unholy and holy," the "lost and the saved." There is no way to determine what Moses or God may have had in mind when these words were written, yet this might be a possibility. It's OK if we say at times, "I don't know for sure."
Chapter 16 deals with three pilgrimage festivals that all Jewish males had to celebrate in Jerusalem. Passover, Shavuot or Pentecost, and Sukkot, or the "Feast of Tabernacles". What do these festivals mean to all believers? What story do they tell us? Passover is the "redemption of the firstborn" by the blood of lambs and goats that was placed on the doorposts of the Israelites' homes in Egypt. It reminds us of the blood of Christ Jesus, whose blood was shed on the Cross of Calvary for all mankind once and forever. Pentecost was when the "Comforter" came in Acts 2. The "Comforter" being the Holy Spirit, who is with us today and indwells in every born-again believer. Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, reminds us of the blessings of harvest time, when we thank God for all our food and material blessings. It reminds us of the first coming of our LORD and Savior, who came as the "Lamb of God" who would take away the sins of the world.
Have you accepted the Lamb of God as your "Good Shepherd," your Savior and Redeemer? If yes, His Holy Spirit lives in you.
Shalom.
This section begins with "behold," or in Hebrew, the word is "Re'eh," or “see,” yet it is not so much “physical sight” but “insight.” To be aware of following the LORD and his commandments, our faith walk. It is also about “understanding” (Binah). It gives the reader a choice. What do we want in life? Blessings or curses? Well, anyone will say, "I want blessings." So, do blessings come automatically? Or...do they depend on what we do in life, or rather, what we "choose" to do? God's biggest blessing is "salvation by faith" and "membership in His Family." Yet there are also blessings when we follow His WORD.
Moses, speaking to the second generation of Israelites saying; See” (Re’eh) this day I set before you a blessing and a curse); we wonder why YHVH did not say in plural, “blessings and curses?” One could say perhaps “blessing” goes with “obedience” and “curse” with “disobedience” both words are also singular. One could also say that “all blessings” fall under “ONE BLESSING” and all curses fall under ONE CURSE, because Moses is directing this to "ONE people group in unity" The blessing will affect the group as a WHOLE, yet also, individually as well. the word “echad” is ONE in UNITY, Elohim (who is unity) blesses all humanity (also echad) that is in obedience to the WORD, and to the LIVING WORD. The "Living Word" is "Yeshua" (Jesus), who paid the price of sin on the cross of Calvary. He took upon himself the "Curse" so that we might receive the "blessing"
Moses states to his people, “You have not yet come into your rest” (12:9). Once they get into the promised land, and IF they obey the commands of Adonai, follow HIS precepts, and drive out all the pagan peoples, THEN they will have their rest. Yet Israel did not obey all the commandments since they were still fighting against enemies and did not drive them all out. They never really came unto their “perfect rest” The LORD wanted a permanent rest for His people, yet because of disobedience, that was never accomplished.
Adonai wants a “rest” for us all. "Rest" comes from the Hebrew word “Menuchah,” which, if looked at from an ancient Hebraic point of view, could symbolize (by the paleo-Hebrew letters) “behold the living water who gives life through the nail) The name "Noah" comes from "Menuchah" (Noach). He and his family "rested" within the ark and rode out the global judgment, protected from within.
We are protected and surrounded by HIS love, through the sacrifice of blood by our Messiah, who is the Living Water, who gives us life, through the nails that he received in his wrists. This gives us spiritual peace and rest from a lifestyle of sin. It is interesting to also note that one of the towns where Yeshua ministered was “Capernaum,” which, in Hebrew, is “Kaphar-Nachum” (Village of rest)
12:2 “you must destroy all the sites….” The pagan nations gathered together at different places to erect false gods and worship them; these must be destroyed! Today, we must walk away from false gods, put them behind us, even destroy them if necessary. If a TV has become a god to you, and you find yourself addicted to it, sell it, give it away. If money has become like a “god” to you, give some of it away to the poor and needy. Anything that comes before your love and worship of Adonai is considered a “false god”; get rid of it! Even sports can become a false god. Things in general are not false gods. TVs, the internet, cell phones, money, sports, etc... can be used for good things, yet they can also be misused and can take first place in our lives; then, those things become "false gods." We need to place all things in their correct places in our lives.
12:13 speaks of burnt offerings; it is good to dedicate our meals to Adonai. We are blessed to be able to go to a store and buy chicken and beef already prepared. We must remember to thank YHVH for this food; there is even a prayer to thank God for our food after the meal. Now, verse 15 says: “The unclean and the clean alike may partake of it, as of the gazelle and the deer…” This is NOT talking about unclean and clean FOODS; it is talking about PEOPLE who are clean and unclean.
Anyway, gazelles and deer are both clean animals, but I have never seen gazelle steaks in the supermarket; maybe in Africa they have them. It is saying that people who have diseases that render them “unclean,” like lepers, may partake of this food, just like disease-free people may; verse 22 mentions this again: “the unclean may eat it together with the clean” (people). Another point to mention is that even though the gazelle and deer are clean animals to eat, they were not permitted as sacrificial animals. Animals permitted for sacrifices were bulls, sheep, goats, rams, and certain birds.
Another way of saying this is that both healthy and unhealthy people may eat. Unfortunately, today, depending on the illness, some people may not or can't eat certain foods because of the effect that food would have on their bodies, yet food is for ALL to partake of and enjoy, and thank God for it.
Chap 13 deals with false prophets. These deceivers were NOT TOLERATED back then! Turning people away from true worship of Adonai warranted a death sentence. Back then, God was dead serious about true worship and teaching the truth, and…HE STILL IS! We must all worship him in SPIRIT and in TRUTH. When we study the scriptures (Truth), we must do so in the ‘spirit” of joy and ask for wisdom. Even today, there are false religions that have twisted God's Word and try to seduce others. What are we to do? Stay firm in our Judeo-Christian faith and "know" what we believe, and not turn neither to the right nor the left.
Chap 14 deals with the chosen kosher foods which YHVH has selected for all humanity; it is a repetition of Leviticus 11. However, man thinks he is smarter than God and has added stuff to His perfect menu, and the result is obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease. We all know what foods have been added to the menu; I won’t go over them, as that will produce a bunch of negative comments from readers when their“food comfort zone” is threatened. Look, Leviticus 11 and now here in Deut 14, God goes over (through Moses) the foods which he has selected for his people. Why again? Remember, the people present now is the "second generation" because the first generation is dead and buried. Those of the second generation left Egypt when they were but teens or small children; many had not even been born yet. It is necessary that they too hear God's diet. We ask why certain meats? It is because God made our bodies, and he knows what we must ingest to maintain our health. It is for our "physical well-being" that God is repeating what he said in Leviticus 11. People today, however, will eat what they feel like eating. Is that why there are so many diseases? Fat bodies? High cholesterol, diabetes?
” You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.” This verse has caused questions and traditions, even unto separating meat and milk items, getting separate refrigerators (within mainline Judaism). All it is saying is (literally) if you have a female goat, and the mother goat is raising its kid, do not kill the kid, then milk the mother goat, and boil the kid in its mother’s milk. I mean, who would go out of their way to do that anyway? However, this might also have a deeper spiritual meaning. Perhaps this was a custom or practice among the pagan people of the land of Canaan, so, God did not want his people to do that.
” Meat” can symbolize the “flesh,” and “milk” symbolizes “life.” It is the mother’s milk that sustains life in her young, yet “meat,” once off the bone, is dead! Dead flesh! So, the connection is “our carnal flesh is sinful,” yet the “milk of the WORD” (as said by Rav Shaul/Paul the Apostle) is what gives us LIFE. So, there may be separation between "death and life," between "unholy and holy," the "lost and the saved." There is no way to determine what Moses or God may have had in mind when these words were written, yet this might be a possibility. It's OK if we say at times, "I don't know for sure."
Chapter 16 deals with three pilgrimage festivals that all Jewish males had to celebrate in Jerusalem. Passover, Shavuot or Pentecost, and Sukkot, or the "Feast of Tabernacles". What do these festivals mean to all believers? What story do they tell us? Passover is the "redemption of the firstborn" by the blood of lambs and goats that was placed on the doorposts of the Israelites' homes in Egypt. It reminds us of the blood of Christ Jesus, whose blood was shed on the Cross of Calvary for all mankind once and forever. Pentecost was when the "Comforter" came in Acts 2. The "Comforter" being the Holy Spirit, who is with us today and indwells in every born-again believer. Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, reminds us of the blessings of harvest time, when we thank God for all our food and material blessings. It reminds us of the first coming of our LORD and Savior, who came as the "Lamb of God" who would take away the sins of the world.
Have you accepted the Lamb of God as your "Good Shepherd," your Savior and Redeemer? If yes, His Holy Spirit lives in you.
Shalom.
