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RECOGNITIONTHE MESSIANIC PROPHECY BIBLE PROJECThttp://www.messianicbible.com

HEAR O ISRAEL www.hearoisrael.orgSHEEPFOLD GLEANINGS WRITTEN BY JULIE PARKERwww.sheepfoldgleanings.com

MESSIANIC ISRAEL ALLIANCEhttp://www.messianicisrael.comAZAMRA TORAH FOR OUR TIME – RABBI AVRAHAM GREENBAUMhttp://www.azamra.org 2

D’VARIM – “WORDS”

TORAH: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22HAFTORAH: Isaiah 1:1-27

B’RIT CHADASHAH: 1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9; Ephesians 2:20; 4:11–14; 1 Corinthians 6:1–5; James 2:1–9; Acts 7:38–45; 13:18; Hebrews 3:7–4:11; 2 Timothy 1:7; 1 John 4:18; Luke 9:1; 10:19; Romans 8:37; 2 Corinthians 10:3–5; Ephesians 6:10–18; James 

4:7All references: The Scripture 1998+ unless otherwise noted

 

DOUBLE REPENTANCEThe Torah portion for this week is normally read during the last week of the three weeks of mourning between 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av. The 9th of Av is said to be the saddest day in history. It is the day the 10  spies  gave  their bad  report  of  the  land  leading  toיהוה decree that  the  first  generation  of  Israelites  would  not  enter  the  Promised Land. It is the day that the First Temple was destroyed in 586 B.C.E. and the day the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E and many more. One of the most unknown principals in the worship of יהוה is that one should  repent  of  one’s  sins,  and  the  sins  of  one’s  forefathers  before drawing  near  to  the  Almighty.  This  double  repentance  is  also  what brings about יהוה’s action concerning His promise of the Land:‘But if they confess their crookedness and the crookedness of their fathers, with their trespass in which they trespassed against Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me ... if their uncircumcised heart is then humbled, and they accept the punishment of their 

crookedness, then I shall remember My covenant with Yaʽaqob, and also My covenant with Yitshaq, and also remember My covenant with 

Abraham, and remember the land. Leviticus 26:40-42 4

KETUBAHMoses saw and spoke to the Word of יהוה face to face and this enabled Moses to follow the pattern given him. He was intimate with the Word  and wrote down His teaching and instructions for His Bride known יהושעas her ketubah, the Hebrew word for marriage covenant. Other Hebrew idioms for the ketubah are "the promise", "the message", "the gospel", "the good news", "good tidings" and "the word of truth". The  interpreters  of  the  New  Testament  put  all  these  expressions together  into  one  word  namely  nomos  (Strong’s  #  G3551),  translated simply as "the law”. Unfortunately  this  Greek  word  nomos  is  more  negative  and  legalistic through the lens of a Greek to English mindset, than positive. Using the word nomos has literally severed the bride’s identity. Whenever we read the word law in the English New, it is from the Greek rendering nomos. 

NOMOSThe  result  is  that  when  we  read   s’יהוה Word  today  we  do  not  know whether the word law/nomos in the passage is referring to:• s teaching and instruction of how to receive the blessings of His’יהוה

Word with the moral and ethical code of conduct for a holy walk that governs His kingdom? OR

• The law of sin and death that which causes our flesh to be governed by what brings about curses in our lives when we walk outside יהוה’s blessings via unholy thoughts, attitude, speech or physical behaviour that יהושע set us free from? OR

• One of the Five Books of Moses or all Five Books of Moses? OR• The Ten Commandments, known as precepts, statements, categories or

principles that govern יהושע’s Kingdom? OR• The Covenants put into effect by the Holy Spirit to direct our lives (i.e.

the Abrahamic, Mosaic and Davidic, Renewed Covenants). OR• ?s commandments’יהושע

LAW OR TORAHThe Hebrew language cannot be translated linguistically word for word into  English.  From  the 3rd  to 2nd  century,  three major  changes  took place in the Hebrew culture. 1. Judah (or the Jews) began to strictly follow the oral tradition

(Talmud) alongside of the Torah, especially the suppression of the sacred name of יהוה.

2. A massive campaign of Greek Hellenization began (Alexander the Great) with the purpose of uniting the Greek Empire, including Israel, under one common religious heritage.

3. The LXX (an acronym meaning Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Torah) was commissioned and eventually adopted as Scripture for non-Hebrew speaking Jews. The subsequent translations of the Old Testament were commissioned from the Greek LXX translation of the Old Testament and not the original Hebrew language.

Greek understanding  is more abstract and  legalistic  in  thought, while Hebrew understanding is more conceptual in thought.

EXAMPLESIn English the Greek word  ‘statues’ is used instead of the meaning of the original  Hebrew  word  ‘chukim’ which  means  that   delivered יהוה the Children  of  Israel  by  His  great  Power  and  by  showing  them  His  lasting impressions, marks, signs and wonders. The Greek to English word ‘judgments’, the translators misrepresented the original  Hebrew word  ‘mishpatim’. The  purpose  of  the  Torah,  and יהוה’s guidance  of  the  Children  of  Israel  through  the Wilderness  was  to  show them  His  Mishpatim  -  His  loving  kindness  in  being  their  Deliverer  and delivering  them by His  great  Power.  The  original  purpose  in  the Hebrew language  is  overlooked  and  distorted  the  love  and  care  of יהוה into  dry legalism. The Hebrew word ‘mitzvot’ meaning יהוה’s loving teaching and instruction guided the Children of Israel through the Wilderness and enabled them to enter in and posses the land He was giving them as being translated using the Greek word ‘commandments’, ‘decrees’ and ‘laws’.

HELLENISTIC JUDIASM (L. Feldman)

The Septuagint is the oldest Greek translation of the Bible. Legend contained in the apocryphal letter of Aristeas, according to 72 elders of Israel, six from each tribe, translated the LAW (Torah) into Greek, in Alexandria, during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-244 BCE). The Greek translation was for the growing Hellenistic non-Jewish population at the time. The Septuagint was laced with subtle changes. The Hebrew meanings were changed into Greek/Hellenistic meanings. For instance, Yahweh’s Name was changed over 7,010 times to Lord, God, and Adonai (Greek names for their gods). The fact that the word Torah was translated as nomos/law opened the way for anti-Torah in early Christianity and an adoption of many Greek pagan ways. A very subtle introduction of pagan idolatry had slipped into the Holy Scriptures. Finally, the designation Septuagint was extended to the rest of the Bible and non-canonical books that were translated into Greek during the following two centuries.

GRACEToday, many  are  taught  that יהוה’s  teaching  and  instruction  for  LIFE, mistranslated in ages past as nomos/law,  is done away with now that we  are  under  grace  in יהושע.  This  is  not  true.  The  grace  in  Torah  is  s’יהוה provision  of  forgiveness  and  redemption  back  to Him  through the grace and mercy offered us in יהושע, a gift that we did not deserve.  fulfilled the purpose of the יהושע law which was to direct us to Him. He is the goal of Torah. The ‘law’ was like a shadow of יהושע, a loving tutor meant to expose sin in our lives; it was never meant as a means of salvation. Only יהושע, the author of the Torah, can save us. יהושע’s words  (at  Mount  Sinai,  His  teaching  and  instruction)  will  never disappear  any more  than  He  can  disappear;  they  are  filled  with  the Spirit and will always be our guide! 

“The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My words [ALL Scripture from Genesis to Revelation] shall by no means pass away.

(Matthew 24:35)

THE TRUE MESSAGEDeuteronomy 11:1 from the LXX or Greek Septuagint: Therefore you shall love the LORD your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always.Deuteronomy 11:1 from the Original Hebrew: Therefore you shall love the LORD your God, and keep His charge, His lasting impressions, marks, signs and wonders- (Chukim), His loving kindness in being your Deliverer and delivering you by His great Power (Mishpatim), and His loving principles - teaching and instruction to guide and direct the you through the Wilderness and enabled you to enter in and posses the land He has given you (Mitzvot) always.We  are  instructed  to  teach  our  children  and  those  returning  to  the‘ יהוה message/the  gospel/the  teachings’  of   that יהוה bring Life.  When  the  Children  of  Israel  3,500  years  ago  stumbled over/disobeyed  over  the  message  (of  Moses),  they  miss  the fullness  of  the  Messiah  and  His  blessings  in  His  Word/Torah. Moses  was  very  careful  to  share  the Word  with  the  Children  of Israel  in present  tense, meaning  this message of  the gospel, was for those in the future (us) (Hebrews 3 & 4). 

GREEK LANGUAGE“For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done. (Matthew 5:18)The Greek  language does not have characters called  jots or tittles! יהושע is teaching  us  today  that  it  is  the HEBREW  that  constitutes  the  final  court  of appeal regarding what is right and what is wrong! Eighty-five percent of the New  Testament  is  made  up  of  quotations  from  the  Hebrew  Tanakh  (Old Testament)!  The  New  Testament  could  be  considered  a  commentary  and fulfilment  of  the  Tanakh.  They  should  be  thought  of  and  taught  as  one complete book. You who follow Torah know we are in a time of the last days. Moses has been sent to the people. You need to understand why Torah is becoming so prevalent now. Because we are in the same time …as in Pharaoh’s day, there’s deliverance coming forth. So whom does God send? Moses, that’s why you’re learning MOSES now to get the people ready to cross over. Come out of Egypt, into the Promised Land! You are walking out a Torah cycle in your own life (Appointed Times (STBM): Charlotte Fludd).

1 Peter 1:10-12Concerning this deliverance the prophets have sought out and searched

out, prophesying concerning the favour for you, searching to know what, or what sort of time, the Spirit which was in them was pointing out concerning Messiah, when it was bearing witness beforehand the sufferings of Messiah, and the esteems that would follow, to whom it

was revealed that they were serving, not themselves, but you, in these matters which now have been announced to you through those who

brought the Good News to you by the Set-apart Spirit sent from heaven – into which messengers long to look into.

(1 Peter 1:10-12)This  message  from  Moses  was  given  in  prophetic  language  and empowered  by  the  Holy  Spirit/Ruach  Ha  Kodesh  for  us  today.  The words יהוה passed on to Moses have been hotly contested all through history,  or  "His-story," because  it  is  ultimately  about   the יהושעMessiah. 

ENTER MY RESTFor He is our Elohim, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts as

in Meribah, And as in the day of Massah in the wilderness, “When your fathers tried Me, Have proved Me, though they saw My work. “For forty

years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘They are a people who go astray in their hearts, And they do not know My ways.’ “As I swore in My

wrath, ‘If they enter into My rest...’ ” (Psalms 95:7-11)Let  ‘US’, therefore,  make  every  effort  to  enter  that  rest  [by  obeying  His Chukim - His lasting impressions, marks, signs and wonders, His Mishpatim - His  loving  kindness,  and  His  Mitzvot  -  His  loving  principles,  teaching  and instruction to guide and direct the you through the Wilderness and enabled you to enter in and posses the land He has given you], so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.“

“For if you believed Mosheh, you would have believed Me, since he wrote about Me. “But if you do not believe his writings, how shall you believe My

words?” (John 5:46-47)

DAVID STERN"There are hundreds of commands in the New Testament meant as much for Gentiles as for Jews. Nor should it be thought that the New Covenant does away with moral, civil, ceremonial or any other category of law. There are New Testament commands for Jews and Gentiles in all of these categories. To give but a few examples, Romans 13:1-7 and Acts 5:29 touch on civil obedience and disobedience, Matthew 28:19 and 1 Corinthians 5:1-6:7, 14:26-40, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 and Matthew 18:15-17 deal with order in the Messianic Community, and there are so many moral, ethical and spiritual commands that there is no need to cite them. We conclude that under the New Covenant the Torah remains in force and is as much for Gentiles as for Jews…" (End of quote.)

DEUTERONOMYDeuteronomy  is  the  powerhouse  book  that  holds  the  vision  and mandate  for  the Priesthood of יהושע. This book  is  the culmination of the  teaching  found  in  the  first  four  Books  of  Torah.  For  those  who choose  to  walk  humbly  and  uprightly  before   ,יהוה walking  in  His precepts,  the  book  of  Deuteronomy  becomes  a  type  and  shadow  of the  mantle  of  anointing  that  Elijah  passed  on  to  Elisha.  For   s’יהוהPriesthood,  Deuteronomy  is  for  them  a  place  of  anointing,  of righteousness and empowerment in the Spirit of יהושע (John 5: 46-47).Those of Israel who listened to the instructions and took them to heart would be carried into victory. These principles lifted even the weakest man  to  become  the  strongest  and  carried  many  beyond  their  own abilities, giving vision to the poor of heart, humbling the oppressor and crushing  the  enemy.  For  those  who  walked  in  the  words  of יהוה,  it became their very life.

MOUTH OF THE TORAHThe book of Deuteronomy was quoted by Messiah יהושע more times than any other book of the Tanakh. It is also the most quoted book of the  New  Testament  with  some  eighty  different  references  being attributed to it.Rabbis  teach  that  the  Book  of  Debarim  is  the  Torah's  "mouth", summarizing all that has gone before in the "main body" of the Torah. As Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum writes, “Debarim calls to the inner ear of the soul of Yisra’el to hear the essential message of the Torah. Each of the twelve months of the year is integrally connected with one of the twelve tribes and one of the twelve basic human faculties, according to Hebrew thought. This month, the month of Av, the fifth month, corresponds to the Tribe of Shim’on and the faculty of hearing as noted in B’reshith / Genesis 29:33, speaking of how Shim’on’s name is related to ‘sh’ma’. It is significant that the phrase "Sh’ma Yisra’el! Hear, O Israel!" recurs in four key passages in the book of Debarim.”

STRUCTUREDeuteronomy  is  not  just  a  repetition  of  the  Torah  Law  for  of Deuteronomy’s  100  mitzvot  70  are  new,  having  not  been  previously mentioned  in the other books of the Torah. The book  is broken up  in the following way: • Chapters 1 - 4 Introductory Speech and Historical review• Chapters 5 – 26 Main dissertation – Laws given at Sinai with

warnings and exhortations• Chapters 27 – 28 Covenant – Blessings and Cursing for Obedience

and Disobedience• Chapters 29 -30 Warnings, Promised Blessings, Repentance

Restoration• Chapters 31 through 34 revert to the narrative style in the books

conclusion of Moses' final Acts, Words, Prophecies, and record of death.

SECOND LAWDeuteronomy literally means “Second Law.” This is not to imply that a “First” Law is being replaced by a “Second”. What is happening here is Moses is “repeating” Torah principles to the children of the generation that rejected the Promised Land and ended up dying in the wilderness. The rabbis call this book Mishneh haTorah :

you shall certainly set a sovereign over you whom יהוה your Elohim shall choose. .... “Only, he is not to increase horses for himself, ...’ “And he is not to increase wives for himself, ... nor is he to greatly increase silver and gold for himself. “And it shall be, when he sits on the throne

of his reign, that he shall write for himself a copy of this Torah in a book, from the one before the priests, the Lĕwites.

(Deuteronomy 17:15-18)The same man who said, “I am slow of speech” (words) now takes up a whole book with “these are the words”

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MOSES SPOKEThese are the words which Mosheh spoke to all Yisra’ĕl beyond the

Yardĕn in the wilderness, in the desert plain opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and Hatsĕroth, and Di Zahab,

(Deuteronomy 1:1)Jewish  sages  take  as  code words  for  the main  sins, which  Israel  had committed  during  its  time  in  the  wilderness.  (See  ArtScroll  Stone Edition Chumash, p. 939, notes on verse 1.) These are the seven most egregious  sins,  which  resulted  in  Israel  being  condemned  to wander the wilderness for 40 years.

And let us be concerned for one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging, and so much more as you see the

Day coming near. For if we sin purposely after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a slaughter offering

for sins, (Hebrews 10:24-26)

7 DEADLY SINSIn Deuteronomy 1:1, Moses  lists seven place names. The meanings of the names  and what happened  there  is  significant  since  they  give us clues to Israel’s spiritually stumbling’s in the wilderness en route to the Promised Land. 1. Wilderness of Sin (meaning “thorns,” located near Mount Sinai) -

Here  Israel  complained  about  lack  of  food  (Exodus  16:1–3).  The Israelites Lacked Trust or Faith in יהוה.

2. The Plain or Arabah (meaning “desert plain, sterility, wilderness”) - Here  Israel  was  seduced  by  Midianite  women  (Num  36:13). Spiritual and Physical Whoredoms.

3. Opposite the Red Sea - Here Israel complains that they’re going to die.  They  manifest  sarcasm  and  cynicism  against  Elohim  in  their statement  against  Moses:  “… because there were no graves in Egypt…?!” (Exod 14:11). Fear,  Faithlessness,  False  Accusation  and Discontentment.

7 DEADLY SINS4. Between Paran (meaning “beauty”) –  The  incident  where  the 

twelve  went  in  to  spy  out  the  Promised  Land.  (Num  13–14)  - Walking By Sight and Not By Faith

5. Tophel (meaning “calumny,” a reference to the false charges or misrepresentation to damage another’s reputation) and Laban (meaning “white,” the color of manna [Exod 16:14]) -  Scripture does not record any geographical locations by these names where Israel  camped.  To  answer  this  dilemma,  the  rabbis  teach  us  that these  names  are  references  to  Israel  complaining  twice  about manna  (Num  10:12;  21:5;  11:6).  Lust,  Ungratefulness  and  False Accusation

6. Hazeroth (meaning “enclosures”) - This  is a  reference  to Miriam’s and  Korah’s  rebellion  (Num  12:1–16  and  16:1–50).  Rebellion Against Elohim-Ordained Authority

7. Di-zahab (meaning “gold”) - יהוה blessed Israel with an abundance of gold when they left Egypt and they used his gracious gifts (their wages for servitude in Egypt) to make the golden calf. Riches Lead to Idolatry

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JORDAN RIVERThese are the words which Mosheh spoke to all Yisra’ĕl beyond the

Yardĕn in the wilderness, in the desert ... (Deuteronomy 1:1)Now, the Jordan River itself is very significant. It has four sources:1. Mount Hermon – comes through a spring at Banias2. The Hasbani stream which flows from Lebanon3. The Dan springs whose source is also Mount Heron4. The Iyon stream which flows from LebanonThe river drops rapidly in a 75 kilometre run to the Hula Lake which is slightly below sea level in the Galilee area. Then it drops much more to 690 feet below sea level at the Sea of Galilee. The river continues out of the Sea of Galilee and falls till it reaches the Dead Sea which is 1,290 feet  below  sea  level  (lowest  place  on  earth)  and  has  no  outlet.  You should take note that this River has run the gamut from the clear, clean mountain water to the dead and lifeless water ending at the Dead Sea.

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JORDANJordan originates  from  the verb “yarad” meaning “to descend”.  Thus the  meaning  of  the  Jordan  becomes  “the descender”. There  is  an inherent emotion in the word of moving from a place of prominence to one of lesser importance. For example “to go down to Egypt” has the overtone of leaving the Promised Land to dwell among people outside the covenant:

Woe to those who go down to Mitsrayim for help, and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because

they are very strong, but who do not look to the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl, nor seek יהוה! (Isaiah 31:1)

Conversely, “to go up” or “to ascend”, was to “alah”. Today people who immigrate to Israel are said to make “aliyah”. In the Scriptures, we see it in reference to “going up to Jerusalem”:

Who is among you of all His people? His Elohim be with him! And let him go up to Yerushalayim, which is in Yehudah, and build the House of Elohim of Yisra’ĕl – He is Elohim – which is in Yerushalayim. (Ezra יהוה

1:3)

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ADAMIf Jordan means descending why are descending? The last part of the Hebrew word for Jordan is “dan” which means “judgment.” Could the Jordan River symbolize a river that “descends with judgment?” Also: One of the sources of the river itself is from springs in Dan. The  Jordan  River  in  our  Torah  reading  posed  a  barrier  from entering the  Promised  Land.  How  would  they  be  able  to  stop  the  flow  of judgments? The only way was to stop the flow of the Jordan River! In the book of Joshua, יהוה stopped the flow of the River at a place called Adam. The city of Adam is 18 miles upstream of where the people are waiting to cross. that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose

in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Tsarethan. And the waters going down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were

completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Yeriho. (Joshua 3:16)

Literally  declaring  the  Almighty  has  chosen  to  stop  the  flow  of judgment going all the way back to the first man!

OBEDIENCETo  take part  in  the promises and  the  inheritance of יהוה,  the flow of judgment has to end. This happened through יהושע the Messiah and it is  no  coincidence  that  the one  to  take  the  Israelites  across  the River Jordan was Joshua, whose name means “Yah is Salvation!”.Now we need to be reminded that those who were disobedient were not permitted entrance into the Land. Many of the second generation had already died  through  the various  events  that  took place prior  to our  reading  in Devarim. Only  the obedient ones who wholeheartedly acknowledged   as יהוה their  God  would  enter  in  and  receive  their inheritance.“Blessed are those doing His commands,2 so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city.

Footnotes: “But outside are the dogs and those who enchant with drugs, and those who whore, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and

all who love and do falsehood. (Revelation 22:14-15)2Long before the books were compiled to form “The New Testament,”

Rev. 22:14 was quoted, as it is here given, by Tertullian (CE 208), and by Cyprian (CE 251) – see the well-known Antenicene Fathers. 26

MIKVEH“Mikveh” is  where  we  derive  the  English  word  Baptism.  The  phrase: “mikveh mayim” literally, means a “gathering of waters”. And Elohim said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together

into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it came to be so. And Elohim called the dry land ‘earth,’ and the collection of the waters He called

‘seas.’ And Elohim saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:9-10)It  is  through  these  waters  that  one  is  brought  to  purity,  which  is  a requirement to fellowship with יהוה. Purity of heart is also a requirement to dwell with Elohim in the renewed Garden of Eden in the future: Who does go up into the mountain of יהוה? And who does stand in His set-

apart place? He who has innocent hands and a clean heart, Who did not bring his life to naught, And did not swear deceivingly. He receives a

blessing from יהוה, And righteousness from the Elohim of his deliverance. This is the generation of those who seek Him; Yaʽaqob, who seek Your face.

Selah. (Psalms 24:3-6) 27

DECENDING FROM EDENAnother  meaning  ascribed  to  the  word  Jordan  comes  from  a contraction of the Hebrew meaning “descending from Eden”. It was a  spring-fed  stream  of  living  water  that  flowed  out  from  Eden  to water the earth…and flowing into every river on earth. And a river went out of Ěden to water the garden, and from there it

divided and became four riverheads. (Genesis 2:10 )The Mishneh (Jewish oral commentary on the Torah written down in 200  C.E.)  speaks  of  six  levels  of  immersion  by mikvaot  (plural  for mikveh). Each is for a particular kind of ritual purification, required at  specific  times.  John  the  baptizer  was  only  involved  with  the baptism of repentance which is also the highest level of mikveh:And he went into all the neighbourhood of the Yardĕn, proclaiming an immersion of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, (Luke 3:3)

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MISHNEHNow in our Parasha  in Devarim, Moses  is  relating to the people their past,  implying  the  need  for  corporate  repentance  due  to  the  sins  of their forefathers. Then very shortly, they will walk through the Jordan River. This is the same area where hundreds of years later, John will be baptizing for repentance!This took place in Bĕyth Anyah beyond the Yardĕn, where Yohanan was

immersing. (John 1:28) John is baptizing Israelites  in the Jordan….in the same area where we have the children of  Israel about  to walk  through the  Jordan River  to enter into the Promised Land! This is a repeat of the very footsteps of those  following  Joshua  into  the  Promised  Land!  Notice  another similarity. When Joshua took them through the Jordan, look what was in the middle of the river:

And the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of יהוה stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Yardĕn. And all Yisra’ĕl passed over on

dry ground, until all the nation had completely passed over the Yardĕn. (Joshua 3:17)

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LIVING WORDJust  as  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  containing  the written Word  of יהוה stood  in the midst of the Jordan, so the Living Word also stood  in the midst  of  the  living  waters  of  the  Jordan  as  the  people  who  were repentant, followed in His footsteps by being immersed:Then יהושע came from Galil to Yohanan at the Yardĕn to be immersed

by him. (Matthew 3:13 )The  Pharisees  also  understood  this  identification  with  the  Jordan, repentance, and entry into the Promised Land. John was immersing the repentant multitudes who had come to him in preparation for the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. The Pharisees sent priests and Levites to question John as to whether he was the Messiah,  the Prophet  (Deuteronomy 18:15) or Elijah (John 1:19-26)  because  the  Israelites  had  a  tradition  that  no  one  could perform immersion in the Jordan River except one of those individuals. Immersion in the Jordan was a sign of the coming of the Messiah. 

PROMISED LAND: SIGNJust as the Israelites had crossed over into the Promised Land with Joshua, the tradition held that the Promised Land would not be fully occupied and enjoyed by the  Israelites until  the Messiah came to rule and reign on the earth. Now, with  this understanding of  their  traditions,  you  can  see why  they asked  John the Baptizer the questions that they did:

Now this was the witness of Yohanan when the Yehudim sent from Yerushalayim priests and Lĕwites to ask him, “Who are you?” And he confessed,

and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then, are you Ěliyahu?” So he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Therefore they said to him, “Who are you, so that we give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of ,as the prophet Yeshayahu said.” And those sent were of the Pharisees ’,יהוה

and they asked him, saying, “Why then do you immerse if you are not the Messiah, nor Ěliyahu, nor the Prophet?” Yohanan answered them, saying, “I

immerse in water, but in your midst stands One whom you do not know, (John 1:19-26) 31

MIDRASH: Part 1John’s  immersion was  an  outward  sign  of  a mysterious  inward  change  that enabled  repentant  individuals  to  enter  an  elevated  state  of  purity.  The  one immersed  would  be  ready  to  receive  the  Spirit  of  Elohim  so  that  he  could enter the Kingdom of Yah. answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the יהושע Spirit, he is unable to enter into the reign of Elohim. (John 3:5) Keeping  the  reoccurring  subject  of  repentance  in  mind  we  must  note  the midrash  (ancient commentary, interpretation) יהושע made,  when  He compared John the Baptizer to Elijah:“For this is he of whom it was written, ‘See, I send My messenger before Your

face, who shall prepare Your way before You.’ (Matthew 11:10):was quoting from Malachi יהושע

“See, I am sending My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Master you are seeking comes to His Hĕkal, even the

Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. See, He is coming,” said יהוה of hosts. (Malachi 3:1 ) 32

MIDRASH: Part 2In  the  first  century,  there were  no chapter  numbers  or  verses  in  the Hebrew  Scriptures.  If  a  person wanted  to  reference  Scripture,  he would  quote  a  phrase.  For  those who were educated in the Hebrew Scriptures,  they  would  understand a  quote  to  mean  not  only  the phrase,  but  everything  in  context with that phrase. Therefore, יהושע was  not  only  speaking  of  Malachi 3:1, but also what surrounds it. “For I am יהוה, I shall not change, and you, O sons of Yaʽaqob, shall not come to an end. “From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My laws and did not guard them. Turn back to Me, and I shall turn back to you,” ...Then shall those who fear יהוה speak to one another, and יהוה listen and hear, and a book of remembrance be written before Him, of those who fear יהוה, and those who think upon His Name. “And they shall be Mine,” said יהוה of hosts, “on the day that I prepare a treasured possession. And I shall spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. “Then you shall again see the difference between the righteous and the wrong, between one who serves Elohim and one who does not serve Him... “Remember the Torah of Mosheh, My servant, .. laws and right-rulings. (Malachi 3:6-4:6) 33

ELIJAH / ELISHAElijah also parted the Jordan River in the same location as that of our Torah portion. Elijah was a prophet who understood that the nation of Israel had a mission  to preserve  its  religious system –  the worship of the  one  true  Elohim  –  in  a  pure  form without  any mixture with  idol worship.  He  taught  Israel’s  responsibility  for  total  commitment.  In  2 Kings we  read of Elijah passing on his ministry  to Elisha.  In  the same location, Elijah is taken by chariot up to heaven. We also see that Elisha begins  his  ministry  with  his  first  miracle….the  parting  of  the  Jordan River:And Ěliyahu took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the water. And it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them passed over on dry ground. ..... And it came to be, as they continued on and spoke,

that see, a chariot of fire with horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Ěliyahu went up by a whirlwind into the heavens. ... And he took up the mantle of Ěliyahu that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Yardĕn. And he took the mantle of Ěliyahu

that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is Elohim of Ěliyahu?” And he struck the water, and it was divided יהוה

this way and that, and Elisha passed over. (2 Kings 2:8-14) 34

EDEN - LIFEAnd a river went out of Ěden to water the garden ... (Genesis 2:10)

Now what was in the middle of the garden being watered by a river?And out of the ground יהוה Elohim made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, with the tree of life in the midst of the garden ..

(Genesis 2:9)Adam was able to eat of the Tree of Life, but commanded not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was the custom of יהוה Elohim to walk with Adam and Eve in the garden in the cool of the day. However, after they  ate  from  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  they  were  no longer blessed with His Presence:And they heard the sound of יהוה Elohim walking about in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Elohim among the trees of the garden. .. And now, lest he put out his יהוהhand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever...” so יהוה

Elohim sent him out of the garden of Ěden to till the ground from which he was taken, (Genesis 3:8-23) 35

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EDEN TO EDEN“And they shall make Me a Set-apart Place, and I shall dwell in their

midst. (Exodus 25:8 )The sages taught that the tabernacle was a miniature Garden of Eden, totally devoted to the service of Yah. The tabernacle was to be a place of purity and holiness and anything to do with man’s fallen state was to be excluded. Those who had become defiled by contracting certain diseases,  having  various  fluid  discharges,  association  with  a  corpse, etc.,  were  required  to  be  immersed  in  a  mikveh…in  living  water… before  entering.  The  picture  is  that  of  one  losing  his  contamination from  the  world  of  sin,  through  the  living  water  that  flows  from  the Garden  of  Eden,  so  that  he  might  once  more  have  fellowship  with Elohim. Later, the heavenly pattern for the Temple to be built in Jerusalem was given. יהושע ascended into the heavens to prepare a place for us. That prepared place, after which the Tabernacle and the Temple were patterned after, will come down from the heavens to a renewed earth. It will be called the New Jerusalem and it will be a return to Eden. There we will again eat of the Tree of Life and drink of the living water!

FULL CIRCLEAnd I saw a renewed heaven and a renewed earth, for the former

heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. And I, Yohanan, saw the set-apart city, renewed Yerushalayim, coming down out of the heaven from Elohim, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the heaven saying, “See, the Booth of Elohim is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and

they shall be His people, and Elohim Himself shall be with them and be their Elohim. (Revelation 21:1-3 )

And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of Elohim and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and

on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And no longer shall there be any curse,

and the throne of Elohim and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. (Revelation 22:1-3) 37

GENESIS TO REVELATIONSo,  as  you  can  see,  we  have  made  the  full  circle  from  Eden  to Eden.  Maybe  what  was  not  so  obvious  in  these  verses  from Genesis to Revelation was that the completed circle depended on repentance  i.e.,  return  to  Torah.  Impurity  that  requires  an immersion by mikvah (baptism) primarily involves the soul. All sin, all  death  and  imperfection  is  a  result  of  the  sin  of  Adam.  To  be “born again” represents  being  immersed  in  the  living waters  of Eden. By the physical, we picture the spiritual….being born again through the water of the Word, which is the Spirit of the Messiah: answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless יהושעone is born from above, he is unable to see the reign of Elohim.” Nakdimon said to Him, “How is a man able to be born when he is old? Is he able to enter into his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” יהושע answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he is unable to enter into the reign of Elohim. “That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that

which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:3-6 ) 38

WOMB AND GRAVEThe immersion by mikveh represents both the womb and the grave. In an  immersion,  the  individual  enters  the  world  of  the  non-living (grave/womb)  since  he  ceases  to  breathe  under  the  water.  Then  he emerges from the grave (womb), his soul having been overwhelmed by the Spirit of Yah:

And having been immersed, יהושע went up immediately from the water, and see, the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of

Elohim descending like a dove and coming upon Him, (Matthew 3:16 )His ascending out of the waters represents His resurrection. When we identify with Him, we also resurrect and leave behind that body of sin. The level of purity that we have attained enables us to keep the Torah and enter into the Kingdom of fellowship with Him:

What, then, shall we say? Shall we continue in sin, to let favour increase? Let it not be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were immersed into Messiah were immersed into His death? We were therefore buried with יהושעHim through immersion into death, that as Messiah was raised from

the dead by the esteem of the Father, so also we should walk in newness of life. ... (Romans 6:1-6 )

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SINSince  these verses say  that we are done with sin,  let’s make sure we know what sin is:Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. (1 John 3:4)

• We are called to immerse ourselves into the Word and allow the Word to wash us clean.  

• We are called  to  lay down our old  thought patterns and ways and  follow new ways. 

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good and well-pleasing and

perfect desire of Elohim. (Romans 12:2)• We are called to lay down our lives as a living sacrifice for life in יהושע as our reasonable worship. I call upon you, therefore, brothers, through the compassion of Elohim, to present your bodies a living offering – set-apart, well-pleasing to Elohim –

your reasonable worship. (Romans 12:1 ) 40

DEAD SEAAnd יהוה shall go forth, and He shall fight against those gentiles, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives, which faces Yerushalayim on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, a very great valley, and half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward

the south. And you shall flee to the valley of My mountain – for the valley of the mountains reaches to Atsal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziyah sovereign of Yehudah. And

my Elohim shall come – all the set-apart ones with You. And in יהוהthat day it shall be: there is no light, it is dark. And it shall be one day

which is known to יהוה, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. And in that day it shall be that living waters flow from Yerushalayim, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of

them toward the western sea, in summer as well as in winter. (Zechariah 14:3-8) 41

SODOM AND GOMORRAHThe destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Abraham's day was in the area south of what is presently the Dead Sea. The Bible's mention of a rain of fire and brimstone from heaven on those wicked cities (Genesis 19:24-29)  indicates  that  the  Divine  judgment  came  from  sudden volcanic/tectonic activity in a "plain" area which is now the submerged floor of the Dead Sea. There is evidence that the Age of the Dead Sea is only about as old as the time of Abraham. In the days of the Garden of Eden, there was no Dead Sea in that spot, but a river flowed through the rift zone southwards towards the area that is presently the Red Sea. In Zecheriah 14:3-8 we see that a day is coming that the River of Judgement and purification is going flow again to the whole earth. 

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THE TORAH.. Mosheh undertook to declair this Torah, saying, (Deuteronomy 1:5 )The  Torah  does  not  set  an  impossible  standard  by which  to  live. We must ask ourselves this important question: 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? 

“For this command which I am commanding you today, it is not too hard for you, nor is it far off. “It is not in the heavens, to say, ‘Who shall ascend into the heavens for us, and bring it to us, and cause us to hear

it, so that we do it?’ “Nor is it beyond the sea, to say, ‘Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, and cause us to hear it, so that we do it?’ “For the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your

heart – to do it. (Deuteronomy 30:11-14 )

THE TORAH: NEGATIVETorah reacts according to human action. Those who obey  it are blessed and those who  disobey  it  are  cursed.  David  Stern  in  his  Jewish  New  Testament Commentary  lists  both  some  of  the  “negative” and  some  of  the  positive functions of the Torah. On the “negative” side: • The Torah “has the capacity to stir up sin in an individual… beneficial to a

believer living by faith, is an instrument of death to those controlled by their sinful nature” (p. 375).

• “The Torah can still produce guilt feelings in a believer … as his behaviour falls short of the standard [Elohim] sets in the Torah.

• The Torah also provides a framework of justice by which Elohim, will judge the actions of men.

• Because of the righteous standards the Torah sets out, for the sinner it points out the fact that they have sinned and how far they have fallen short of the glory of יהוה (Rom 3:23) and hence their need for a Saviour or Redeemer.

THE TORAH: POSITIVE1. The Torah provides a framework of grace in which one can live2. The Torah, as understood and applied through the Spirit, thereby gives

life in union with Messiah (Stern, p. 381) who is the Living Torah, or Word of Elohim incarnate (in human or flesh form).

3. Obeying the Torah brings us eternal rewards (not eternal life, which is by grace through faith alone, see Eph 2:8) in the world to come (Matt 5:19).

4. Obeying the Torah helps deepen a loving and intimate relationship withיהוה - יהושע and helps us to abide in יהושע (John 14:15; 1 John 2:3–6).

5. Obeying the Torah helps us to stay spiritually pure (1 John 3:3–6).6. Obeying the Torah (i.e., not sinning, which is the violation the Torah,

see 1 John 3:4) protects us from the influence of the devil (1 John 3:8).7. Obeying the Torah-Word of יהוה helps to perfectיהוה - יהושע’s love in

us (1 John 2:5).

PROMISE OF MULTIPLICATION your Elohim has increased you, and see, you are today as יהוה‘

numerous as the stars of the heavens. ‘יהוה Elohim of your fathers is going to add to you a thousand times more than you are, and bless you

as He has spoken to you! (Deuteronomy 1:10-11)You are as the stars of heaven (Gen 22:17).. יהוה has promised He will bless you and make you a thousand times as many more as ye are..!  If the  children  of  Israel  numbered  between  two  and  three million,  then when was this prophetic promise of יהוה ever fulfilled in Israel's history? Where are  the  two  to  three billion  Israelites  (1000 times  two  to  three million) today? 

“Yisra’ĕl has been swallowed up. They have now become among the nations as a vessel in which is no pleasure. (Hosea 8:8)

So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the set-apart ones and members of the household of Elohim,

(Ephesians 2:19)

APPOINTING OF LEADERS‘Choose men, wise and understanding, and known to your tribes, and let me appoint them as your heads.’ “And you answered me and said, ‘The word which you have spoken to us to do is good.’ (Deuteronomy

1:13-14)The  word  understanding  (Strong's  H995)  means  "discerning, perceptive, discreet, intelligent, observant and prudent."  The  chosen leaders did not demonstrate that quality when it came to following the instructions of  the  Lord  and  they  lead  their  people  into a wilderness walk. True understanding of spiritual things requires faith and trust in  ?יהוה

For indeed the Good News was brought to us as well as to them, but the word which they heard did not profit them, not having been mixed

with belief in those who heard it. (Hebrews 4:2)

APPOINTMENT OF JUDGES“And I commanded your judges at that time, saying, ‘When hearing

between your brothers, judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger who is with him. ‘Do not show partiality in right-ruling, hear the small as well as the great. Do not be afraid of anyone’s face, for the right-ruling belongs to Elohim. And the case which is too

hard for you, bring it to me, and I shall hear it.’ (Deuteronomy 1:16-17)No  longer  are  our  laws  based  upon  biblical  doctrines,  but  rather  the errant decisions of judges with non-biblical, libertarian, and humanistic philosophies.  Under  the  guise  of  equality  for  every  individual,  the courts have perverted the very justice for which they were established. Minority groups with perverted morals and special agendas build upon judicial  loopholes and case  law precedent (versus biblical foundations) to  give  liberty  to  the  guilty  and  burden  the  righteous.  The  voice  of righteousness  is  being  drowned out  by  the  volume of  the  noise  from special interests who have the money or influence to be heard

MISSING THE PROMISED LANDDeuteronomy 1:26-28 We may  reflect upon the  lack of belief of  Israel  in not originally possessing the land as they were commanded, but we must also see the application to our lives. There are many times in our spiritual walk  when  we  are  just  at  the  point  of  spiritual  breakthrough  when  we receive an evil report. Instead of believing God and going forth, our resolve vanishes. If we could just see what the future holds for us we think that it would be much easier for us to go forward!  .said to him, “T’oma, because you have seen Me, you have believed יהושע

Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20:29)And  the  book  of  Hebrews  says,  And belief is the substance of what is expected, the proof of what is not seen. (Hebrews 11:1). Thus, walking in faith  is not walking  in that which we can see or rationalize, because faith involves  things  NOT  SEEN. We must  be  able  to  hear  his  voice  with  our spirit and resolve to walk in obedience when he tells us, "This is the way, walk you in it," (Isaiah 30:21).

FRIENDS AND FOEDeuteronomy 2:1-9 As  Israel  was  opposed  by  Edom  (Esau,  Jacob's brother) as well as Moab and Ammon (Lot's sons), so too are we often hindered by relatives in our spiritual walk. יהוה instructed Israel how to relate  to  them, He  told  them that as  they passed by  they should not make war with their brethren, but rather pay for food, water and not to damage crops. We should not quarrel  (especially over beliefs) and not indebt ourselves in any way. In contrast, Israel was instructed to make war with those who were not relatives and were in the way of יהוה 's promised territory. We are also instructed  to  do  battle  and  overcome  the  enemies  of  our  promised spiritual inheritance. (Ephesians 6:10-18)For though we walk in the flesh, we do not fight according to the flesh.

(2 Corinthians 10:3)

SPIRITUAL ENEMIESOur enemies are those which we often rationalize "are just the way I am." They include things like:• The World  - 1 John 2:15–17;• Lust - 2 Peter 2:10;• Malice - 1 Peter 5:8;• Guile - 2 Corinthians 11:3• Hypocrisies - Galatians 2:13• Envies - Job 5:2• Evil speaking - Proverbs 15:28• Impatience - James 5:7• Pride -  1 Titus 3:6• Prejudice  - 1 Titus 5:21

TAKING OUR INHERITANCEDeuteronomy 2:31 Although Moses  offered  Zihon,  king  of  Heshbon, the  same payment  consideration as  given  to  Israel's  relatives,  (Moab and Esau), he (a non relative) refused. His heart was hardened by יהוה so that his cities and possessions could be delivered into the hands of the inheritor, Israel. Have  you  ever  thought  that  Elohim  brings  forth  the hindrance/resistance  in  order  that  you  can  receive  your  promised inheritance?  Resistance  can  either  make  us  strong  or  break  us depending upon our  faith  inיהוה 's  instructions "to begin to possess" the land.As  Israel  began  to  possess  the  land,  it  was  city  by  city,  kingdom  by kingdom. We  too must  take our  spiritual  ground piece by piece with great  persistence  and  perseverance  in  spiritual  warfare.  Israel  used physical weapons. We must  learn  to wield  our  spiritual  weapons:  (2 Corinthians 10:4-6)

ISAIAH 1:1-27The sinful activities of men since Isaiah’s time. 1:2 ... they have transgressed against Me. 1:3 An ox knows its owner .. The ox knows its owner. One forgets one’s spiritual heritage and relationship with their Creator, and becomes, in a sense, worse than an animal. (See 2 Pet 2:12 and Jude 1:10.) 1:4 .. sinning nation. The word nation is the Hebrew word goy (Strong’s H1471) meaning “gentile”. This is not the only place in Scripture where Israel is referred to as gentile.1:4 They have forsaken יהוה1:5–6 All the head is sick ... no soundness in it – wounds and bruises and open sores. The state of the political and spiritual leadership?1:7 Your land ... as overthrown by strangers.  A  hallmark  of  a  sinful nation.1:10 you rulers of Sedom; give ear to the Torah 1:14 “My being hates your New Moons and your appointed times, they are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. The Christian church exchanged יהוה’s biblical feasts for man-made celebration.

ISAIAH 1:1-271:15 Your hands have become filled with blood. Abortion  and  various  birth control methods.1:17 reprove the oppressor1:18 Though your sins are like scarlet. The  message  of   s’יהוה grace  and forgiveness1:19–20 “If you submit and obey … refuse and rebel. Our choice1:21 How the steadfast city has become a whore! Other gods1:22 Your silver has become dross [waste, refuse, impurity]. Silver is the Hebrew word kesef (Strong’s H3701) meaning “money.” Deuteronomy 28:44 states that indebtedness (and by inference, economic inflation) would be the result of the nation which turns away from יהוה’s righteous biblical standards. 1:23 Your rulers are stubborn. Political leaders and judges do not live and govern according to principles found in the Word of יהוה.1:24–27 The state of the nation was not hopeless.