Parsha Devarim 2023
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TORAH : DEUTERONOMY 1:1-3:22|
PROPHETS : ISAIAH 1:1-27|
GOSPEL : MATTHEW 24:1-22
(Story of the Rabbi confronting a Landlord about a woman being evicted)
Topic - Correction and Rebuke
How do I study the Torah? How do I study the Bible? There’s so many chapters and verses!! For the Torah, read Deuteronomy, as it is a retelling of the Torah by Moses but with a deeper exposition of the Commandments.
The Parsha begins with Moses giving an account of the Journey that Israel went through during their 40 years in the Wilderness, followed by some Rebuke to their actions… it keeps on like this until Chapter 2, where it talks about the Israelites about to Crossover to the land of Edom(Esau) and how they shouldn’t get into conflicts with Edom because God gave them this portion of land. God explains the Nations which lived in those territories before they were wiped out by either Edomites, or Ammonites, or the Amorites… then This strange verse appears in Verse 13 after Moses gives details about these Nephillim descendants that Edom wiped out. A very strange Command, But I wannt to say that this one Verse covers 3 Main Sections of a Believers Walk before God.
Deuteronomy 2:13–16 (LEB)
13 So now arise and cross over the wadi of Zered yourselves; and so we crossed the wadi of Zered. 14 Now the length of time that we had traveled from Kadesh Barnea until the time when we crossed the wadi of Zered was thirty-eight years, until the perishing of all of that generation; that is, the men of war from the midst of the camp as Yahweh had sworn to them. 15 The hand of Yahweh was against them to root them out from the midst of the camp until they perished completely. 16 “And then when all the men of war had died from among the people,
Mind you, back in Numbers 21:12, Israel camped by this little brook until God gave the command for them to advance forward. That is when the Battle with Sichon took place, followed by Og of Bashan. There was a Commentary I heard that for 38 years, Israel camped near the Vadi Zered until the 40th year, which I did a little bit of digging and can confirm that it is in fact true… Numbers 33:1-36 covers the first two years in the Wilderness, and verse 37 to 49 is the fortieth year of Israels journey.
Numbers 33:36 states that they camped at Kadesh Barnea and in this weeks Torah Portion, the Israelites crossed the river AFTER the Generation of Moses died in the Wilderness Deuteronomy 2:14
14 Now the length of time that we had traveled from Kadesh Barnea until the time when we crossed the wadi of Zered was thirty-eight years, until the perishing of all of that generation; that is, the men of war from the midst of the camp as Yahweh had sworn to them.
“Atah Kumu V’Ivru Nachal Zared L’Achem...”
“Now, Resurrect, and Crossover the River Zered for Yourselves”
Arise is the same word used for “Resurrection”
Isaiah 60:1–3 (LEB)
1 “Arise, shine! For your light has come,
and the glory of Yahweh has risen on you.
2 For look! darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples,
but Yahweh will rise on you,
and his glory will appear over you.
3 And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the bright light of your sunrise”
The Term “Cross-over”. Where does it originate from, and what does it mean?
When Abraham was called by God in Genesis 12, he was still living in Haran with his father Terah and their whole family… and when he left to enter the land of Canaan, he had to Crossover the Jordan river to get into the Land
13 Then one who escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew. And he was living at the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner. They were allies with Abram.
Hebrew means “The One Who Crossed Over”. Physically, Abraham was from the Other Side of the River, but Spiritually, he has Crossed Over from Death to Life, as it is written, John 5:24
24 Truly, truly I say to you that the one who hears my word and who believes the one who sent me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
the One who Shema’s my Word… Listens and Does.
So we have this Journey. Until we Choose to Follow God, we are referred to as being “Dead”, like when Yeshua said, “Let the Dead bury their Dead”… Also like Abraham… Normally it wouldn’t have been proper in Abrahams time to leave his father Terahs house, until he died… yet, God tells Abram “Go, Get yourself out of your Fathers House...”. and it was when Abraham was about 135 years old when his Father died… yet Abraham was called out at age 75… Because Terah stopped his walk with God when he got halfway to Canaan.. Ur, then Haran, then he stopped… and it was Abraham who finished that Journey… that’s why Abraham is called the Hebrew.. the Crossed Over one...
So we start our Walk with God by Rising up from the Dead so to say… Resurrecting from our former way of Life, we Cross Over from Death to Life.. or From living in Sin to Living in Righteousness, through the Way of Life
Deuteronomy 32:45-47
45 And when Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 then he said to them, “Take to heart all the words that I am admonishing against you today concerning which you should instruct them with respect to your children so that they will observe diligently all the words of this law, 47 for it is not a trifling matter among you, but it is your life, and through this word you will live long in the land that you are about to cross the Jordan to get there to take possession of it.”
What about “Wadi Zered”, what does that mean?? Wadi means River or Valley...
the word “Zered” comes from an Aramaic verb זרד (zarad), to prune trees.
Why is this significant? To Prune Trees? what even is that? (Explain what Pruning Trees does)
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked;
nor does he stand in the way of sinners;
nor does he sit in the assembly of mockers.
2 Instead, in the law of Yahweh is his delight,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 And so, he is like a tree planted by streams of water
that gives its fruit in its season;
its leaf also does not wither.
Therefore all that he does prospers.
Who is the One who Prunes us if we are referred to as Trees? Yeshua
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch that does not bear fruit in me, he removes it, and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it in order that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit from itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him—this one bears much fruit, for apart from me you are not able to do anything. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and dries up, and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you bear much fruit, and prove to be my disciples.
1, Rising up, then 2, Crossing Over, and then 3, being Pruned by the Hand of God
Also, Pruning requires us to accept Correction and Rebuke…
32 He who ignores instruction despises himself,
but he who hears admonition gains heart.
If we have a dead branch in our lives, and God, or your Fellow Believer comes along and says, “Hey, this branch isn’t being fruitful. you should cut it off. Let me Help you”, and you refuse, how do you expect to Grow and be more Fruitful?? a Dead Branch will remain a dead branch once it withers away. Holding onto Sin may seem better because you won’t feel uncomfortable or hurt, but in the long run, it will drain your Life, your Energy, and your Time, Like a dead branch on a Tree that sucks all the nutrients from the tree, only for no fruit to be birthed…
this is also a Good lesson about Rebuking and Correcting people properly… Moses waited 40 years to correct Israel… a couple of days before he died in fact. But what you notice is that the Rebuke that he gave came with a remedy to the problem… Like a surgeon cutting off dead skin from your body.. it hurts, its painful, but afterwards, the Doctor anoints and binds up that wound… Like God wants to do to us in Isaiah 1:5-6 from the Haftarah portion this week… God is crying out to you to heal you… so why resist him?? Will the rubbing alcohol sting when its on your open wound? Yes.. but it’ll cleanse you.. you’ll be bandaged, you’ll be soothed with Oil, it’ll heal properly… Don’t Resist God...
Our Journey before God is a process… We stumble, we sin, we fall short, but if we ask god to Prune us, even if it is painful at times, we will bear much fruit before Him: Fruits of Repentance, Fruits of Righteousness, Fruits of the Spirit… And may this Message be an encouragement to everyone to Open up your Hearts and Minds to let God do His work within you… He may use fellow Believers to be the Surgeons, but if you can accept that He wants the best for you, then you will be transformed. the Burdens on your heart will be relieved, and you will be Strengthened. Let’s Pray