Shoftim (שופטים) - Judges- Podcast Sept 10, 2022
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Shoftim
Introduction
Introduction
Torah Portion
This Torah Portion goes from Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9
In our previous Torah portion we talked about Re’eh (beholding: a blessing, and a curse)
We talked about having two choices related to obedience / disobedience = blessing / cursing
Obedience to blessing
We talked about how the Lord does not want us to cling to a prophet, even when the prophet prophesizes things that come to pass, but to the Lord Himself.
We become what we behold: If we behold evil we will become evil, if good - then good. Only God is good
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Blessings means a gift- the increase of becoming more light like Yeshua
cursings If we depart (turn aside from) the way which HE commands you today after other gods
You must listen, keep - understand and hear all the words which He commands us- this implies studying the law to keep it within you that it should not be forgotten.
Warnings (deception) from Peter, John, Paul also from Jesus about false prophets, leading us to idolatry- which is rebellion through disobedience
Idolatry is not only found in the doctrine, or prophet we cling on to, or the world. We can also find idolatry in the altars we erect.
Last Torah portion we talked about how to destroy the possibility of falling into the way other nations worship and follow other gods -idolatry
“These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth.
You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.
And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place.
Presentation
Presentation
In today’s Torah portion, we are going go through some of the verses found in Deuteronomy that speak about the judges/ judging
This is not the kind of judgement we are asked by our Lord Yeshua not to judge by in
“Judge not, that you be not judged.
This is the kind of judgement that condems.
But there are at least two kinds of judgements:
In Greek: Krino and Diakrino
For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
The first is Diakrino - discern
1252. διακρίνω diakrinō; from 1223 and 2919; to distinguish, to judge:—decide(1), discern(1),
Robert L. Thomas, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries : Updated Edition (Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc., 1998).
The second one is krino
2919. κρίνω krinō; a prim. vb.; to judge, decide:—act as … judge(1), concluded(1), condemn(1), condemning(1)
Robert L. Thomas, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries : Updated Edition (Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc., 1998).
We will be focusing on Diakrino- discernment
We will connect both today’s Torah portion to the idea of the green tree from our last Torah portion
the objective is to understand that we must judge with righteous judgement
that righteous judgement needs to happen with wisdom
that righteous judgement starts with us personally, before we are called by the Lord to judge others
His kingdom cannot have order w/o righteous judgment - not an OT practice but also in the NT
Eg. 1 Cor 1:10; 1 Cor 2:15; 1 Cor 11:27-32
“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the Lord your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
The Lord appointed judges and Officers in all the cities
These judges and officers shall judge among the people
They must use just judgement to judge the people
Where do we get that just judgement to judge the people if we are called to a position of an officer or a judge?
Consider: Abraham speaking to God regarding the judgement of Sodom and Gomorah
And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?
Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
Deuteronomy 32:36 a(NKJV)
“For the Lord will judge His people
The Father appoints His son to pass judgment
Acts 10:40–42 (NKJV)
Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,
not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.
And He has promised to give us the crown of righteousness
So that we can judge in righteousness
Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
If I am righteous, my judgement shall also be righteous, and to be careful not to compromise and distort His words of righteousness
You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.
But history tells us that some are not ready to be put in a place of an Officer or a Judge
Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.
It seems to me Samuel is the one appointing
But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,
and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
Our Torah portion says that we must follow what is altogether just
You shall follow what is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
Do you wonder what is the meaning of all together just?
Who is altogether just?
The Jewish Publication Society translation in the Tanakh says:
Justice, justice shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Young’s literal Translation
Righteousness—righteousness thou dost pursue, so that thou livest, and hast possessed the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee.
Where then do we find these righteousness by which we shall judge?
“These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth.
You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.
The statues and judgements given by God are the the description of the righteousness of Yeshua: the character of God, the basis for just/ righteous judgement
Torah is one complete fabric, unit, message. We divide it in portion to study and manage, but it is the same thread. We cannot cut the Torah into pieces and say they are disjointed.
When we consider the idea of EVERY GREEN TREE from last week’s Torah portion found in Deut 12:2
“You shall not plant for yourself any tree, as a wooden image, near the altar which you build for yourself to the Lord your God.
You shall not set up a sacred pillar, which the Lord your God hates.
What is it the Lord our God hates?
Deuteronomy 17:2–5 (NKJV)
“If there is found among you, within any of your gates which the Lord your God gives you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing His covenant,
who has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded,
and it is told you, and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently. And if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination has been committed in Israel,
then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones.
What does the Lord hate?
Wickedness
Transgression of His love covenant
The serving of other gods (Idolatry)
The worship of created things and nature (sun/moons)
Doing what He has not commanded
The Law of God - description of His righteousness = His love Covenant
Back to the history of Israel:
2 Kings 23:4–7 (NKJV)
And the king (Josiah- righteous) commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers, to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the articles that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel.
Then he removed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem, and those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.
And he brought out the wooden image (ASHERAH) from the house of the Lord, to the Brook Kidron outside Jerusalem, burned it at the Brook Kidron and ground it to ashes, and threw its ashes on the graves of the common people.
Then he tore down the ritual booths of the perverted persons that were in the house of the Lord, where the women wove hangings for the wooden image.
What we know about king Joshia
And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
Back to last week’s Torah portion
Deuteronomy 12:3 (NKJV)
And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place.
Asherim - wooden images
אֲשֵׁרָה
ST HB842. אֲשֵׁרָה Asherah (81b); of for. or.; a Phoenician goddess, also an image of the same:—Asherah(18), Asherim(20), Asheroth(2).1
1 Robert L. Thomas, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries : Updated Edition (Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc., 1998).
Worshiping idols on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree
Idolatry offers convenience
It’s easy, accessible
Offers happiness right now
Something new right now
Offering fake things - trying to imitate that which is authentic
What the idol offers is so close to what the Lord offers
Wooden images = Asherim -
Deuteronomy 16:21–22 (NKJV)
“You shall not plant for yourself any tree, as a wooden image, near the altar which you build for yourself to the Lord your God.
You shall not set up a sacred pillar, which the Lord your God hates.
Idolatry For yourself x2
We working for our self image
But allowing The Lord to work on us to get to His image
rather than going to Asherah of any kind of tree
Going from tree to other
Idolatry is going to make us turn aside to a more convenient place
pillars which the Lord your God hates
Asherah tree-
Offers - temptation to part from the root, from the prescribed path along with the obstacles found in the path in order to ascend to Jerusalem
Idols we make for ourselves
It does not mean nobody else is worshiping that particular idol
Many are- attractive
We somebody else doing something, we tend to mirror that behaviour - covetousness: eg - marketing and advertising - because of self-image. You try to mold yourself according to your self-will. This is not going to show what is holy. Idolatry is trying to form that image in addition of convincing God that this is who we are.
Pillars can be said in different ways.
There are for example two:
1- For example, the pillars that describe the moedin /amad/ - Strong’s HB #5975 is something that will stand- like the pillar of fire and the cloud. Things that stand as a testimony
Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars;
עַמֻּד
/amad/ = stand
עָמַד S5975, 5976 TWOT1637 GK5048, 6641520 take one’s stand, stand (NH id.; Ph. עמד; Assyrian emêdu, stand, set up; Arabic عَمَدَ (ʿamada) prop up, support, and deriv.; Ethiopic ዐምድ: (ʿamd) pillar; 𝔗 עַמּוּדָא pillar, Syriac ܥܰܡܽܘܕܳܐ (ʿamudo), Palm. עמודא, cf. also n.pr. תימעמד; Sab. עמד pillar, according to CISiv. 91 (or other deriv. from 1
1 Francis Brown, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs, Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977), 763.
Amad will stand, will endure, as a testimony
2- The idolatrous pillars are called Matzevot -
מַצֵּבָה Matzevah = pillar
†מַצֵּבָה S4676, 4678 TWOT1398g GK5167, 5169, מַצֶּ֫בֶת S4678 TWOT1398g GK5169, 5170 n.f. pillar, maṣṣēbā, stump; on this v. also Lagrange Études Bibl. 197 ff. and review by Bau lvii (1903), 830; also GFM massebah Sta Bib. Theol. i. § 55 OC Whitehouse pillar—abs. מַצֵּבָה Ho 3:4 +, מַצֶּ֫בֶת 2 S 18:18a (read1
1 Francis Brown, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs, Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977), 663.
Associated with idol-worship because they stand (natzav) against
Eg. natzav = something that is standing against God
So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”
Stand against comes from
נָצַב= natsab
5324. נָצַב natsab (662a); a prim. root; to take one’s stand, stand:—arises(1), attending(1), best(1), charge(2), deputies(4), deputy(1), erected(2), establish(2), established(1), fix(1), fixed(1), officers(1), pillar(1), present yourself(1), presiding(1), set(15), settled(1), stand(5), standing(14), stands(1), station myself(1), station yourself(1), stationed(1), stood(9), stood erect(1), takes stand(2), waiting(1).1
1 Robert L. Thomas, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries : Updated Edition (Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc., 1998).
We must an effort not to let these things stand as pillar between us and God
It becomes a legal (Shoftim) situation because we give a chance for these pillars to stand
This Torah portion is a legal document. We must understand it.
Things that stand against God - idolatry.
This is not the devil made me do it, but I made me do it
You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.
green tree
In this context, the word green ra-anan, (not yarok) (ירק) the green colour
†רַעֲנָן S7488 TWOT2190a GK8315, 8316 adj. luxuriant, fresh;—m. ר׳ Dt 12:2 +; f. רַעֲנָנָה Ct 1:16; mpl. רַעֲנַנִּים ψ 92:15;—luxuriant, of trees
רַעֲנָן
St 7488
רַעֲנָן raanan (947d); from 7487a; luxuriant, fresh:—fresh(1), green(12), luxuriant(5), very green(1).1
1 Robert L. Thomas, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries : Updated Edition (Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc., 1998).
This green tree offers something to us:
So, the word green is raanan - to be new, prosperous, green, flourishing
The Blue Letter Bible - This lexicon was originally written by Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Gesenius (1786-1842) in the German language
Gives clarity on the green tree as idolatrous, not just green in colour
Metaphoric of happiness. Idolatry’s bait is prosperity, newness, and happiness.. The fake for the eternal.
This expresses the quality of the green tree. There is also an expressed offer- an offer of something new, prosperous, full of pride
The bait of idolatry will involve: newness, freshness, prosperity, happiness now, soon, immediately (do not have to wait - Esau - Esau said he wanted the food - right now. He did not want to pay the price of the righteous one like Jacob).
That part of our nature that does not want to wait, and this can give it now.
It offers happiness. There is a temporary happiness that is originated in the soul realm (even dogs can be happy: food- the dog goes crazy).
There is a soul happiness and a happiness in the soul that derives from the Spirit - a true happiness. It s not like a heroin fix. Because the second you have the first fix, you will want to have the second, in order to come back to that stay of joy.
Now let’s learn the happiness that comes from the Tree of Life
The Spiritual source of Happiness derives from the Tree of Life: eternal - for immortal people (Adam and Even got us in the state of sin - immortality and were not permitted to eat from the Tree of Life in that state Gen 3:22).
We needed to be restored to the state of immortality, to then move to the eating from the Tree of Life and to live forever w/o sin.
So the Tree of Life can generate happiness. For example:
Peace that surpasses all understanding. Happiness is the same ( not based on my next drink, meal, pleasurable experience). It is not an addiction. This is the difference between worshipping under the Tree of Life and any other green tree. It does not promise you would not have days when you will feel unhappy.
The promise of God:
Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding;
And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.
Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The Lord comforts you
“I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass?
You will still have days of unhappiness. But as the Lord said, you must remember where your happiness comes from: not from a shallow source (green tree level) - if you lose a BKB game makes you unhappy. Normal part of being human. But a pattern of unhappiness, you need to take a closer look.
At the spiritual level, if there is unhappiness it is probably because something needs to change. We may have a sensation (feeling -no soul feelings) uneasiness (which is typical when the Spirit is trying to speak to you).
Unless He creates this dissonance (uneasiness) you may not be able to tune in (connect) to the messages He is sending you.
This is very normal for a believer, I believe. Everything goes in a circular form.
Nothing happening outside me, go in prayer to find out what the issue is, or your spiritual mentor, spiritual mom and dad.
Do not just assume “there is something wrong with me” but search.
Unhappiness because of circumstance is different from inexplicable unhappiness that has nothing to do with circumstances.
Things maybe falling apart around you, and you can be smiling.
We have been distracted by things, people we think will make us happy.
Do not wait people to make you happy. They won’t . They will disappoint you
No expectation in people otherwise you are in for a huge disappointment. Only He can comfort
But His word says He is only the one who comforts. He is the source. Put the green tree looks full of life (probably a person).
But when the day comes that tree will not be there. Do not put your trust on dead things - may look good and green, but has no life.
An idol is a dead thing - Do no mistake the eternal and the Tree of Life with the Green Tree
Torah is direct prophecy - Face to Face. Not a vision, a riddle, a dream, or dark saying.
When we read the Torah we find the form of God, in the most direct route. Jesus also said this. He who sees me sees the father.
The Tree of life is what we behold. We are the reflection of that Tree
The blessing over the Torah scroll when it is returned to the Ark, and the blessing when we complete a book of Torah are formed from the root of Proverbs:
WISDOM (which we need to judge righteously). Wisdom to discern
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace.
My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;
For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.
Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.
Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction;
For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding;
For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her.
The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens;
By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew.
My son, let them not depart from your eyes— Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
So they will be life to your soul And grace to your neck.
Then you will walk safely in your way, And your foot will not stumble.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
For the Lord will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught.
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so.
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you.
Do not devise evil against your neighbor, For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.
Do not strive with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm.
Do not envy the oppressor, And choose none of his ways;
For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord, But His secret counsel is with the upright.
The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the just.
Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.
The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who take hold of her. A dead grip commitment
Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace.
If you hold on to this Tree of Life, it does not matter what people say, what happens in your life, you will experience peace.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.
And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—
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. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
He is a She in Hebrew
To take hold on Her:
Gesenius says CHAZAK is to: TIE FAST, TO BIND STRONGLY- the tense used is an active causative action tense which will read:
One must actively strengthen his/her grip upon the covenant of Torah, not passively wait for osmosis
Actively: make strong, strengthen, to make firm, to display strength, to support, to repair, to prevail, to prevail upon, to have or take or keep hold of, sustain, support, to hold, contain
If you HOLD strongly to the Torah, you will uphold the word of the Lord. You become stronger, and you support it and word supports you - to restore us
2 Peter 1:1-21
One last verse from our Torah Portion:
Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
In the context means to restore the value of what you destroyed.
There is no benefit if I put your eye out and then mine. How then do I repay you the damage I’v e done when we have two one-eye people?
Two bad things do not make a good.
But restoration will be of equal value. Restoration for the damage - perhaps by money. The idea is to restore, not to destroy.
The Tree of Life wants to restore.
The tree wants to heal us.
As we continue to read the Torah which gives us healing, we continue to be healed by the Tree of Life. Each leaf brings more healing (each section of the Torah is mad of animal skin sewn together and each “page” is known as a LEAF)
So if keeping on holding on, and allow it to sustain us, then we will realize that there is something that can support this whole world. But this is a process: a transaction: when you take hold of the Tree of Life.
This is not just touching: Touching is not going to bring happiness, or praise worthy, learn to repent, newness of life, is not a casual touch.
But you hand on, hold strongly - a death grip. There is death under the green tree.
Not learning by osmosis
Waiting for the word to come and repair us, by doing nothing
The Shema tells us to teach our children to stay in the law (the word) all day long - to bind it on our hearts.
It seems that both type of trees offer the same thing:
How can we know the difference?
One is based obedience to the word and the covenant of God
The other is based on turning aside from the word and trying to find a more convenient way. Allowing our self-image to form our actions, rather than allowing the image of God as we find it in his the word to form our actions.
A strong grip on the Tree of Life makes the difference otherwise the appearance of what we are doing seems to be on the surface that what we are doing comes for the green tree
Yeshua was the one who showed a magnificent contrast to the the Tree of Life, being the witness of that Tree, showing what is pure and demonstrating what was impure. He was the only one who fulfilled the covenant
We must not remove ourselves from the camp so that we are blessed to be a blessing to others.
IN CLOSING
Why is this idea of the green tree so important?
Why is the law of the covenant of God so important?
What is the significance that we hold on to the covenant?
Because each one of my responses when keeping the covenant of the Lord means I am beholding Him according to the legal basis
Covenant
Shabbat Shalom