Wednesday, April 2, 2025

By the Hand of a Woman

The video version of this teaching is available at: https://youtu.be/6FW7iyoKXyQ

The scripture reading for this teaching is Judges 4:1-5:31

 

By Dan and Brenda Cathcart

The book of Judges is many times overlooked by the casual Bible reader.  We tend to go for the prophets like Daniel, Ezekiel and Jeremiah seeking out relevance for our theological understanding and looking to support our preconceived notions about biblical prophecy and the return of Messiah. But doing so is a serious mistake.  The Book of Judges offers us the necessary historical background and cultural insight that guides our understanding of the later kings and prophets.

Certain women of the Bible play a key role in the history of the Children of Israel. These women are far more than just support for the men. They provide a kind of glue which holds the pieces of society together.  They not only bear children, bringing new physical life into the world, in many cases, they also bear a kind of spiritual life that only they can provide.

This is true of our Haftarah reading this week with Judges chapters four and five with the story of Deborah. This Haftarah tells the story of a powerful Canaanite leader who severely oppressed the Children of Israel for twenty years, and Deborah, who was both Judge, or ruler of all Israel, and a prophetess of God, who led her people with her chosen army commander in a great battle to deliver them from this oppression.

With the story of Deborah, we not only have a woman who ruled Israel, but who also wrote a portion of the scriptures. This is the only place in the Bible where this is found.

One very striking thing that we observe about the Book of Judges is that in nearly every chapter it is written that the Children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. But, yet again, in this book we see example after example of God dealing with Israel and offering grace and forgiveness, and the opportunity for repentance. Deborah comes on the scene at a time of great repression.

Judges 4:1-4 NKJV 1 When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim. 3 And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he harshly oppressed the children of Israel. 4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time.

the name Deborah is #1682 in the Strong’s Lexicon meaning the bee. It is from the primitive root #1696 daw-bar’ meaning to arrange, to say, speak or command. Deborah, as a prophetess was to say, speak, and command the words of the LORD! Even though, throughout the time of the Judges the people continued to do evil in the sight of God, there was always exceptions and exceptional people who followed God and kept His covenant.

The time of the Judges is between the death of Joshua and when Saul became king of Israel. Scholars have a great deal of disagreement as to when each of the Judges ruled.  There is not much to indicate a precise time sequence in the scripture narrative, and it is entirely plausible that multiple Judges ruled at the same time. The Judges of Israel had two basic jobs: to settle disputes between people and to protect them from their enemies.  In many ways the period of the Judges can be viewed as a transitional time between the pure theocracy established in the wilderness and the monarchy later established by God at the request of the people.

Our Haftarah reading of the story of Deborah takes place somewhere in the middle of this time period. This section of scripture can be broken down into two basic areas.  There is the story itself, found in chapter four and then the Song of Deborah found in chapter five.  Both of these relate the same story in different forms and differing detail.

The story of Deborah opens with a statement about the state of the people. Jabin, the king of the Canannites was rising up against Israel. Deborah is in her place as a judge.

Judges 4:5-7 NKJV 5 And she (Deborah) would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, 'Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; 7 'and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand'?"

Deborah was speaking in her role as a prophetess, relating the words of God to Barak. It is unusual for a woman to rise to a position of power in ancient Israel, but not unprecedented. At the time of the exodus, there was Miriam.

Exodus 15:19-20 NKJV 19 For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. 20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

Later there was Huldah, a prophetess in Jerusalem.

2 Kings 22:14 NKJV 14 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke with her.

There many other examples of women in prominent positions in Israel’s history; Naomi, Ruth, and Esther to name a few. And in modern times, Golda Meir served as Israeli Prime Minister.

Verse six of chapter four indicates that Deborah, faced with the challenge of the twenty years of oppression from the Canannite king, called on a capable military leader, Barak.  The scriptures don’t give us much detail about Barak except that he was from the tribe of Naphtali, originally the northern most tribe of Israel.  As such, Barak would have had a strong motivation in the coming battle with the forces of Jabin who reigned from the same general area. Deborah may have made a great choice in Barak, his name means lightning. It is derived from number 1300 in the Strong’s lexicon. It also means glittering sword. But contrary to his name, Barak seems to act with some reluctance to Deborah’s call.

Judges 4:8-10 NKJV 8 And Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!" 9 So she said, "I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; he went up with ten thousand men under his command, and Deborah went up with him.

Why was Barak so reluctant to go?  Barak’s words echo those of Moses when God tells Moses to go to the Promised Land. Moses says he won’t go unless God goes with him.

Exodus 33:15-16 NKJV 15 Then he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 "For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth."

Perhaps Barak knew that his army would be vastly outnumbered, but also understood that Deborah was a prophet of the LORD. Perhaps it was Deborah’s words to Barak in verse nine which convinced him that her presence as God’s prophetess at the battlefield would be the deciding factor. Barak gathered his army and set out for battle. It is this ensuing battle where the two chapters of our Haftarah reading both merge and depart.

Deborah had laid out the initial battle plan as she had received the word of the LORD, and Barak gathered his army at Mount Tabor in the Galilee. Mount Tabor was in a strategic and convenient location. It was at the border of Naphtali, Zebulun, and Issachar, from which Barak was to gather his troops.  Mt Tabor also provided the perfect high-ground look out for the battle field, the Jezreel Valley.

Initially the army under Barak was small, only ten thousand men. However, the account in the Song of Deborah in Chapter five indicates the size of the army was increased.

Judges 5:14-15 NKJV 14 From Ephraim were those whose roots were in Amalek. After you, Benjamin, with your peoples, From Machir rulers came down, And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter's staff. 15 And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; As Issachar, so was Barak Sent into the valley under his command; Among the divisions of Reuben There were great resolves of heart.

The commander of Jabin’s army, Sisera, having been warned of the army of Barak, also gathers his much larger and more formidable army.

Judges 4:11-13 NKJV 11 Now Heber the Kenite, of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, had separated himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent near the terebinth tree at Zaanaim, which is beside Kedesh. 12 And they reported to Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor. 13 So Sisera gathered together all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth Hagoyim to the River Kishon.

Through the prophecy of Deborah, Barak was told that the LORD would deliver Sisera into his hands.  In verse seven, the Lord says that He will “deploy” Sisera at the river Kishon.  The Hebrew word used in this verse is “mashak”, #4900 meaning to remove or to draw out. God would cause Sisera to be drawn out into battle in a place not well suited for his nine hundred chariots, the area around the river Kishon.

This river is the primary water source for the Jezreel Valley.  In the dry season it is little more than a wadi, a dry riverbed. But in the rainy season the river and the surrounding land can become a large swamp. Sisera’s chariots would get bogged down in the mud and become useless.

God promised that Sisera’s army would be delivered into the hands of Barak and he would do so in the valley below Mount Tabor. The narrative in chapter four gives some detail of the ensuing battle.

Judges 4:14-16 NKJV 14 Then Deborah said to Barak, "Up! For this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone out before you?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him. 15 And the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot and fled away on foot. 16 But Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth Hagoyim, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left.

Sisera’s army was soundly defeated in the flooded plains near Megiddo.  Seeing this horror, Sisera fled on foot and came to the tent of Heber the Kenite seeking refuge and a much needed rest.

Judges 4:17-19 NKJV 17 However, Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, "Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; do not fear." And when he had turned aside with her into the tent, she covered him with a blanket. 19 Then he said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a jug of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him.

We were previously introduced to Heber in verse eleven.  Seeking refuge in this tent would turn out to be a fatal error for Sisera.

Judges 4:20-21 NKJV 20 And he said to her, "Stand at the door of the tent, and if any man comes and inquires of you, and says, 'Is there any man here?' you shall say, 'No.'" 21 Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

In pursuit of Sisera, Barak also came upon the tent of Heber and was met by Jael. He entered the tent and found his adversary, Sisera, dead with the tent peg through his head.  God had acted just as Deborah prophesied and Jabin was soundly defeated.

Judges 4:22-24 NKJV 22 And then, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, "Come, I will show you the man whom you seek." And when he went into her tent, there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple. 23 So on that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan in the presence of the children of Israel. 24 And the hand of the children of Israel grew stronger and stronger against Jabin king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

Through Jael, Deborah’s prophecy to Barak came to pass. Barak had led the army to a great victory with the complete route where not one soldier was left standing, but the death of the opposing commander, Sisera, was at the hand of a woman!

The entirety of Judges chapter five consists of the Song of Deborah. It is the one passage of scripture which connects this Haftarah with the Torah Portion Beshalach where we find the Song of Moses.  One of the study questions for this teaching deals with the comparisons between the two songs so we won’t explore that aspect here. we will however, briefly look at some highlights that will help guide you in reading and studying this song.

The song contains many Hebrew parallelisms which are common in ancient Semitic poetry. The first type is synonymous parallelism where the first line is repeated in the second. Verse three is a good example of this type.

Judges 5:3 NKJV 3 "Hear, O kings! Give ear, O princes! I, even I, will sing to the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.

An example of climatic parallelism, where the first line is repeated in the second line, but with new detail added to it. An example of this type is found in verse nineteen:

Judges 5:19 NKJV 19 "The kings came and fought, Then the kings of Canaan fought In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; They took no spoils of silver.

The Song of Deborah gives all the glory to God as the one who accomplished the victory! The name of God, the yood, hey, vav, hey is used seven times, perhaps signifying divine completion. This is the name of God used when referring to the covenant keeping nature of God.  Regardless of the state of the people of Israel, God was, and always is, faithful to His covenant with them.

There is another seven in the Song of Deborah which parallels the entirety of the events depicted in chapter four. The song of Debora recorded in chapter five can be broken down to seven components or stanzas. First, that the LORD is the source of victory which is found in verses one through five: Then Deborah is the prophet of victory, found in verses six through eleven: Barak is the commander of victory in verses twelve through eighteen: the army is the instrument of victory in verses nineteen through twenty three: Jael is the woman of victory in verses twenty four through twenty six: Sisera is vanquished in verses twenty eight through thirty: And finally, Israel is victorious in verse thirty one.

There is a richness and linguistic nuance contained in the Song of Deborah which cannot be experienced without reading it in the original Hebrew. For those who can do this, there is a blessing to be found in these words.

But beyond that, what lessons can we learn from this important historical account of this long-ago battle?  One: Make sure that God is with you, and two: The glory for the victory is not ours, it belongs to God!

I think that we can clearly see, that even though Israel was in a sorry state where everyone did what was right in their own eyes and practiced evil in God’s eyes, it was still a time when God worked miracles of grace for His chosen people. This story of Deborah is one such time among many that we have examined in our recent studies. These same lessons being shown to the people of Deborah’s time also apply to us today. God’s intervention is for the purpose of bringing His people back to Him through their repentance and serves as a reminder to them that all the glory belongs to God!

Study Questions:

1.      Discuss the connection of this teaching to the Torah Portion Beshalach Exodus 13:17-17:16?

 

2.      What are some of the specific similarities between the Song of Moses, or Song of the Sea, found in Exodus 15 and the song of Deborah in Judges 5?

 

3.      The Song of Deborah gives more details that are not included in the narrative in chapter 4.  What are some of these details?  Are they in conflict with, or do they enhance the story in chapter 4?

 

4.      Look up the meaning of some of the other names in this Haftarah.  How does the meaning of these names enhance the message of the story and Song of Deborah?

 

5.      What can this Haftarah teach us about the role God has for women?

 

6.      What new insight did you gain from this teaching? How do you respond to this new insight? How will you realign your life based on this new understanding?

 

7.      (Bonus Question) Two women of the Bible are called “most blessed among women;” Jael in Judges 5:24 and Mary (Miriam) in Luke 1:41-42.  How are these two women connected?

 

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Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Torah Portions Ha’Azinu/HaBracha – He Was King in Jeshurun

The Video version is available at: https://youtu.be/GfCGrhPB6YU

Reading – Deuteronomy 32:48-33:5; 34:1-12

 

By Dan and Brenda Cathcart

In the last Torah portion, God told the children of Israel that they would turn away from Him, and, as a result, be exiled from the Promised Land that they hadn’t even entered yet! However, God also reassures them that the land would be there waiting for them to possess once more. All they had to do was return to Him will all their heart and soul. As this Torah portion begins, Moses sings a song of prophecy over the children of Israel reinforcing this message. With his death imminent, Moses, then, turns to individual blessings over each of the tribes of Israel. His introduction and conclusion to the blessings remind Israel of their covenant relationship with God.

The words that Moses spoke to the children of Israel on the plains of Moab before entering the land took place over the period of one month. Moses began speaking to them on the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year from the time they left Egypt. As the eleventh month came to a close, Moses spoke a formal blessing over the tribes of Israel. The blessings are in the center of a chiastic structure. The outer layer is the announcement that Moses would die on that day. Moving in one layer, are the introduction and conclusion of the blessing. The inner layer is the blessing to all the tribes.

Starting with the outer layer, God told Moses that the day had come that Moses would die. God instructs Moses to go to Mount Nebo where he could see into the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 32:48-50 NKJV 48 Then the LORD spoke to Moses that very same day, saying: 49 "Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession; 50 "and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people;

God told Moses to go to Mount Nebo, a mountain of the Abarim. The word Abarim, number 5682 in Strong’s Concordance, means the “regions beyond.” It comes from the word “ay-ber” meaning a “region across.” The children of Israel were camped in the region beyond the Jordan near Jericho, literally, across from the Promised Land. The root word for “ay-ber,” is “aw-bar,” number 5674, meaning to cross over. The children of Israel would cross over into the Promised Land, but Moses would not cross over with them. God, instead, allowed Moses to see the entire land that Israel would possess. The details of what Moses saw are included in the paired passages of this outer layer of the chiasm. It also confirms that Moses would not cross over into the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 34:1-4 NKJV 1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, 3 the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there."

The phrase “the Western Sea” obviously refers to the Mediterranean Sea, however, examining the Hebrew words reveals a possible deeper meaning. The literal translation of this phrase would be “the utmost sea.” The Hebrew word translated as either western or utmost is the word “akh-ar-one,” number 314, meaning hinder, late, last, western, after, or to come. The Hebrew word for “sea” is “yam” spelled with the Hebrew letters yood and mem. The Hebrew word for “day” is “yom” which is spelled with the same two Hebrew letters. In modern Hebrew, vowel markings indicate which of the two words is meant, but before vowel markings, the only way to distinguish between these words was the context. In the context of seeing the land, the phrase is correctly translated as the western or utmost sea. The deeper meaning of the text refers to the possibility that Moses saw what would happen “at the last day.”  The Stone Edition Chumash states that the Sages understood this alternate meaning.

The Sages teach: Read this phrase (as far as the western sea) as though it did not state, the last sea but, the last day. God showed Moses all that would happen to Israel in the future until the last day when the dead will rise again.[i]

There is a precedent for God showing those He favors with a vision of the last day. When Abraham offered up Isaac, we read that he looked up and saw the place where God wanted him to bring Isaac. Yeshua refers to this event stating that Abraham saw Yeshua’s day.

John 8:56 NKJV 56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."

In another instance, Jacob, just before he died, blessed his twelve sons who would become, of course, the twelve tribes. He said that his blessing would reveal what would happen in the last days.

Genesis 49:1 NKJV 1 And Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days:

So, as Moses began to bless the twelve tribes of Israel, we can look at all of his words as referring to the last days. This especially applies to Moses’ introduction and conclusion of the blessing in which Moses sees God as ruling over Israel. The introduction begins with Moses seeing God’s presence with them at Mt. Sinai and throughout their journey in the wilderness. Prophetically, Moses sees this event as if it is fulfilled in the last days. The introduction begins with the children of Israel in the presence of their God at Mt. Sinai and on their journeys in the wilderness.

Deuteronomy 33:1-2 NKJV 1 Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2 And he said: "The LORD came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came with ten thousands of saints; From His right hand Came a fiery law for them.

The presence of the LORD descended on Sinai in fire and smoke.

Exodus 19:18 NKJV 18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.

He was with them as they left Sinai and camped in the wilderness of Paran.

Numbers 10:12 NKJV 12 And the children of Israel set out from the Wilderness of Sinai on their journeys; then the cloud settled down in the Wilderness of Paran.

Even when they wandered in the wilderness around Mount Seir and, finally, turned toward the Promised Land, God was with them.

Deuteronomy 2:1-3 NKJV 1 "Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness of the Way of the Red Sea, as the LORD spoke to me, and we skirted Mount Seir for many days. 2 "And the LORD spoke to me, saying: 3 'You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward.

We think of God appearing by Himself on Mt. Sinai, but Moses said a company of His holy ones were with God. He described God as being accompanied by “ten thousands of His saints.” David describes the scene at Mt. Sinai as God being surrounded by His chariots.

Psalms 68:17 NKJV 17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, Even thousands of thousands; The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.

Stephen says the children of Israel received the Torah through the hands of angels.

Acts 7:53 NKJV 53 "who have received the law by the direction of angels."

Paul also states that the angels had a role in transmitting the Torah.

Galatians 3:19 NKJV 19 and it (the Torah) was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.

Moses stated that God extended His right hand and gave them a “fiery Torah.” When God spoke His Words at Mt. Sinai, they came with thunderings and lightnings. The Jewish sages say that tongues of fire touched on each person standing at the base of Mt. Sinai. The prophet Jeremiah compares God’s word to a powerful fire.

Jeremiah 23:29 NKJV 29 "Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

Daniel’s description of God’s throne is very much like Moses’ description of God’s presence on Mt. Sinai.

Daniel 7:9-10 NKJV 9 "I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; 10 A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened.

The NKJV Study Bible comments on Moses’ description in Deuteronomy 33 of God’s presence.

Came from… dawned… shone forth: These verbs reminded the Israelites of the awe-inspiring revelation of God in all of His glory. God came down to Israel and revealed His covenant and law to them at Mt. Sinai. Poetically, Moses referred to Seir and Paran located to the northeast of Mt. Sinai. With these references, Moses implied that God’s revelation took place throughout the whole wilderness journey.[ii]

God’s presence must have been both frightening and awe-inspiring. The children of Israel were so terrified when they heard God’s voice from the mountain, that they feared God was going to kill them. However, far from wanting to kill them, God’s act of giving the Torah to the children of Israel was an act of love.

Deuteronomy 33:3-4 NKJV 3 Yes, He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hand; They sit down at Your feet; Everyone receives Your words. 4 Moses commanded a law for us, A heritage of the congregation of Jacob.

The word “loves” in this passage is not the usual Hebrew word we translate as love. In this verse, and only in this verse, it is “khaw-bab,” number 2245, meaning to hide or cherish. We can see God holds His people close to Him, cherishing them, and hiding them under His protection. The next phrase continues that thought; God holds His holy ones in His hand. They sit down at the feet of the Father and, not only hear His words, but receive it! This is a far cry from the fear with which the children of Israel received God’s Words at Mt. Sinai!

When Yeshua was here on Earth, many people flocked to Him to hear His words. One of His followers, Mary, put aside her duties as hostess and sat down at Yeshua’s feet.

Luke 10:38-39 NKJV 38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.

One day, everyone will sit at Yeshua’s feet and joyfully receive His words.

Isaiah 2:3 NKJV 3 Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Moses calls this the heritage of the congregation of Jacob! We see that, at Mt. Sinai and, again at the last days, the LORD will be king in Jeshurun.

Deuteronomy 33:5 NKJV 5 And He was King in Jeshurun, When the leaders of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together.

Jeshurun is an affectionate name for Israel used only a few times in the Bible. The name Jeshurun, number 3484, means upright. God’s people are described as those who are upright! At Mt. Sinai, when the children of Israel received the Torah, God saw them as upright and they acknowledged Him as King!

However, the first use of the term Jeshurun for Israel was not in praise but in judgment. In the song of Moses where he describes how Israel will turn away from God, he uses the term Jeshurun indicating that those who were called by God as upright, had turned away from God.

Deuteronomy 32:15 NKJV 15 "But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, You are obese! Then he forsook God who made him, And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

The only other place Jeshurun is used in the Bible is in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah reminds Israel that God chose them and calls them upright.

Isaiah 44:1-2 NKJV 1 "Yet hear now, O Jacob My servant, And Israel whom I have chosen. 2 Thus says the LORD who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you: 'Fear not, O Jacob My servant; And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

When God once again gathers His people, as Moses said, “all the tribes of Israel together,” then God will once again be King in Jeshurun!

This concludes the introduction of the blessings that Moses speaks over the twelve tribes. After Moses delivers the blessings, his conclusion picks up right where he left off in the introduction. Moses reiterates that God is King in Jeshurun. There is no God like Him!

Deuteronomy 33:26 NKJV 26 "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds.

David writes that God is the king of all the earth who rides the heavens.

Psalms 68:32-34 NKJV 32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah 33 To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice. 34 Ascribe strength to God; His excellence is over Israel, And His strength is in the clouds.

The summary continues; it repeats the themes of the introduction but in reverse order according to the chiastic structure. Remember, the introduction stated that God holds His holy ones in His hand. In his conclusion, Moses reiterates that God’s protection is over His people.

Deuteronomy 33:27-28 NKJV 27 The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, 'Destroy!' 28 Then Israel shall dwell in safety, The fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens shall also drop dew.

In those days, Israel will rightly deserve the name Jeshurun. She will be a righteous kingdom. Jeremiah writes of the time when Jerusalem will be called righteous.

Jeremiah 33:15-16 NKJV 15 'In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, And Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.'

Moses had declared that there is no God like the God of Jeshurun. Now he states that there is no nation like the nation comprised of those who have been saved by the LORD.

Deuteronomy 33:29 NKJV 29 Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, And you shall tread down their high places."

God’s majesty, which was once displayed over Mt. Sinai, would now be displayed over all Israel! Isaiah writes that in that day, everyone will dwell safely under the shekinah of God’s protection.

Isaiah 4:5-6 NKJV 5 then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. 6 And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.

The Jewish sages say that Moses saw what would happen in the last days at the time of the resurrection of the dead. Paul, also, tells us what will happen at the time of the resurrection of the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:22-25 NKJV 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.

After Moses concluded the blessing over the twelve tribes, he went up on Mt. Nebo to die. The concluding words of Deuteronomy state that there has not arisen a prophet like Moses.

Deuteronomy 34:10 NKJV 10 But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,

There was not a prophet like Moses who spoke to God face to face until Yeshua came. He is the one who was prophesied to come like Moses. He is the Son of David who will rule on David’s throne. He is God’s anointed leader; His sent One. God’s covenant with Israel that they will possess the land is still in force and will be fulfilled when Yeshua returns. God was, is and will be King in Jeshurun!

Study Questions:

Teaching Questions

 

  1. The description of Moses’ death is the outer layer of the chiasm where we learn that he died on a mountain of the Abarim. The meaning of Abarim comes from the word “ay-ber,” meaning to cross over. It is the root word of the word “Hebrew.” In what ways did the Hebrews “cross over?” In what was can we say Moses “crossed over” even though he didn’t enter the Promised Land? Why is Moses’ death the outside layer of the chiasm? (Bonus: How do we “cross over?”)

 

  1. The middle layer of the chiasm is the declaration of God as King in Jeshurun. How can this be understood as both a description of the events at Sinai and on the wilderness journey as well as a description of the last day?

 

3.     The word “loves” in Deuteronomy 33:3 is “Khaw-bab” meaning to hide or cherish. How can that be understood as “love?” How is this realized in the last day?

 

General Portion Questions

 

  1. The Song of Moses, Deuteronomy 32: is primarily an indictment against Israel. What are the charges? What is the judgment? How does the song reinforce that God is King in Jeshurun?

 

 

  1. The blessings of the tribes are in the center of the chiasm. Counting the center by the middle verse, the middle line, and the middle tribe (Note that Zebulon and Issachar are grouped together in the blessing), the blessing on Joseph is in the middle. Our premise is that Moses saw the last day. What does the blessing on Joseph reveal about the last day? What is the central theme of the chiasm?

 

  1. What other insights did you gain from this teaching? What indicators are there in this Torah Portion that point to Messiah Yeshua?

 

Bonus: What are the parallels between the children of Israel at the brink of entering the Promised Land and Yeshua’s gathering of the believers at His second coming?

 

© 2023 Moed Ministries International. All rights reserved.



[i] The Stone Edition Chumash. General Editors Rabbi Nosson Scherman and Rabbi Meir Zolotowitz. Mesorah Publications, Ltd. ©1998, 2000. Page 1121.

[ii] NKJV Study Bible. General Editor Earl D. Radmacher. Thomas Nelson, Inc. ©1997, 2007.  Page 322.

Saturday, October 26, 2024

Torah Portions Nitzavim-Vayelech – Return with All Your Heart and Soul

The Video version is available at: https://youtu.be/JmexPgknBng

Reading – Deuteronomy 30:1-10

 

By Dan and Brenda Cathcart

Even before the children of Israel went into the Promised Land, God knew that they would turn away from Him. He told Moses that this would happen; He even told the children of Israel that they would turn away from serving Him.

Deuteronomy 31:20 NKJV 20 "When I have brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and filled themselves and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant.

God is omniscient and not restricted by time as we are. Still, despite this knowledge that Israel would turn away from Him, God loved and continues to love Israel. Why would God continue to love such a fickle people? What could Israel do to merit such an unconditional love? What does God require of them? Similarly, God knows our every action and knows every sin we have committed or will commit, what does God require of us?

When God is speaking these words to Moses about the future of the children of Israel, they are standing on the banks of the Jordan River getting ready to go into the Land and take the Land as God instructed them to do. As they were standing there before Moses and before the LORD, God declared that the covenant He made with them was not just a covenant with their fathers but was a covenant He was making with them at that time and on that day.

Deuteronomy 29:10-12 NKJV 10 "All of you stand today before the LORD your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, 11 "your little ones and your wives-also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water- 12 "that you may enter into covenant with the LORD your God, and into His oath, which the LORD your God makes with you today,

Centuries later, after the ten northern tribes had been exiled from the land, and Judah was on the brink of joining Israel in exile, God declared that His covenant remained with Israel. He would only cast-off Israel if and when the heavens could be measured, and the foundations of the earth revealed her secrets.

Jeremiah 31:37 NKJV 37 Thus says the LORD: "If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, says the LORD.

We may think that we are close to measuring the heavens and understanding the foundations of the earth, however, the more scientists learn about creation, the more they realize that they are not even close to understanding the universe!

We see, then, that, despite knowing all that Israel had done and would continue to do, God still chose them as His covenant people. He told them that they would be exiled from the land, but that He would bring them back. However, their return to the land would only occur after they returned to God.

Deuteronomy 30:1-3 NKJV 1 "Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, 2 "and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 "that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you.

Moses outlined steps for them to take to once again possess the land that their fathers possessed. The first step is to remember the blessings and the curses that Moses spoke that had happened to them and their fathers. They were to remember both the times God blessed them, and the times they experienced the curse because of their disobedience. God said this would happen to them in the land where they lived in exile.

When they remembered the blessings as well as the curses, they were to return to the LORD their God with all their heart and with all their soul. When they did so, God would gather them and return them to the land. It didn’t matter where on the Earth they had been scattered, God knew where they were and would bring them back to the land.

Deuteronomy 30:5 MKJV 5 And the LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. And He will do you good, and multiply you above your fathers.

A condition of their return was to return to the LORD with all their heart and with all their soul. What does this look like? Let’s look at a couple of examples from the Tanach, the Old Testament, and an example from the Brit Hadashah, or the New Testament.

In the accounts of the kings of Judah, many kings obeyed God and walked in the ways of their father David. However, many other kings disobeyed God and led Judah into sin. King Ahaz was one king who led Judah into sin. He began by adopting the practices of the Canaanites sacrificing his own sons in the fire to the Canaanite gods.

2 Chronicles 28:2-3 NKJV 2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made molded images for the Baals. 3 He burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

It’s not surprising that God allowed him to be defeated in battle by the Syrians. Because the Syrians defeated him, he adopted their gods as his own.

2 Chronicles 28:23 MKJV 23 For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who struck him. And he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

Ahaz set up an altar to the Syrian gods in God’s temple in the place of the bronze altar. He commanded that the daily offerings be brought to this new altar instead of the altar of God. When this didn’t help prevail in battle, he closed up the temple of God and set up altars to other gods throughout Jerusalem and the entire nation of Judah.

2 Chronicles 28:24 MKJV 24 And Ahaz gathered the vessels of the house of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD. And he made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

Judah had turned away from God! After the death of Ahaz, his son Hezekiah became king. Hezekiah immediately reversed everything his father had done! On the first day of Hezekiah’s reign, he began the process of cleansing and opening the temple.

2 Chronicles 29:3-6 NKJV 3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them. 4 Then he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them in the East Square, 5 and said to them: "Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place. 6 "For our fathers have trespassed and done evil in the eyes of the LORD our God; they have forsaken Him, have turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD, and turned their backs on Him.

Notice that Hezekiah didn’t delay in returning to the worship of God. He called on the Levites to sanctify themselves. He made a covenant with the LORD renewing Judah’s commitment to the covenant made at Mt. Sinai.

2 Chronicles 29:10 NKJV 10 "Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.

Hezekiah led in turning the hearts and souls of the people back to God. As soon as the temple was purified, Hezekiah led the way in bringing offerings to God. The whole assembly joined in with worship.

2 Chronicles 29:28-30 NKJV 28 So all the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. 29 And when they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed and worshiped. 30 Moreover King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Hezekiah didn’t stop at the outward expression of worship; he instituted reforms throughout Judah. He commanded that the altars to other gods be destroyed. He commanded that the first fruits and tithes be brought to the temple and distributed them for the support of the Levites, the widows, and the orphans. He returned to the LORD with all his heart.

2 Chronicles 31:20-21 NKJV 20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God. 21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.

A few years later, when Sennacherib, the new king of Assyria tried to conquer Judah, God acted on behalf of Judah. He caused the entire army that was besieging Jerusalem to fall dead overnight.

2 Chronicles 32:20-21 NKJV 20 Now because of this King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven. 21 Then the LORD sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned shamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there.

Unfortunately, Hezekiah’s son Manasseh and grandson Amon did not walk in his ways. Instead, they followed the path of Hezekiah’s father King Ahaz. Manasseh rebuilt the altars that Hezekiah had torn down. He caused his sons to be sacrificed to the Canaanite gods, and he built altars for the all the gods in the temple court! After the deaths of Manasseh and Amon, Josiah became king.

Josiah did everything that Hezekiah did. He loved God with all his heart, soul, and might.

2 Kings 23:25 NKJV 25 Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him.

A few years later, Pharaoh Necho brought an army through Israel on his way to assist the King of Assyria in his war against the Babylonians. King Josiah went out to battle against Pharaoh Necho. Based on what God did for Judah under King Hezekiah, we would expect God to make Josiah victorious over Pharaoh Necho. However, this is not what happened. King Josiah was killed in battle and Judah was forced to pay tribute to Egypt.

What was the difference? Both kings Hezekiah and Josiah loved God with all their hearts! During Hezekiah’s reign, we learn that God prepared the hearts of all the people to worship him. Then, at the celebration of the Passover, God gave Judah singleness of heart to follow Him.

2 Chronicles 30:12 NKJV 12 Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, at the word of the LORD.

The prophet Jeremiah can shed some light on this situation. He began prophesying during the reign of King Josiah.

Jeremiah 3:6 NKJV 6 The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: "Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot.

Skipping down to verse 10:

Jeremiah 3:10 NKJV 10 "And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense," says the LORD.

Repentance and return to God cannot be only outward. It must be with the whole heart and must be a return to all of God’s commandments. During King Josiah’s reign all of Judah and even the land of the northern kingdom of Israel tore down all their idols and worshipped God, but it seems that the people didn’t have the same heart as Josiah. The Stone Edition Tanach cites the sage Radak’s comments:

Although King Josiah thoroughly purged all idolatrous practices, the common people were less enthusiastic about his religious reforms.[i]

After King Josiah, Judah continued to follow the path of rebellion against God. Eventually, they, like the northern tribes of Israel, were exiled from the land. It seemed that God had abandoned His people and nullified the covenant. However, when we go back to Moses in Deuteronomy, God told Moses that this exile would happen. God already knew that it would. When they remember God in all the lands where He has scattered them and turn to Him with all the heart and soul, not in mere pretense, then God will bring them back to the land. It will be like in the days of Hezekiah. The curses they experienced would be placed on their enemies.

Deuteronomy 30:7 NKJV 7 "Also the LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.

God would give them singleness of heart to follow God’s commandments as their leaders guide them.

Deuteronomy 30:8 NKJV 8 "And you will again obey the voice of the LORD and do all His commandments which I command you today.

The result of this is that God would rejoice over them!

Deuteronomy 30:9-10 NKJV 9 "The LORD your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your land for good. For the LORD will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, 10 "if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

The passage ends where it began with the condition if they turn to the LORD their God with all their heart and soul!

Yeshua told a parable about a man with two sons. One son took his inheritance and went out into the world leaving his family behind. He ended up losing all that he had through wasteful living.

Luke 15:11-13 MKJV 11 And He said, A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that is coming to me. And he divided his living to them. 13 And not many days afterward, the younger son gathered all together and went away into a far country. And there he wasted his property, living dissolutely.

When a famine hit, he had no resources and sold himself to a man of the nation where he lived. He ended up tending and feeding swine. This is when he remembers his father’s house and all the blessings he had from his father.

Luke 15:17-19 MKJV 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father abound in loaves, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you 19 and am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.

This son repented and determined to return to his father’s house knowing that any mercy shown to him by his father would be undeserved. To his surprise, his father greeted him with tears of joy.

Luke 15:20-21 NKJV 20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

The father commanded that a celebration be prepared for his younger son. The younger son did not deserve the unreserved welcome of the father. In fact, the older son, who had remained with his father, obeying and serving him, was not happy with his father’s greeting of his younger brother. He refused to enter the banquet honoring his brother.

Luke 15:28-30 NKJV 28 "But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 "So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 'But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'

The father responded with compassion for his older son while reminding him that his brother, who was dead to them, was now alive.

Luke 15:31-32 NKJV 31 "And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 'It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'"

This is how God views His children. We forget God and, sometimes, deliberately walk away from Him. But God continues to love us. What does God require of us? He requires us to turn to Him with our whole heart and soul. In return, He rejoices over us. When others of His children return to Him, God wants us to rejoice over them as well.

Study Questions:

Teaching Questions

 

  1. We posed several questions in the opening of the teaching. Why does He continue to love Israel even though He knows they will rebel? What does God require of Israel in order to receive His mercy?

 

  1. What was the difference between Hezekiah’s time and Josiah’s time? What evidence in scripture do we find that spells out these differences?

 

  1. The parable of the prodigal son has messages for both sons. What are those messages? How do they apply to God’s people?

 

General Portion Questions

 

  1. Deuteronomy 30:11-14 states that God’s word, His commandments are very near them. What does Moses mean? Paul quotes this passage in Romans 10:8-10. Placed in the context of Deuteronomy, what is Paul trying to communicate in this passage of Romans?

 

  1. How does the commandment to read the Torah every seven years in the year of release (Deuteronomy 31:9-13) point to the coming reign of Messiah?

 

  1. What other insights did you gain from this teaching? What indicators are there in this Torah Portion that point to Messiah Yeshua?

 

© 2023 Moed Ministries International. All rights reserved.



[i] The Stone Edition Tanach. General Editor Rabbi Nosson Scherman. Mesorah Publications, Ltd. ©1996, 1998. Page 1077.