The Promise of Rest: #1 – Joshua 1 – Take Joshua in Whom Is the Spirit

The video version is available at: https://youtu.be/0Lm5ziq60t4

Reading – Joshua 1:1-18

 

By Dan and Brenda Cathcart

In this new series, we will be studying the books of Joshua through Second Samuel. These books trace the forming of the nation of Israel from the time Joshua leads the children of Israel in the Promised Land, through the time of the judges, and the reign of Saul. It culminates with David’s reign as king over Israel. The title of this new series is “The Promise of Rest.”  What is this connection between building and establishing the Kingdom of Israel and the promise of rest?

This series begins with the children of Israel camped on the Plains of Moab across the Jordan River from the Promised Land. Moses spent a month reminding the people of what God had done for them and what He planned to do when they crossed into the Promised Land. He warned them that they had not yet obtained the inheritance promised to them and connected it with receiving the LORD’s rest.

Deuteronomy 12:8-11 NKJV 8 "You shall not at all do as we are doing here today-every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes- 9 "for as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance which the LORD your God is giving you. 10 "But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety, 11 "then there will be the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the LORD.

Moses opens with the admonition that when they enter the land, they are not to do as they were doing at that time; that is, every man was not to do what was right in their own eyes. The explanation of this statement was that they had not come to the rest and the inheritance which the LORD their God was giving them. This seems to imply that once they enter into the rest and the inheritance that God is giving them, they can do what is right in their own eyes. But taken in context, this is not what the passage implies.

The context of this instruction is found in the previous verses where they were told not to worship at just any place like the Canaanites did. They were, instead, to bring their offerings to the place where God would place His name.

Deuteronomy 12:5-7 NKJV 5 "But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. 6 "There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 7 "And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the LORD your God has blessed you.

In this context, The Stone Edition Chumash says that the statement every man doing what is right in his own eyes applies to bringing sacrifices to private altars especially during the time between entering the Land and setting up the Tabernacle at Shiloh. They state that private altars are allowed for bringing the offerings described in verse six until they find and choose a place for God’s name.

When you cross the Jordan and enter the Land and the only national altar will be the one at Gilgal, private altars will be permitted. But on your private altars, you shall not do everything that we are doing today [i.e., you are forbidden to bring every kind of offering on a private altar.] …The reason this new condition will prevail is because you will not yet have come to the resting place [i.e., Shiloh, which was a temporary resting place for God’s presence] or to the heritage [i.e., the Temple in Jerusalem which was His eternal heritage.[i]

Other commentaries on this passage remark that the unsettled state of the children of Israel as they were traveling through the wilderness kept them from being able to fully observe the requirements for the offerings. In particular, seventeenth century theologian Matthew Poole comments:

Here; where the inconveniency of the place, and the uncertainty of our abode in and removal from several places, would not permit exact order in sacrifices, and feasts, and ceremonies, which therefore God was pleased then to dispense with; but saith he, he will not do so there. …not that universal liberty was given to all persons to worship whom and how they listed, but that in many things their unsettled condition gave every one opportunity to do so if he thought good.[ii]

Both the Chumash and Matthew Poole agree that being able to fully carry out God’s instructions for worship depended on them being in the land and seeking out the place where God chooses to put His name. The phrase “every man doing what is right in his own eyes” refers to doing the best they could to bring their offerings to the LORD until they were able to do so fully. This would be when God brings them fully into the land so that they receive their inheritance dwelling in the land. God then gives them rest from their enemies causing them to dwell in safety, and finding the place where God chooses for His name to abide. Moses goes on to explain what would be permissible once they entered the land. The pitfall that they needed to avoid was to begin to worship like the Canaanites worshipped!

These three conditions, dwelling in the land, receiving rest from their enemies, and finding the place where God chose for His name to abide, define the mission of the children of Israel as they enter the Land! Notice that merely dwelling in the land was not enough; they needed to also have rest from their enemies, and they needed to seek out the place where God’s name would abide. With this understanding, we can now see that the many instances in the book of Judges where it states that “every man did what was right in his own eyes” refers to the incomplete mission of the children of Israel! Also, we can look forward to the final parts of this series when David has a heart to build a house for the LORD as a completion of this mission! At the time of David, they will have taken the land, had rest from their enemies, and, through David, found the place where God chose for His name to abide!

Now, back to Moses and the beginning of the mission! God told Moses that he would die on the mountains of Abarim and would not be allowed to lead the children of Israel into the land. Moses asked that God appoint a man to be over the people.

Numbers 27:15-17 NKJV 15 Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying: 16 "Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 "who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd."

Moses addressed the LORD as the God of the spirits of all flesh, the aspect of God that knows the heart and spirit of each man. Moses wanted the very best for the children of Israel. His concern was that the man would be a strong leader able to go out before them in battle and care for them like a shepherd cares for his sheep.

God told Moses to choose Joshua, in whom was the Spirit! Joshua had the spirit that Moses was looking for; God’s spirit lived in Joshua.

Numbers 27:18-21 NKJV 18 And the LORD said to Moses: "Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; 19 "set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. 20 "And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. 21 "He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him-all the congregation."

The selection of Joshua was witnessed by the entire congregation and verified by the Urim in the hands of the high priest Eleazar. God left no doubt that Joshua was the leader to succeed Moses! Moses did all that God commanded him including laying his hands on Joshua to give to him some of the authority that God had given to Moses.

Numbers 27:22-23 NKJV 22 So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. 23 And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

At the laying-on of Moses hands, God filled Joshua with the spirit of wisdom!

Deuteronomy 34:9 NKJV 9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Moses addressed the people and declared that Joshua was the one who would cross over the Jordan River before them. Joshua would go out before them in battle against the Canaanites; he would lead them out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land!

Deuteronomy 31:3 NKJV 3 "The LORD your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before you, just as the LORD has said.

The children of Israel had been on the brink of entering the Promised Land once before thirty-eight years earlier. At that time, their fear and lack of belief in God’s sovereign power resulted in them backing down from the battles ahead and refusing to go into the Land. Moses did not want this to happen again! He exhorted the people to be strong and have courage! Then he addressed Joshua and exhorted him to be strong and courageous.

Deuteronomy 31:6-8 NKJV 6 "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." 7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 "And the LORD, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed."

The announcement of Joshua as their new leader probably occurred early in the final month of Moses’ life as he addressed the people. In Moses’ opening remarks to the people on the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year since they came out of Egypt, he concluded by relating God’s words to him that he would not be able to lead them into the Promised Land, but that Joshua would lead them.

Deuteronomy 3:28 NKJV 28 'But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.'

After the death of Moses and the thirty-day period of mourning, the word of the LORD came to Joshua for the first time.

Joshua 1:1-2 NKJV 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: 2 "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them-the children of Israel.

Twice in these two verses, Moses is referred to as the servant of the LORD. The Stone Edition Chumash comments on the great honor of this title.

“When he was alive he was called man of God (33:1), but in death he is called a servant for the first time, to allude to a new and higher status, for a servant is permitted, as it were to enter the inner chamber of the king (R.’Bachya). …In receiving this title, Moses was given the highest possible compliment: he lived completely and solely for the sake of God.[iii]

The NKJV Study Bible also comments on the recipients of this title “servant of the LORD.”

In the Hebrew Scriptures, it is a special title given only to Moses, Joshua, David, and the Messiah.[iv]

At this transition from authority from Moses to Joshua, Moses, through his faithful service to God, received the title servant of the LORD. Joshua will later receive the accolade of this same title at his death. Joshua, like Moses, lived completely and solely for the sake of God. So, as we begin the book of Joshua, we will see his total devotion to God.

It begins with God promising that all of the land that the children of Israel walk on would be given to him.

Joshua 1:3 NKJV 3 "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.

The “you” in this verse is in the plural form referring to all of Israel. Every place that they walked was already theirs! Abraham received a similar promise after he came out of Egypt! He would receive all that land that he walked through!

Genesis 13:15-17 NKJV 15 "for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 16 "And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. 17 "Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you."

Through Joshua, the promise to Abraham would be fulfilled. They would take possession of the land that God had already given to them! In order to fulfill this, Joshua would need to be a strong leader. God promised that no man would be able to stand against Joshua.

Joshua 1:5-6 NKJV 5 "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 "Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

Previously Moses had encouraged Joshua to be strong and courageous, and that God would never leave him; now the LORD spoke these same words directly to Joshua. He commands Joshua to be strong in possessing the land and dividing it as an inheritance among the tribes. God repeats the words to be strong and courageous in regard to Joshua keeping the Torah.

Joshua 1:7-8 NKJV 7 "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

God tells Joshua that the way to be strong and courageous in keeping the Torah was to meditate in it day and night. The Word was to be continually in his thoughts and deeds! God concludes this first conversation with Joshua with the reiteration to be strong and courageous and that He would be with Joshua wherever he went.

Joshua 1:9 NKJV 9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Joshua immediately carried out God’s instructions and told the people to get ready to go. They would leave in three days!

Joshua 1:10-11 NKJV 10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 "Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess.'"

We have seen three days of preparation before! When the children of Israel were camped at Mt. Sinai, God gave them three days to get ready to hear His voice and receive God’s covenant making them God’s people! Now they have three days to get ready to cross over the Jordan and receive the Land that He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Jewish tradition says that Moses died on the seventh day of the twelfth month. The mourning for his death lasted thirty days taking us to the seventh day of the first month. The three days of preparation mean that Joshua led the children of Israel across the Jordan River on the tenth of Nisan, the same day forty years earlier that the children of Israel chose the lamb for the Passover sacrifice. Exactly forty years to the very day after the children of Israel began their exodus from Egypt, Joshua led them into the Promised Land.

The people received Joshua’s instructions with enthusiasm and confirmed their loyalty and commitment to Joshua.

Joshua 1:16-18 NKJV 16 So they answered Joshua, saying, "All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 "Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. 18 "Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage."

The people conclude their words with the final admonition to be strong and courageous. Moses, God, and the people all encouraged Joshua as he began the mission to take possession of the land and dwell in it, to defeat their enemies and have rest from their battles, and to seek the place where God’s name would abide.

Join us as we travel with Joshua, the judges of Israel, Samuel, and David to complete this mission.

Study Questions:

1.   1 - How does this teaching change the way you understand the phrase “every man doing what is right in his own eyes?” Yeshua may have been referring to this understanding in his conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4:21-24. How are His statements connected to this phrase?

 

2.   2 - What are the three parts of the “mission?” Why is each part essential? Has the mission been completed? If so, when was it completed? If not, when will it be completed?

 

3.   3 - Joshua received the spirit of wisdom when Moses laid his hands on him. Who else in the Bible received the spirit of wisdom? What is the spirit of wisdom?

 

4.   4 - Moses and Joshua receive the title “Servant of the LORD.” Why does this title, as the Chumash puts it, “allude to a new and higher status?” What does Yeshua say about the status of a servant?

 

5.   5 - God told Joshua to be strong and courageous in both taking possession of the land and in keeping Torah. Why would Joshua need to be strong and courageous in keeping the Torah?

 

6.   6 - What other insights did you gain from this teaching? What indicators are there in this reading that point to Messiah Yeshua?

© 2023 Moed Ministries International. All rights reserved.

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[i] The Stone Edition Chumash. General Editor Rabbi Nosson Scherman. Mesorah Publications, ltd. ©1998, 2000. Page 1001.

[ii] Matthew Poole. Commentary on the Whole Bible

[iii] The Stone Edition Chumash. General Editor Rabbi Nosson Scherman. Mesorah Publications, ltd. ©1998, 2000. Page 1122.

[iv] NKJV Study Bible. General Editor Earl D. Radmacher. Thomas Nelson Publishing. 2007. Page 327.

We Are Retired!

Announcement:

At the end of June 2025, Brenda and I retired from weekly ministry work and will soon be moving in to a new phase of our lives. As a result, our website at MoedMinistriesInternational.com will be discontinued as of April 1st 2026. We will be traveling around the US and, while enjoying our retirement, we will continue to write and publish our teaching materials in book form and here on this blog site. This blog site as well as our YouTube page will continue with occasional postings as we are inspired to produce. And speaking of books, we have release volume 1 of out latest teaching series titled "The Promise of Rest." It is currently available on Amazon.com at the link below. 

Shalom and be blessed Dan and Brenda Cathcart

https://www.amazon.com/Promise-Rest-Comprehensive-Joshua-Through/dp/B0GF77QZ23/ref=sr_1_6?sr=8-6

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?

 

© 2019/2022 Moed Ministries International. All rights reserved.

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?”)

 

2. 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

 

4. 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?

 

 

5. 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?

 

6. 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.

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[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.