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Torah Portion: Deut 31:1-30 | Prophetic parallels: Joel 2:15-27; Hosea 14:1-9; Micah 7:18-20; Rev 15 | Topic: the call to the absolute purity of chaste virgins, by the Song of Moses AND the Song of the Lamb, noting how YHVH’s WRATH is sharply contrasted in Deut 31:16,17,29 versus 19-21 & in Rev 15:2-4 versus 15:5-8, with the MERCIFUL appeal implicit in these two Songs, to heed the reasonable requirements of “the everlasting covenant,” to avoid harm and even destruction (Rom 12:1,2; Heb 13:20,21)

Yet again, we find that the Hebrew Scriptures have no less in common with the New Testament Books, than the reverse, leaving anyone who harbours a bias against either, as instruction in righteousness (2 Tim 3:14-17), with no place to hide.

By repeating “…He will not FAIL thee nor FORSAKE thee” (Deut 31:6,8), counterbalanced by repetition of, “LEARN to FEAR the LORD” (Deut 5:29; 6:23-25; 31:12,13) to “observe to do” (be DOERS of) “the Way which I’ve commanded you” (Deut 31:12,29; Lk 20:21; Rom 2:6-13; 7:22,25; James 1:22-25; 2:12), we’re reminded that while the Father of Israel’s LOVE is unconditional, His obligation to keep covenant (i.e. not breach His promise) with us INDIVIDUALLY, is inevitably voided at some point by provocations, by our failure to reciprocate in good faith, in appreciation for the holiness of the everlasting covenant (Nu 14:34; Deut 7:9-12; Heb 2:1-3; 10:26-39; 13:20,21).

We’ll read more about YHVH’s responses to contempt for His laws (Rom 8:6,7), in Deut 32.

Ananias and Saffira (Acts 5:1-10) are an object lesson (intentionally placed close to the account of Pentecost) to give warning to us against complacency, by showing the SEVERITY of what is in store for imprudent, rebellious spirits who in one way or another scorn YHVH’s Appointment with His nation at Sinai on the first Shavuo’t, by repudiating the marriage covenant and the moral law for which it stands, by their own breach of righteousness (Matt 7:21-27; Rom 11:20-22; 1 Peter 4:17).

So Deuteronomy 31 is yet another proof that the Glad Tidings proclaimed to Israel as well as to us (Heb 4:2), is a constant reminder that the PROMISED FREEDOM (the freedom that lies BEYOND the ACT of our translation into the Kingdom of God’s Son through justification by faith) is inextricable from RESPONSIBILITY to submit to loving correction for our ongoing sanctification by refinement of our souls by obedience to righteousness, to be AS our Master Whose Image, the express image of Deity, is the acme of the perfection of holiness (Matt 5:48; Lk 6:40; Jn 8:31,32,34-36; 15:3-14; Rom 8:4,29; 2 Cor 7:1; Col 1:13,28,29; Heb 12).

Given that the true worship is patterned on what occurs in HEAVEN (both in terms of furnishings, and of the content of jurisprudence – Matt 6:9,10), there’s no reason to believe that there’s not an ORIGINAL in Heaven’s Sanctuary (Rev 11:19; 15:5), of the “statutes and judgments” which were “put in the SIDE of the Ark of the Covenant (Deut 31:9,24-26) and which include the preparatory Acts 15:20 Levitical table fellowship regulations as part of the collateral body of Divine law (i.e. in the sense of ‘additional but SUBORDINATE’; ‘connected, but ASIDE FROM the MAIN subject’ – Deut 4:13,14; 7:9-12; 29:9,12-15)

The Fundamental indivisible Ten Commandments (Ex 25:22; 34:27,28,32), the ‘main subject’ of righteousness in word and deed on the Way of Holiness, from which the collateral (subordinate) “paths of righteousness” which comprise “the Way of the LORD,” derive; AND the Song of Moses (Deut 31:21,22; Rev 15), TOGETHER witness against covenant- breakers

If we examine both contexts objectively, we’ll find that the Song of the LAMB is no LESS of a witness against those who mistake “the Way of YHVH” as mere SUGGESTION (Lk 20:21; Acts 24:14), than the Song of Moses (Deut 31:15-30; 32:15-35; Rev 14:6,7,12; 15:1-7).

The Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb which sing the praises of the Holiness of YHVH’s Instructions for GODFEARING CONSECRATION, were written as anthems to inspire loyalty to YHVH and His “everlasting covenant,” by encouraging the household of faith to rise to the standard of righteousness now set corporately by Messiah’s deeper and fuller teachings, for Israel (and their church) to become the triumphant, unimpeachable “Yeshurun” (idealization of uprightness) “in whom YHVH-Immanu El-Y’shua will be King” (Deut 33:5; Lk 1:32,33) through the everlasting Reign of the Begotten Son, on the restored Throne of David (Deut 32:15; 33:26; Is 9:6,7; 44:1-8; Jer 31:7,31-36).

Dying in the LORD with “victory over the BEAST, and over his IMAGE, and over his MARK and over the NUMBER of his NAME” (Rev 15:2,3), is not possible except by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony of YHVH’s faithfulness to keep those who “keep the Word of His patience” (as defined by Rev 3:10; 14:6,7,12), in His love.

As Hosea 14:8 prophesies, “From (and now in) Me is thy fruit (of obedience to the commandments) found” (a cross-reference to abiding in the Vine by sanctification by the commandments, to “remain forever” inscribed for Life – Jn 15:3-15; 1 Jn 2:3-6,17,28,29).

Moses and Y’shua are jointly concerned to usher in everlasting righteousness (Deut 18:18,19).

The Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb are the theme songs of the “they” of Rev 15:3&4, who cleave to YHVH in the strong faith always found by devotion to exercising FEAR of YHVH (Ps 119:38 – hence its great emphasis throughout Scripture), thereby offering HIM the strength of an uncompromisingly righteous witness as our ultimate tribute to HIS Love for US, since obedience is the currency of Divine Love (1 Jn 5:2&3; 2 Jn vs 5&6), the performance of truth held out as a great blessing to be desired, in its own right (1 Jn 5:3; Rev 3:10; 14:6,7,12,13)

The Haftarah (corresponding, ‘parting,’ follow-up) selections from the Prophets (Hosea 14:1,4-9; Micah 7:18-20; Joel 2:15-27; Rev 15:1-8) support the conclusion that both Songs share the themes of return and restoration (to the purity of holiness possible only through return to sound doctrine as in Rev 15:3&4 – “just and true are THY WAYS…who shall not Fear Thee”) through removal of the reproach of sin through the necessity for our chastisement, even scourging (Heb 12:6-8), for our refinement to take place by the Presence and power of the Spirit to ensure sanctification of a remnant of proven and therefore “legitimate” sons to be fit to be heirs of YHVH, as “partakers of HIS own Holiness” (Acts 10:35; Rom 8:4,17; Heb 12; 1 Peter 1:2,13-18).

We would be frighteningly remiss if we were to neglect to heed the mounting weight of loving warnings to keep ourselves in YHVH’s love, which DOMINATE THE CLOSING PORTIONS of both the Torah and the Book of Revelation which speaks for the ENTIRE Bible, as the confluence of all narrative and doctrinal threads.

HalleluYaH for not leaving us without a SURE, albeit NARROW path, to the victory of Rev 15:2 which will result in the FULFILMENT of the election of the House of Jacob/dynasty of David in Ex 19:5-8, in the restoration of the monarchy to Jerusalem in Is 9:6,7; Mk 11:10; 1 Peter 2:9,10 & Rev 1:5&6; 11:15 when Israel and its co-heirs in its commonwealth will rise to rule as “Yeshurun”-chief-of-nations, with the nations as THEIR INHERITANCE (Deut 33:26-29; Is 14:1; 54:3; Zech 2:10-12; Rom 4:13; Lk 1:33; Eph 2:11-19)

“Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on EAGLES’ wings and brought you to Myself” (Ex 19:4).

The PARALLEL of that promise to Israel, to “bring us OUT from thence in order to bring us IN, to give us the Land which He swore to our fathers,” to be “all righteous…that He may be glorified” (Deut 6:23-25; Is 61:21) and which will be fulfilled only on COMPLETION of their current reversal of 2nd and final Exile (Deut 30; Is 11:10-12), is the SPIRITUAL promise ratified in their New Covenant, of salvation-deliverance from bondage to the darkness of Torahlessness, for “TRANSLATION into the Kingdom (that comes “without observation” – Lk 17:20) through justifying-faith in the redemption which is in “the Messiah their Passover,” for preparation of a wholeheartedly faithful remnant, for acceptance with Y’shua for entrance into the “Everlasting Kingdom” (Acts 10:36; 1 Cor 5:7,8; 2 Cor 5:9-11; 2 Peter 1:1-11; Heb 5:9) represented by the millennial restoration of the Davidic Monarchy to Jerusalem (Ps 122:5-9; Is 9:6,7; Mk 11:10; Lk 1:32,33; Acts 1:6,7).

The single most important meeting of the church in all its history (forever “the congregation/s of the Fountain of Israel” as the dynasty of Abraham reckoned through Isaac and Jacob the CONSECRATED firstborns – Gen 18:18,19; 28:14; Ps 68:26; Lk 1:33; Jn 10:16; Acts 7:38; Rom 11; Gal 3:29; Eph 2:11,12,15,19; 3:6; Heb 12:23) was its phenomenal encounter with their Deliverer the God of Hebrews, as Lawgiver on the first Shavuo’t, when in awe, Israel acknowledged Him as sole ultimate Sovereign of the Universe (Deut 4:39; 6:4,5; Mk 12:28-34), and in a unique covenant with their God ON BEHALF of the church in perpetuity (Deut 29:12-15), UNANIMOUSLY ACCEPTED the yoke of the marriage covenant, to receive His gracious promise to tenderly guide their destiny to fulfil their holy vocation as “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” bound by YHVH’s righteous commandmentS given “in commandmenT” (Ex 19:5-8; 24:7,8; 34:27,28,32), thereby binding all (including believers from the nations) who would eventually accept the Messiah, to these identical terms, as part of “the people of inheritance” called to KNOW the Messiah by growing in grace and in the knowledge of God by learning “the Way” which He as the Holy and Just Son demonstrated to perfection, to be unashamed of our conduct and thought life, on His return (Deut 4:10-24; Matt 12:50; Lk 6:40; Jn 14:15; Acts 24:14; Rom 3:31; 15:16-18; Heb 12:25-29; 1 Jn 2:3-6,28,29).

In committing itself to full obedience at Sinai (an unequivocal pledge they would infamously, repeatedly dishonour), Israel momentarily at least listened, heard, noted and unconditionally agreed to heed the “if” and “then” in Ex 19:5,6 and the three “ifs” in Deut 28:1,2,9,10, which is a prudent grammatical precision the church today needs to recognize and take to heart, TO FIND THE NARROW PATH, since the New Covenant is no less conditional than preceding covenants which comprise its sub-stack (Matt 12:50; Heb 2:1-3; 10:26-39; Rev 2:5; 3:2-6,16)

The greatest juncture between mankind and eternity is the CRUCIFIXION; whereas the greatest juncture between the eternal God and His FOREVER all-Hebrew CHURCH (Lk 1:33; Acts 7:38; Rom 11; Gal 3:29; Rev 21:12) is SINAI (called the ‘Myrrh Mnt’ in Hebrew poetry), where He commissioned “Israel, My son, even My firstborn” (Ex 4:22,23) as the holy, eternal adopting nation constituted as a “kingdom of priests” (Ex 19:5-8; 24:7,8; Is 45:4; 54:3; 55:5; 60-62; Lk 1:33; Eph 1:5; 2:11-19; Rev 1:5,6) and gave them their Charter as His foremost witnesses of His Singular existence, Majesty, mercy, loving-kindness, compassion, Holiness and power (Deut 4:39; Is 43:1-11; 44:1-8,24) and of His Instruction in “the Way of the LORD” on how one “OUGHT TO BEHAVE” in the household of God as “jewels” of uprightness (Mal 3:16-18), to BE accounted worthy to be “established” as His “peculiar treasure” to be a “glorious church” in latter-house pre-eminence, with full assurance of hope to the end (Deut 26:16-19; Is 46:13; Jer 31:7; Haggai 2:7,9; Eph 5:26,27; Lk 20:35; Phil 1:10; 2:12-16; 1 Tim 3:15; Heb 9:19,20; 10:16; 2 Peter 3:11).

We’ve made a self-righteously modified, anti-Christ gospel a golden calf by perverting the cause of justice by shutting Sinai out of Pentecost by considering its stature as the inaugural Shavuo’t unrelated to the New Covenant’s greatest- ever demand for purification of a bride, by obedience.

Instead, the New Covenant is neither a blanket substitute for previous covenants nor a codicil, but the confluence of all covenants, honouring precedent, to fulfil all the everlasting commitments either unique to or in common with each.

No ACKNOWLEDGMENT and observance of Sinai’s legacy of truth, little or no DEPOSIT of wisdom for final redemption, because no FUEL for the furnace of sanctification (refinement being by the commandments – 1 Thess 4:1-3a; 5:23; 2 Thess 2:13-15).

It’s the church’s holy VOCATION to make disciples of a covenant-KEEPING Messiah by doing likewise (1 Jn 2:3-6,29), or soul-winning is HALF BAKED, eternal life being subject to HOLINESS (Rom 6:22; 1 Tim 6:11-14; Heb 12:14).

So prophetically, we can draw a straight line from GEN 12:2,3 (the promise of a great holy nation as the vehicle for redemption of mankind “in Abraham,” “in Isaac” and “in Jacob” “in Messiah” – Gen 12:3; 28:14; Ps 72:17; Rom 9:7; Gal 3:8,9,27,29, just as Noah’s eight souls were delivered in the Ark) through SINAI (the holding of that fundamental nation FOREVER accountable to absolute Divine moral criteria for holiness by their undertaking ON OUR BEHALF “we will do all and be obedient” – Ex 19:5-8; 24:7,8; Deut 4:5-8,10-24; 29:12-15) to REV 21:9,12; 22:14,18,19 (the consummation of the destiny of that Hebrew nation and its commonwealth – Eph 2:11,12, to prove that the ratification of THEIR New Covenant is the confirmation of the promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – Rom 15:8 AND confirmation of the Sinai covenant of commandments as the basis for Judgment of humanity, to decide who shall have the right to immortality and to the tree of Life and therefore the right to enter through the Twelve Hebrew Tribal Gates into the New Jerusalem (1 Cor 7:19; Rev 12:17; 14:12; 22:14,18,19).

All SEVEN themes in this Portion, from the wisdom of patriarchal authority (Nu 30), to the sanctity of heritage and family lineage, national borders, inherited property and life itself (Nu 32; 35:29-34; 36), reflect the knowledge of Divinely drawn DISTINCTIONS between right and wrong, good and evil, and therefore, between the sacred and the profane, which makes Sinai forever HUMANITY’s MASTERCLASS in moral and ethical wisdom, the core of the “Shema” (Mk 12:28-34).

So much so, that Pentecost two thousand years ago (the Gift of the Spirit, above all as our ‘medium of instruction’ as TEACHER of the Way) is stripped of ITS greatest significance when Sinai’s legitimacy under the New Covenant is dumbly repudiated by violation of the subtle teachings of “grace for grace” (Jn 1:16) which INCLUDES grace to make those made clean by their salvation BY GRACE (Jn 15:3), able to MAINTAIN that imputed innocence by keeping faith with the covenant terms of separation in reverence and Godly Fear, because professing love without awe of God that produces sanctification line by line, precept by precept, is a FAILING RECIPE (Is 8:13,14,16,20; 28:9-13; Rom 15:16-18; 2 Cor 6; Heb 12:14,16,28; James 4:4,5; Rev 14:6,7,12; 18:4,5).

If the church lacks power, and the credibility of its witness is weakened, it’s because we’ve overlooked the fact that the Gospel PROJECTS THE POWER OF GOD only if it is OBEYED, and that that obedience it demands of the RIGHTEOUS, is respect for the covenant given “in commandment” on Sinai (Ex 34:27,28,32) and its accompanying precepts (Ps 119:1,45), which together comprise the love command “against which there is no law” (Lk 10:27,28).

The allegory of Agar the bondwoman in Gal 4:22-24 has nothing to do with the holy covenant obligations required of those ONCE SAVED BY GRACE, to “walk before God and be perfect” in the conscientious manner of Abraham’s and our LORD Y’shua’s obedience to the Father’s will, on “the paths of righteousness” which define the narrow way that LEADS TO ETERNAL LIFE (Gen 17:1; Ps 23:3; Is 51:1-7; Matt 5:48; 19:16-26; Lk 10:25-28; 17:10; Rom 6:12-22; Col 1:22,28; 4:12).

Sinai is not a dinosaur, not an anachronism in this dispensation, not an adversary of freedom, not irreconcilable to grace, not a contradiction of justification apart from works, not a misinterpretation of love; nor the church of Jacob in the wilderness (Acts 7:38), a spent idea.

BOTH are our legacy.

We are reborn, BECAUSE as we know from Jesus’ “sayings,” BOTH are eternal (Matt 5:19,24; 7:21-24), or there’d be no way to “partake of the HOLINESS of YHVH” to truly be His disciples, both free and worthy of escape through the resurrection to life (Deut 30:10,11; Lk 1:33; 20:35; 21:36; Jn 5:28,29; 8:31-36,51; 14:15; 15:10; Rom 3:31; Heb 5:9; 12; 2 Jn vs 5&6).

If we’re not ACCEPTING of the fact of our surnaming and adoption into the eternal House of Jacob (Is 54:3; Lk 1:33; Eph 1:5; 2:11,12,15,19), as one new man “bound in the bundle of life” with Immanu El amongst THEM (the natural olive tree) to display the moral high ground of the Sinai covenant to the world in thought, word and deed, we are not hidden in the Presence of YHVH under the covering of His Spirit.

Those who salivate over their doctrinal bias and denominational prejudice in misreading and misusing Galatians to recriminate and deem as heretical and reprobate, SAVED Torah zealots whom the Apostles COMMENDED to YHVH (Acts 21:20), should be sent down to a class of detention, to write out 1 Cor 7:19; 11:1,2; 2 Thess 2:15 repeatedly TILL THEY ACTUALLY BELIEVE THEM.

Sinai is “bondage” (to sin/Torahlessness) only for those who reject the Spirit and the principle of the leavening effect of law on the righteousness of children of the promise (Gal 4:28) called to be the LIGHT of the world as salt of the earth, not by sitting on their hands boasting in imputed righteousness, but by “walking AFTER righteousness” (constantly exercising it – Heb 5:11-14) by “walking (lawfully) after the Spirit,” to REMAIN in Messiah, the eternal champion of Torah sent to restore the earth to a Godfearing remnant of faithful stewards of the Way (Is 24:3-6; 42:21; Matt 5:19; Rom 8:1-14,18-23; 2 Tim 2:5; 1 Jn 2:3-6,17).

Let’s not be deluded by misjudging and misinterpreting Galatians which focuses rightly on NOT trying to ENTER the kingdom by saving ourselves by establishing our own righteousness by works of the law.

Sarah, saved by grace along with Abraham (Rom 4:3-5), followed- on to know the LORD by embracing Torah as the standard for righteousness, by the rule of obedience to faith, as the hallmark of their household of faith, the household of God (Gen 18:18,19; 26:5; Lk 1:33; Rom 3:31; 16:26; Eph 2:11,12,19)

“Jerusalem above,” the place of the excellency of the glory, is FREE for one reason – it is LAWABIDING, as the origin of “the righteousness of the law” which is pursued by faith for “the righteousness of YHVH” to be imputed to us, for it not to remain PASSIVE, but to be “fulfilled (by and) in US” in PRACTICE, by imitating God Himself (Matt 6:9,10; 12:50; Lk 6:40; Rom 2:13,26; Eph 5:1,10,15-17,26,27; 1 Jn 2:3-6) through the Presence and power of the Spirit of the risen LORD Jesus obtained through the salvation which is freely given for that purpose, to PURIFY and EQUIP us for eternal life (Rom 8:4,14,23; 1 Jn 3:3).

The vast canvas of the TOPIC ‘Sinai, Shabbat and “the everlasting covenant”‘ (linked to this week’s Portion) traces an entirely HEBREW TIMELINE (ingathering of the Gentiles is a ‘parenthetical’ work of the Spirit) from the call of “Abram the HEBREW” (Gen 14:13) to a HEBREW ETERNITY (Rom 4:13; Rev 21:12), by tracing the pathway of the Abrahamic covenantS (Gen 12:1-7; 15; 17; 22) and Davidic salt covenant (2 Chr 13:5) into the Gospel through the New Covenant and shows how disdainfully giving Torah a wide berth, profanes rather than sanctifies the Name (chilul rather than kiddush HaShem) (Hosea 8:1-12; Mal 2:8,10,11) and misses the love command (on which the Torah and the Prophets are “hanging” for good purpose – Matt 22:36-40) by a mile.

The Koren Siddur has a prayer in which we read the rather wonderful statement “He created Glory for His Name,” from which we can infer that HIS “sanctification in righteousness” by OUR sanctification by the righteousness of HIS commandments is CONJOINED with the Glory He made for His Name.

So we hobble the Gospel by whitewashing Sinai, at the peril of destroying good understanding of “EVERLASTING salvation” (“salvation TO THE UTTERMOST” (Is 45:17-25; Heb 7:25) which requires sanctification by all truth (Jn 17:17,19) by offering proof of repentance from a history of voiding Torah (Rom 3:31), by choosing to delight in God’s ways to avoid “returning to our vomit” because sin “will find us out” (Acts 26:18,20; Rom 7:22,25; Gal 2:17,18).

Ignoring the educational rôle of the law through the Holy Spirit framing our responses to life through its wisdom, to match Messiah’s perfect conduct (Ps 50:23; 119:96-105; Rom 3:20; 1 Tim 1:8-11), destroys any hope of accurately defining and honouring the letter and spirit of the Gospel which is THE CALL TO THE RIGHTEOUS, TO KEEP COVENANT from our hearts, by our transformation by the renewal of the spirit of our minds, to be conformed to Messiah’s perfection by doing His Father’s will on earth, to harmonize the ordinances of heaven and earth (Jer 33:25; Matt 6:9,10; Lk 6:40; Rom 12:1,2).

Satan despises what was covenanted at Sinai, which was the beginning of widely orchestrated Torah teaching to purify souls to serve
YHVH in all truth.

Which is why he has smothered the need for what we could call ‘Torah-evangelism’ TO THE RIGHTEOUS, to BE righteous under conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment by the Spirit of Holiness, to be holy, to lay hold on eternal life, which is impossible while we’re voiding Godly Instruction through wilful ignorance (Rom 3:31; 1 Tim 6:11-14; 2 Tim 2:5).

Did Abraham know Torah?

To answer that, we might as well ask rhetorically, “Did Y’shua make Abraham?” (Jn 8:58; Col 1:16).

No less than righteous Noah “the teacher of righteousness” and only hope in God, of continuity of civilization, Abram was called out of Ur of the Chaldees to initiate the great second and final cycle of redemption of mankind, by being an example of an “heir of the righteousness which is of faith” (Heb 11:7-10) AND of a true son schooled in the Way of the LORD in order to BE righteous, order his IMPUTED righteousness would have been INVALIDATED (Gen 18:18,19; 26:5; James 2:14-26).

SUPPRESSED therefore, is the fundamental knowledge of the truth that as the father of our ’emunah’ (faith and faithfulness), Abraham is the father of obedience to Torah (“obedience to righteousness” – Rom 2:13,25; 6:12-22; 7:7,12-16,22,25; 8:4) in order to “walk before YHVH and be PERFECT” (Gen 17:1; 18:18,19; 26:5; Is 51:1-7).

Being “made wise for salvation” by Torah study and practice (2 Tim 3:14-17), Abraham made himself ready (as we’re exhorted to do in Rev 19:7-9), to be accepted as part of the Bride, as did Isaac and Jacob whose heritage from their father and grandfather respectively, was Torah (Gen 26:5; Matt 8:11,12).

So the enemy in the camp is disruptive, disunifying, anarchic Luciferian ‘anti-Nomianism’ (irrational denial of YHVH’s Holiness by denial of the holiness of His ways embodied in His commandments upon which His Character is founded).

Y’shua, Abraham’s Seed (Gal 3:16; Heb 2:16,17), obeyed YHVH’s instruction to Abraham to command his HOUSEHOLD after him (the church of the House of Jacob to which we’re joined, to cleave to Israel – Is 14:1; Jn 10:16; Rom 11; Heb 12:23), to follow his fine example of magnifying Torah to “make it honourable,” “for the sake of YHVH’s righteousness,” because it became the Messiah’s teaching mandate and summons to us all to imitate Him by proving the value of Torah by “establishing” it through its Spirit-led application to our lives, by faith (Is 42:21; Matt 5:17-20,48; Rom 3:31).

Sinai, our mighty legacy of “the law of truth” (Deut 33:2,4; Ps 119:142; Mal 2:6), was the CODIFICATION of the Torah which Abraham, Job (Job 22:21,22; 29) and others knew, with augmented provisions, for it to formally become the church’s plumbline of truth and righteousness (2 Tim 3:14-17).

Being “dead to the law” (2 Tim 2:11 – no longer convicted and under judgment by the law as transgressors) by striving for masteries of the Way, to “walk at liberty” by searching out and doing YHVH’s precepts to remain undefiled and guiltless (Ps 119:1,45) is a soul’s highest achievement because thereby, we “partake of YHVH’s holiness” and Divine Nature (Heb 12; 2 Peter 1).

Ultimately, this is Sinai’s legacy to those who, by YHVH’s Spirit, “seek FIRST My Kingdom and My RIGHTEOUSNESS” to BE righteous as He is righteous (1 Jn 3:4,7).

Torah Instruction, which is good (Rom 7:7,12-16) was “received by the dispensation of Angels” (Acts 7:53), for Y’shua to become Sole Mediator between YHVH and man, of an everlasting covenant that would be ministered to righteousness-prone CIRCUMCISED HEARTS (Rom 6:6,18; 2 Cor 3:8,9) by the indwelling-Spirit of the Messiah internally convicting and mentoring the disciple in all the ways of the LORD, to wholeheartedly do them by the power of the Presence of the Spirit (Phil 2:12,13; Heb 13:20,21), so that Torah, quickened by the Spirit, is no longer “a ministry of condemnation and death” (2 Cor 3:7,9), which was because the stubborn defiance of Israel’s rebellious flesh “weakened the law” (hardheartedness rendered obedience a low probability).

Far from being IRRELEVANT to purification of our souls, which is the goal of faith (1 Peter 1:9,22; 1 Jn 3:3-7), Sinai should therefore be a CONSTANT REMINDER that the superb wisdom of Torah (as fully expounded from its first principles by Y’shua, as anticipated by Moses in Deut 18:18,19/Acts 3:22,23), is a tree of life to those who “lay hold on it and retain it” (Prov 3:18; 4:5-13), to write it on their hearts to make it the apple of their eye (Prov 7:1-4; Matt 5:19; 2 Cor 3:2,3; Heb 8:10-12; 10:16)

To borrow from William Shakespeare, “To be (established) or not to be (established), THAT is the question.”

Torah Portion Deut 26:1 – 29:8, to “be made wise for final redemption” (Rom 8:4,14,23; 2 Tim 3:14-17)

To borrow from William Shakespeare, “To be (established) or not to be (established), THAT is the question.”

Defining “establish” in Deut 28:10 & 29:13 in relation to Heb 8:10, is unquestionably one of the most important tasks for anyone wanting to understand how to count the cost of finishing the course by knowing and keeping THE FAITH by being won over to covenant-keeping by the Spirit (Rom 8:4,6-14), to fight a good fight to overcome Torahlessness to “win Christ” as covenant-Keeper, in the end (Lk 13:23-30; 14:25-35; Phil 3:10-17; 2 Tim 4:7; 1 Jn 3:3-7).

“Establish” is grammatically and thematically inseparable from “CONTINUANCE in well-doing (mastering of precept, rejoicing in working righteousness, remembering YHVH in all His ways – Heb 5:11-14; 6:1-12) to SEEK FOR glory, honour, immortality and eternal life” by upholding the laws of YHVH “sealed among My disciples” as in Is 8:13,14,16,20; 64:5; Matt 28:30 and Rom 2:6-13.

“Establish” according to Strong’s: H6965, means to RISE (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative), to ABIDE (remain as in “remain forever” “in the Messiah,” in 1 Jn 2:3-6,17, for abiding in the COMMANDMENTS to remain in the Vine – Jn 14:15; 15:3-15); accomplish, be CONFIRMED (1 Cor 1:8), CONTINUE (in covenant- keeping – Rom 11:22; Heb 8:9), be strengthened, succeed.

Zion will rise (Deut 26:16-19; 28:9-14; Jer 31:7) only if the wisdom of the Father’s commandments, ordinances, statutes and judgments and sanctifying traditions is CHAMPIONED by the whole House of Jacob (Deut 4:5-8; 26:17; 27:10; 28:10; 29:9; Is 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-8; 7:8-20; Lk 1:33).

Therefore Heb 8:10 leaves no excuse for misjudging the importance of co-operating with the Spirit of Holiness to put YHVH’s laws in our minds and write them on our hearts (Prov 7:1-3), because it is “to THEM (to those who DELIGHT in His laws as He did on Earth – Ps 40:7,8; Heb 10:5-7) that “I shall be a God and THEY shall be to Me a people.”

The pronouns are specific.

The promise is not random.

Only if grace is a license for Torahlessness (Rom 6:1; 1 Jn 3:4) and love, freedom from obedience, is life and immortality unconditional (1 Jn 5:3).

Love DIVORCED from a faith which is obedient (“emunah” – Hab 2:4; Rom 16:26; Heb 10:36,38) is NOT the Love of God that ransomed us by saying a categorical ‘no’ to self-will, in Gethsemane (Lk 22:42-44).

A Salvation offer that ignores the profound “if” in Ex 19:5,6 and the three decisive “if’s” in Deut 28:1,2,9,10 (the condition implied in Deut 26:17-19 & 27:9 and expressly stated in Deut 29:13), to excuse itself for ignoring Is 56:6-8 and which therefore does not require that we “return” to YHVH by “following-on to KNOW the LORD” (Hosea 6:1-3) to be CONFIRMED and “ESTABLISHED” as the kingdom of priests and holy nation of the people of His inheritance, is absolutely not the “Glad Tidings” of “everlasting salvation,” of Is 45:17-25.

The inheritance is conditional.

Being saved into the Kingdom is free entrance into the race to attain the highest degree of holiness which alone reflects the purity of “chaste virgins” (1 Cor 9:24-27; 2 Cor 11:2; Phil 3:10-17).

Anything less is unacceptable.

Failure to run the race LAWFULLY according to “the Way” (Lk 20:21; Acts 24:14; 2 Tim 2:5), to obtain the crown of righteousness (2 Tim 4:3-8), means probable disqualification from the crown of life (Matt 7:13,14; 19:16,17; Lk 10:25-28).

The purpose of life is to FIND and to KNOW the Father and the Son, by revelation by THEIR Spirit (Ex 33:13; Acts 17:26,27; 1 Jn 2:3-6).

That is done by being willing to be shown “the Way (of the LORD)” to live righteously, and then by doing so zealously as the earliest believers were commended, by the Apostles (Acts 21:20), to love God with ALL our heart, and ALL our soul and with ALL our strength and others, as sacrificially as Y’shua loved us (Lk 20:21; Jn 13:34; Acts 21:20; 24:14b; 1 Jn 3:16).

There’s no way you can SUBTRACT YHVH’s laws to make salvation EQUAL eternal life by defining “grace for grace” (Jn 1:16) differently, to wish-away the grace given AFTER reconciliation by grace, to accomplish the high call to Heb 12:14,28.

Working out our own salvation THROUGH the righteousness of the law (Rom 8:4; Phil 2:12-15; 2 Tim 2:5) is what SECURES the promise of eternal life, which is attainable only by the holiness which is the fruit of righteousness in word and deed that makes us offerings acceptable to God (Rom 6:22; 15:16-18; Heb 12:14,28).

The great contribution of the Hebrew Scriptures towards rectifying the MADNESS of the anti-nomian (anti-Torah) Gospel of salvation, is its continual reminders that becoming “the people of the LORD Thy God” is IN ORDER TO BE MADE HOLY through the commandments (Jn 17:17,19; 1 Cor 7:19; 1 Thess 4:1-3a), or find oneself defiled and unacceptable (Deut 27:9,10; 1 Cor 3:17).

The enormity of the decision to choose Life and blessing by choosing to accept the right rulings/paths (ma’agelei tzedek) by which to regulate our thought and behaviour (to which Paul draws our attention in so many passages, such as Rom 2:13; 3:31; 7:22,25; 8:4; 1 Cor 7:19; 11:1,2; 2 Thess 2:15), will be re-emphasized in Deut 30 (in next week’s readings) which is directly applicable to the church in every generation (Acts 7:38; Deut 30:10,11/2 Jn vs 5&6).

Torah Portions were never intended to be understood without reference to, and deepest respect for, the CONTEXT in which they’re placed, consideration of CONTEXT being one of the universal EIGHT laws of interpretation.

The abrupt cut-off in the narrative this week at Deut 29:8 should therefore not mislead us.

Having just emerged from weighty consideration of the enumeration, in Deut 28:1-14, of many conditional blessings; and in verses 15-68, their inevitable antithesis – curses of many descriptions for breach of covenant, it’s evident that CONTINUITY of our attention is required from Deut 29:8 onwards for the sake of soundly interpreting the foregoing, as this is strongly implied by the “KEEP THEREFORE…” which begins verse 9, and which logically takes us to the end of verse 15, verses 12 – 15 containing one of the most important revelations in the entire Bible, which satan has had a field-day SUPPRESSING: the concept of “entering into the covenant” in order to fulfil the requirements to participate in the promise sworn on oath.

This phrase has been seditiously excised from Christian vocabulary and replaced with cant (sham holiness; humbug), and we wonder why the church barely resembles its Messianic 1st century Apostolic model.

Examining the CONTEXT of this Portion with a clinical eye, reveals the importance of understanding Deut 11:22-32 / 27:1-13 (the two accounts of the vale of decision between Mnt Ebal and Mnt Gerizim) through the prism of the TWIN-emphasis on ‘coming in’ or ‘entering in’ in a) PHYSICAL exit from Exodus (i.e. “…when you ENTER/come into the Land…”); and b) “ENTERING INTO into the COVENANT,” for which our wilderness experiences are allowed to take place, to prepare us BY GRACE (Heb 12:14,28), FOR “grace to reign THROUGH righteousness unto Eternal Life” through our BEING CONSISTENTLY OBEDIENT TO BE RIGHTEOUS to “bear fruit unto Holiness” (Rom 5:21; 6:12-22; 15:16-18; 1 Jn.3:3,4,7), not just confessing virtual righteousness (2 Cor 5:21).

Israel fording the river Jordan and being met on the west bank with a DIVINE ULTIMATUM between Ebal and Gerizim, to REPENT by choosing the precepts of the Way of life, or face extinction, is an object lesson to all of us to believe that our perfection in the Messiah using the benchmarks for purity in the Torah and the Prophets, is indeed a necessity (Deut 18:18,19; Acts 3:22,23; Col 1:22,23,28; 4:12; 2 Tim 3:14-17).

The drama of that searching of hearts and fateful decision as Israel entered Canaan BETWEEN the mounts, began in Ex 19:5-8 when constituted as a nation under YHVH’s absolute Sovereignty and laws to which they unanimously subscribed.

Now, at Ebal and Gerizim, our God held the generation that survived the Exodus, to account, even as He required their circumcision to fulfil His covenant with Abraham (Gen 17).

As a special dispensation, we from the nations are deemed physically circumcised (if of course we weren’t circumcised at 8 days – Jn 7:23) if likewise, we let His precepts align our allegiance to Him (Deut 29:12-15; Rom 2:13,25,26).

Of course, in that connection there’s a deep lesson in the closing verses of this Portion, for us all (Deut 29:5&6), in that anyone who RESISTS the Holy Spirit leading them into the wilderness seasons of life (Matt 4:1) deemed NECESSARY to develop strong faith and the knowledge of YHVH by “keeping the Word of His patience” through longsuffering experience (while supernaturally preserved and provided for, for the furtherance of sanctification of our character for transfigurement of our HUMAN nature into the DIVINE Nature by partaking of YHVH’s Holiness – Heb 12; 1 Peter 1:1-9; 2 Peter 1:1-11), is guaranteed to NOT “KNOW that He is the LORD our God,” by NOT knowing from personal experience of grace, under trial, “that man doth not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of the LORD…” (Deut 8:1-6; 29:6).

Allowing Him “to know what is in our heart, whether we will keep His commandments, or not,” by “proving us, to do us good AT OUR LATTER END” (Deut 8:16) by inculcating the Fear of God through chastening (for the Fear of God to be our TREASURE – Is 33:6), is critically important in our long term relationship with Deity.

It shouldn’t surprise us, therefore, that becoming part of the Hebrew household of “the people of the LORD our God” comes with a holy burden of proof that our justification by faith has not been taken for granted, because IMPLICIT in the free gift of IMPUTED righteousness, is the holy obligation to live up to it, or our justification is in vain (Deut 27:9,10; Lk 1:33; James 2:14-26; 1 Jn 3:7).

James is therefore not arguing against Paul.

We are not “established” (Deut 28:10; 29:13) as bona fide ‘chaverim B’rit’ (members of the covenant) (“confirmed to the end” – 1 Cor 1:8), as ACKNOWLEDGED sons of God, except by being DOERS of the Word, to establish the PERPETUAL validity of Torah as an objective test of righteousness (Rom 2:6-13; 3:20,31; 2 Tim 3:14-17; James 1:22-25).

Hypocrisy finds no refuge in the Kingdom of Heaven, either there, or on Earth (Matt 6:9,10).

Actions speak louder than words.

Faith, “if it hath no works (Acts 10:35; Eph 2:10b), is dead, being ALONE” (Deut 26:18; 27:9,10; 28:1,2,9,10; 29:9-15; Rom 3:31; James 1:22-25; 2:12,17-26).

This is about the purging of all trace of contamination of spirit, soul and body that hinders personal purification (2 Cor 7:1; 1 Peter 1:13-18; 2 Tim 2:20,21), to match the primordial purity (natural innocence) of the LAND in which we’re domiciled (including our homes – Hab 2:9-11, so that they or other circumstances don’t ‘vomit us out’); AND that of the spotless Messiah for which Israel and we are waiting (Lk 6:40; Col 1:28; 1 Jn 3:3,4).

The lesson can hardly be lost on us today, if we love the detail in the covenant.

It’s not learnt, however, unless we are diligent enough to SEARCH & RECOVER language/phraseology in Scripture (like “enter into the covenant and into the oath”) that has been buried in the dust of centuries with malevolent motive, but which powerfully describes and confirms our righteous obligations as well instructed “children of light,” properly equipped to “approve the things that are more excellent,” learned “out of the (wealth of) Torah (Instruction)”

This Portion both explains and is explained by 1 Jn 2:3-6,17,28,29.

That’s the long and short of it.

Torah is indispensable, to understand the importance of proving WORTHY, to “remain forever” inscribed for Life by maintaining the purity we obtained when we first responded to the Word of faith and were freely justified (Lk 20:35; Jn 15:3-15; Eph 4:1; 1 Jn 2:17).

The “inheritance is (conditionally) RESERVED in Heaven” for those who “don’t grieve the Spirit,” but who in “righteousness and true holiness,” “keep themselves in YHVH’s love” (always by obedience, to honour the sprinkled Blood) by “entering into (i.e. unconditionally submitting to) the covenant,” to “enter into” the fulfilment of the “OATH” (Ex 19:5,6; Deut 26:18; 29:13) THAT ONLY THOSE WHO DO (Deut 7:9-12; 2 Chr 15:12,15), will be RECOGNIZED AS LEGITIMATE SONS (Matt 7:21-27; Heb 12) and “established” amongst the bona fide remnant, YHVH’s ‘Am S’goelah’ (faithful ‘circle’ of “jewels” – Ex 19:5-8; Deut 28:9,10; 29:13; Jer 31:22,31-34; Mal 3:16-18; Jn 14:16; 15:10-14; Heb 8:10b; 1 Peter 1:2b,4,13-18,22; 2:9,10,21,22; 2 Peter 1:1-15; 3:11-18), the SANCTIFIED “people of (His) inheritance” (Deut 4:10,20; 28:9,10; Eph 4:24,24,30; 1 Thess 5:23; 2 Thess 2:13-15; Jude vs 21).

Only THEY shall be the “NEW THING on Earth,” namely, the remnant “one new man” or bride (“a woman shall compass a man”) ‘compassing’ the Son of Man, due to His ratification of the Hebrew New Covenant of Judah and Israel to ensure that by the ministry of the Spirit, He obtains a spotless bride in the House of Jacob the firstborn, His Abrahamic household, to fulfil the marriage covenant unanimously entered into by faith at Sinai (Ex 19:8; 24:7,8), a commitment to faithfulness which is binding on all future generations, with its origin in YHVH’s instruction to Abraham to teach “the Way of the LORD” (Gen 18:18,19; 26:5; Ex 19:4-8; Deut 29:14,15; Lk 1:33; Eph 2:11,12,19; 5:26,27).

As the people called to “hallow (sanctify, exalt) the Name” and Proclaim the ‘Shema’ (Deut 6:4-9; Matt 6:9,10; Mk 12:29-31), only by being model firstborn nation (Ex 4:22,23) by magnifying Torah (Deut 4:5-8) will YHVH be sanctified satisfactorily by Israel so that He will take Israel from whom He has been separated, as His bride, along with their loyal co-heirs who endorse the Ex 19:5-8; Deut 29:9,12-15 marriage covenant IN FULL.

We’re being joined to the remnant Jewish/Hebrew bride.

YHVH does not cast Himself in the rôle of any other nation’s Husband.

We have to be “in Jacob,” “in the Messiah,” to be in the bride (Gen 12:3; 28:14; Gal 3:29).

He is our Prince and Saviour, Shepherd, Stone, Star, Great Light, Sceptre and Husband only through our affinity to Israel His chosen nation. We cleave to Him by cleaving to them in the Messiah in Whom we are in the Father (Is 14:1; 49:5-8; 54:3; 55:5; Rom 11; 1 Cor 8:6).

Read Jer 31:22,31-34 and Eph 2:11-19 in that light, for yourself.

Salvation is not “full assurance of hope until the end,” WITHOUT PROOF of commitment to honour the terms of separation from worldliness (the “paths of righteousness”;
laws of life) which define “the (strait/narrow) Way of Holiness” (Is 35:8; Matt 7:13-27; 1 Tim 6:11-14; 2 Tim 2:5; Heb 5:11-14; 6:1-12).

To drive the point, this Portion supplies a range of precepts for our consideration, from remembering to dedicate our FIRSTFRUITS (unlike the clearly denominated TITHE, firstfruits are an unprescribed quantity or value as a sacred offering), an apt starting point for the nation about to cross Jordan to enter their land, in which the first crops sanctified as food would see the end of their miraculous provision of manna; to the dire warning against bounty-hunting (mercenary ‘hits’), thereby given us a wide sampling of “the doctrine according to Godliness” (1 Tim 6:3; 2 Tim 3:10), from nourishment from new life, to death by murder (Deut 26:2/Prov 3:9,10 to Deut 27:25).

We’re warned not to discriminate against any part of the covenants made at Sinai (Horev; Myrrh Mnt) and in Moab (Deut 29:1).

Every facet of Divine Jurisprudence has value to offer to Jew and co-heir, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Nu 15:15,16; Matt 5:19; Rom 3:31; 8:4-14).

The principle that acceptance of Deity as Sovereign, binds us to His beneficial laws, is A CONSTANT.

Vesting our faith in YHVH through Y’shua entails unconditional surrender to the Father by acceptance of the yoke of Heaven’s legislation for mankind (Matt 5:19; 6:9,10; 11:29,30).

This act of renunciation of self-will is continually referred to through the Word.

The New Testament is the means for perfection of sanctification (1 Thess 5:23).

From Ex 19:5-8 where Israel accepted the unique yoke of chosen nation in perpetuity, its special bond with the King of the Universe is expressed in many and various reformulations such as Deut 4:5-8; 5:29; 26:16-19; to 28:1,2,9,10 and Deut 29:9-15 etc right through to the ultimate glorification of the House of Jacob in the New Jerusalem (Haggai 2:7,9; Heb 12:23; Rev 21:12)

That’s what makes the ‘Shema’ (Mk 12:28-34) (the covenant of allegiance to the One and Only God and to all His ways), the SUPREME CONFESSION in the faith (besides salvation confession from Rom 10:9-13), stolen from the original Messianic liturgy by satan whose campaign of defilement cannot succeed if it remains in place.

Just as not one of the Ten Words Spoken on Sinai (Deut 4:13) is irrelevant at any time in the past, present or future, so none of the sample size of 11 “statutes and judgments” (Deut 4:14) cited in Deut 27 could possibly find DISFAVOUR with anyone who has the LORD’s Spirit (Rom 8:4,6-14).

True Revival (its goal being the liberty of “rest and refreshing” found through freedom from defilement by not voiding Torah ) (Ps 119:1,45; Is 28:9-13; Hosea 6:1-3; Ezra 9:8-10; Acts 3:19; Rom 2:13,26; 3:31; 8:4) is ALWAYS the OVERTURE to REFORMATION of “ANYTHING contrary to sound doctrine…” (i.e. anything opposed to the letter and Spirit of the full counsel of the Word – Acts 20:25-32; 1 Tim 1:8-11), for correction and chastisement to produce full consecration, to “ENTER INTO (conscientious “masteries” of ) the covenant” so that satan has no grounds to prosecute us as lawbreakers any more than our blameless Master (Deut 29:12-15; Ps 50:5,23; Is 56:6-8; Lk 6:40; Jn 10:16; 14:30; Phil 2:12-15; Col 4:12; 2 Tim 2:5,11; Heb 13:20,21).

We need to be very clear about the purpose of ‘Revival’ so that we’re not entrapped into believing it is chiefly a platform for highly visible signs and wonders (see Y’shua’s judgment on bias against the precepts in Matt 7:21-23) instead of the greatest miracle, which is the transfiguring of our souls from glory to glory through obedience to the covenant by which purification of our souls is a necessity (2 Cor 3:18; 1 Jn 3:3-7), to be raised to the full stature of Messiah Y’shua as ambassadors of whom our Father can say to us what Paul commended in Timothy: “Thou hast FULLY KNOWN My doctrine” (Eph 4:12-15; 2 Tim 3:10), essential to proclaim the unadulterated Gospel which does not denounce the law we are called to serve from the heart by the Spirit (Prov 7:1-3; Heb 8:8-11; 10:16) with the renewed spirit of our minds (Rom 7:7,12-16,22,25; 8:4-14; 12:1,2).

To YHVH be the glory for drawing us into the DETAIL in the covenant necessary to discover the FREEDOM to be found in the OBEDIENCE which is necessary to “make FULL PROOF of our ministries” (2 Tim 4:3-8), to “finish our course with JOY” and be exalted to high estate in “Yeshurun” (ideal Israel – Deut 33:26-29; Is 44:1-8) as Y’shua’s “friends,” fully justified being called “gods,” in Him, by honouring the Way of YHVH, by “doing justice and judgment” (doing what is just and righteous in true holiness) in the Fear of God the Father (Gen 18:18,19; Ps 82:6; 106:3; 119:45; Jn 8:31-36,51-53; 10:35; 15:10-15; Acts 20:24).

[To YHVH be the glory in Y’shua’s Name for His scribal anointing to labour in the field of Torah to help stir up righteousness to harmonize “the ordinances of heaven and earth,” to manifest “the Way of the LORD” for the blessing of Abraham to be unhindered, for his Seed, the Messiah, to return for a consecrated, duty-devoted remnant (Ps 50:5,23) who both LOVE and KNOW Him by finding rest in the commandments, by having magnified and established Torah above even His Name – Gen 18:18,19; 26:5; Ps 138:2; Is 28:9-13; 42:21; Jer 33:25; Matt 6:9,10; 12:50; 13:44,52; 23:39; Lk 17:10; Rom 3:31; 1 Cor 11:1,2; Heb 5:9]

Breach of the Fourth Commandment (Ex 20:8-11), the perpetual seventh day covenant-sign reflecting (to Principalities and Powers) the wisdom of acceptance of adoption in the eternal House of Jacob (Ex 31:13,16; Is 49:5-8; 54:3; 55:5; Lk 1:33; Rom 11; Eph 1:5; 2:11,12,19; 3:6-10), identified as the household of YHVH the God-King of Jacob, by the gift of complete rest in Messiah Y’shua-Jesus each week on Friday sunset to Saturday sunset ever since Gen 2:2,3 (Matt 5:19; Mk 2:27,28; Heb 4:1-11), is breach of our marriage vow taken in good faith by confessing the Messiah Y’shua-Jesus, our Divine Husband in the Echad (Unity) of ELOHIM (Gen1:26; 1 Jn 5:7), as Master, Prince and Saviour (Is 9:6,7; Lk 1:32,33; Acts 5:31; Rom 10:9-13).

In James 4:4-10, the Amplified Bible brilliantly interprets the disgrace of divided loyalty and severity of defying what is written, as spiritual adultery that makes rejection of the grace given to overcome it, such an appalling error of judgment and backslap to the Face of the Creator of holy time.

Isaiah 58:13 is the greatest test of loyalty to God.

The unlimited reward in Is 58:14 should leave no-one ignorant or sceptical about Shabbat’s independent covenant status (Ex 31:13,16; Is 56:6; 66:22-24).

Due to the unique sanctity of Shabbat as Prologue to the Set-Times and Appointments of the Living God (Is 56:6), it can aptly be described as a SPIRITUAL SHOEHORN that helps ensure that our feet are shod (Eph 6:15) with the authentic “EVERLASTING Gospel” of the faith (“Fear YHVH, give Him Glory [hallow/sanctify His Name] and keep His commandments and faith in Y’shua-Jesus”), as it was originally delivered (proclaimed and taught) to the saints, before corruption of doctrine by apostasy (Jude vs 3; 1 Cor 7:19; Rev 14:6,7,12).

“…Master, we know that You speak and teach what is right (upright, principled, accurate, virtuous, judicious, blameless) and that You show no partiality to anyone, but instruct ‘the (lawful) WAY of YHVH,’ honestly and in truth (and in righteousness)”
(Zech 8:8; Lk 20:21; Acts 24:14).

‘Abiding in the Vine’ (Jn 15) is a precept-tailored, full-counsel-sown CUSTOM-FIT for true sons (‘STRAIT’/NARROW/RIGOROUS, admittedly, to avoid being unequally yoked, but a comfortable fit nevertheless – Matt 7:13-27; 11:29,30; 15:14; Heb 12; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 5:2,3) designed as a “perfect law of LIBERTY” (Jn 14:16; 15:14; James 1:22-25; 2:8-26) to be practised in the obedience of faith after salvation apart from works, under the grace of probation (Heb 2:1-3; 3:7-19; 4:1-11; 10:36-39; 12:28,29), by faith working by love (Jn 15:14; Rom 15:16-18; 16:26).

Into which ‘perfect (covenant) fit’ Shabbat (the antithesis of slavery in Egypt; and ‘Prologue’ to the LORD’s Feast Appointments) ‘SHOEHORNS’ us with the GREAT EASE that only such GREAT GRACE, as the SHALOM-SHALOM of the “everlasting covenant of Shabbat” can supply by the Spirit of Holiness, as a WEEKLY MASTERCLASS in the discipline of learning how to crucify the flesh (Is 58:13; Ex 20:8-11; Rom 13:12-14; 6:6,11,12; Eph 4:22-24; Col 3:9,10).

Those “masteries” of body and soul (which comprise crucifixion of the ‘flesh’) were always meant to BEGIN with PROMPT obedience to submit to baptism (full immersion) into Y’shua’s Death for the remission of sins, and thereafter, IMMEDIATE adoption of Shabbat as our joint- heritage in the Messiah (Gen 2:2,3/Ps 119:111/Matt 5:19; 12:8/Mk 2:27,28/Eph 1:5; 2:11,12/1 Thess 5:23/2 Tim 2:5/Heb 4:1-11), as a foundational proof of OUR adoption by the House of Jacob as heirs of the world (Lk 1:33; Rom 4:13,16; 11:17-29).

In “THAT man” (Acts 17:31), “the Branch,” “the Master FROM Heaven” Who does ALL of HEAVEN’s will on Earth as “Master of ALL,” especially of “THAT day” (Ex 16:23,28-30; Is 4:2; 11:2; 56:6; Matt 6:9,10; 11:27a; Acts 10:35,36), the HOLY SEVENTH day ratified by HIM (Matt 5:19; Mk 2:27,28) to signify that in EVERY generation, a remnant of Israel is set apart (sanctified from from amongst all peoples – Ex 31:13,16; 33:16) as FOREVER “the church (of Jacob the firstborn) of YHVH” (Lk 1:32,33; Jn 10:16; Acts 7:38; Eph 2:11,12,19; 3:6; Heb 12:23), we have our greatest covenant Witness (Is 42:6,7,21) that Shabbat’s lessonS on holiness are indispensable for purging of error, for perfection of character through transfiguration of our souls to bear Messiah’s Image (Rom 8:4,29; 2 Cor 3:18).

By REWARDING us for sanctifying TIME (by our acknowledging the unique sanctity of Shabbat, the threshold of the Door), by SHOREHORNING us into “the Way” to MAGNIFY TORAH by the Spirit (Is 42:21; Matt 5:17-19; Rom 3:31; 8:4-14), SHABBAT simultaneously shoehorns us into our chosen pre-Creation HEBREW identity as Echad (One) with the God of the HEBREWS (Ex 3:13-18; Deut 5:15; Jn 17:21-23; 1 Cor 8:6; Eph 1:4,5; 2:11,12) Who saved us from the slavehouse of bondage to sin and fear of death, for us to Exodus from the power of darkness (Col 1:13), to learn the righteousness of “the Way of YHVH” in Abraham’s dynastic household, now the body of Messiah the Seed of Abraham (Gen 18:18,19; Is 51:1-7; Eph 2:19; Gal 3:16) to keep covenant by discerning error, to repair BREACH of THE WAY to be perfect (Is 56:6-8; 58:12-14; Lk 6:40; 20:21; 1 Cor 7:19; 11:1,2; 2 Thess 2:13-15), to “remain forever” inscribed for life (1 Jn 2:17), to “ride on the heights of the earth and feast on the inheritance of our father Jacob” in the ages to come, as seed of Abraham (“in Abraham”), “in (and amongst the Tribes of) Jacob” (Gen 2:3; 28:14; Is 29:22-24; Lk 1:33; Gal 3:29; Rev 21:12).

HalleluYaH

On Friday night (Erev Shabbat – 2nd September, 2022) on Marty Goetz’s Messianic House of Worship channel (You Tube), Marty, always Spirit-led, included the beautiful anthem, “Ebenezer (‘Thus far the LORD has helped me’),” which after opening with the line, “Come Thou Font of every blessing, TUNE our hearts to sing Thy praise…” and with “To rescue me from danger, He interposed His precious Blood,” goes on to end by repeating the HOLY PLEA: “…take our lives, LORD, keep and SEAL (i.e. sanctify) them, for Your (Cause, of sanctification, for Your) Courts above…” (2 Thess 2:13,14; Heb 2:11; 12:1-11).

This magnificent lyric reminds us that unless, once reconciled and justified by faith, we are sanctified by the commandments, to “hallow” (glorify, exalt) YHVH’s Name by obeying Matt 6:10 under grace (under the safety net of the covering of the Blood while we learn the covenant, on probation as candidates for resurrection to life), we place ourselves BEYOND the help of grace, due to rebellion (Jn 5:24,28,29; Rom 2:6-13).

You’ll find that hymn at 31 mins 40 secs on the 2nd Sept 2022 episode time bar, running to 38 mins.

This is a Providential musical introduction to what we can deduce as the main thrust of this week’s Portion, which is our ATTUNEMENT, by the Spirit, to a life perfect before God (Gen 17:1; 26:5; Matt 5:19,48; Col 1:22,28) by being dedicated (consecrated) to discovering the FREEDOM of INNOCENCE REGAINED by our cleansing from defilement, by the washing of the Blood and washing by the water of the Gospel, to keep ourselves in His love to enter into life by staying clean, which is possible only by being doers and not just hearers of His sayings/ways (Deut 18:18,19; Matt 7:21-27; 19:27; Jn 8:51,52; 14:15; 15:3,4,10; Eph 5:26,27; James 1:22-25; Jude vs 3,21).

This free restoration to ORIGINAL INNOCENCE (Adam’s original state of grace) has to be maintained and preserved by obedience to the faith, requiring “diligent inquisition (enquiry, investigation)” into, and judgment of all motives and actions contrary to the letter and spirit of “the Way” (Deut 19:15; Lk 21:20; Jn 8:31-36; 2 Cor 13:1,5).

So from the perspective of the Atonement and Reconciliation which we have through the redemption which is in the Blood of our Messiah, even the forgiveness of sins (2 Cor 5:14-21; Eph 1:7), we can regard this Portion as ‘an essay on self-governance,’ by the Spirit (Rom 7:25-8:4,6,7,14), to ultimately build sheep nations upon the foundation of “pillar” households – households consecrated to truth and righteousness at all costs through Instruction in “the Way,” in reverence and Godly fear, to make the yoke of NATIONAL governance easy, and their burden, light, just as it is for the FAITHFUL individual citizen of heaven (Matt 11:29,30; Lk 20:21; Rev 3:10-12).

Emperor Cyrus’ vision of Jerusalem physically rebuilt in fulfilment of his (and our) prophetic intercession (Ps 122:6-9; 137:4,5; Is 44:28), is a precursor to this phenomenon of deep personal sanctification (1 Thess 5:23), for “the City of our Great King” (Matt 5:35) to one day soon be the global urban model of a righteous capital (Is 1:25-27; 4:1-6; 60-62; Zech 8:8), and ultimately the Capital of a new universe.

We could call the future world, to whom those “accounted worthy” of that honour will belong (Lk 20:35), LOW MAINTENANCE SOCIETIES, requiring minimal external regulation in a world where men no longer “learn war.”

Apart from goat nations, who’ll reap curses and correction from a “rod of iron,” governments will ‘wear their power lightly’ because the prevailing tone, tenor and state of society will be one of all-pervasive, voluntary “everlasting righteousness” (Dan 9:24), where the lion will lie down with the lamb in a show of harmony of seemingly irreconcilable realities wrought by the unification of all things in heaven and earth, in the Messiah, when the love and shalom of YHVH attains its highest and eternal expression (Eph 1:9,10; Col1:19,20).

Just as believers “weaned from the milk” and exercised in strong meat through diligent obedience to the faith to be offerings acceptable to God, confident of a good report before the Judgment Seat of Messiah (Is 8:13,14,16,20; 28:9-13; 1 Tim 6:11-14; Rom 1:5; 2:14,26; 15:16-18; 16:26; 2 Cor 5:9-11; Heb 5:11-14; 6:1-11; 10:36-39; 12:25-29; 1 Jn 2:3-6,17,28,29), are a joy to spiritual leadership, barely drawing on their service as pastoral ministry (Heb 13:7,17).

While governmental and judicial office (Rom 13) obviously continue in both secular AND spiritual life (where servant-leadership revolves around competent discernment in counselling/judgment of matters), along with hereditary constitutional monarchy (with Divinely proven title to succession as in Deut 17; 1 Tim 2:2), and a royal priesthood which exists, not by presumption of office or general membership, but by the election-of-grace (2 Peter 2:9,10), the GENIUS of the New Covenant’s REGENERATION of human beings (Titus 3:5) is the DEVOLUTION of a spirit of sound judgment (“judgment as a robe and diadem”) to EVERY individual believer, even the competence and authority to judge the nations and angels (1 Cor 6:2,3; Phil 1:9).

This makes us directly accountable to the Godhead for examination of OUR every belief, utterance and action (1 Cor 11:30-32; 2 Cor 13:1,5; 2 Peter 1:10,11) and for evaluation of those of others, primarily to avoid “unequal yoking” and “friendship with the world” – since the power to BECOME true sons by taming the tongue and governing our actions, for us to master our spirits and “possess our souls” (Lk 21:19) is now permanently RESIDENT in our temples of the INDWELLING Spirit of the Messiah (Jn 1:12: Eph 3:20).

It’s no accident therefore that the great warning in Ps 19:7-13 against being found guilty of the “GREAT transgression” which is PRESUMPTION (Deut 17:12,13; Ps 19:13), avoidance of which is a pre-requisite for remaining AS INNOCENT as the day our confession of Y’shua as Master and our believing He was raised from the dead, “made us clean” (Ps 19:13; Jn 15:3), is HIGHLIGHTED in this Portion, so strongly associated with “righteousness and judgment (being) the foundation of His Throne” (Ps 97:2), ignorance of THE DETAIL of which makes it impossible to “be PERFECT with the LORD thy God” (Deut 18:13).

So OUR high call to “glory and virtue” through uncompromised holiness (Eph 1:4; 4:1-3,23,24; 2 Peter 1:3), is strongly rooted in these six chapters, which by analogy with civil and criminal law (Deut 19:9-20) show how great the personal cost will be to those who dare to presumptuously make-up doctrine (for which Replacement Theology is infamous), instead of rigorously verifying truth from two or three witnesses of Scripture from the Torah and the Prophets (Acts 24:14; 2 Cor 13:1,5; 2 Tim 3:14-17).

The heifer (Deut 21:1-9, a type of the rarity of the perfect oblation of the Lamb of God, is the great mystery motif, as either heifer or red heifer, that forever represents the PURITY OF INNOCENCE demanded by the Most High, of ANYONE believing for a place in Hebrew eternity (Ps 24:3-5; Hab 1:13; Lk 6:40; 1 Jn 3:3,4,7,10; Rev 21:12).

The Holy Torah that created the Universe by the Spirit of YHVH through the spoken Pre-incarnate Word commanding unseen reality into existence, was the MATRIX of (pattern for) the New Covenant, and which to this day is invaluable in settling our understanding of the knowledge of the renewed Covenant’s identity; as well as our own identity; and settling our comprehension of the WAYS of that “everlasting Covenant” and its linked-in dependency on ALL preceding covenants, upon which our worthiness for acceptance in a bride destined for Hebrew eternity depends – resurrection to life being a conditional promise to a “reserved remnant” who keep their salvation intact by wholeheartedly subscribing to all YHVH’s ways, to learn and to practice them as directed by the Spirit, as the law of love (Is 55:8; Jer 50:20; Lk 20:21,35; Jn 5:28,29; Rom 2:6-29; Phil 2:12-15; Heb 5:9; 8:8-11; 10:16; 1 Jn 2:3-6,17,28,29).

This Portion clearly defines the gravity of the ‘Shema’ (the umbrella love command), by locating and illustrating Y’shua-Jesus in the Torah which He MAGNIFIES by its amplification by Him from first Torah principles, in Matt 5-7.

Go now to Deut 18:13,15,18,19 (Acts 3:22,23), where Moses essentially PERSONALIZES the ‘Shema’ as Messianic (Deut 6:4,5; Mk 12:28-34), as “Hear (HIM, Y’shua), O Israel,” later to be paraphrased magisterially by Peter in Acts 3:22-26 and by the Father directly from Heaven as “HEAR ye HIM” (Matt 17:5), just as the marriage covenant and its statutes and judgments would be resoundingly confirmed in Heb 12:25-29, as “See that ye REFUSE not HIM Who SPEAKETH…” because He will ne revealed on His return, as a Consuming Fire.

Y’shua speaks directly out of the Torah from Deut 18:13 in Matt 5:19,48; and from Deut 18:18,19 in passages like Matt 7:21-23; Jn 5:24; 8:51,52 12:47-50.

From “be perfect [blameless and absolutely true/faithful] with the LORD Your God” (Deut 18:13) echoed in Gen 17:1; Matt 5:48 and Lk 6:40; as well as in purity passages like 1 Jn 3:3,4, since Father and Son are One; to TERRIBLE WARNINGS to those who profess the faith yet who hypocritically, do not OBEY THE GOSPEL (which “many” believe has no prescriptions for holy living) (Deut 18:19; Matt 7:13; Jn 3:19-21; Acts 3:23; 2 Thess 1:8; Heb 10:26-39)

So to end, with Deut 18:19 and Acts 3:23 front-of-mind, let’s talk frankly, candidly about LOVE and LIFE in the Spirit, because OUR perfection through the forming of the Divine Nature in us (Rom 8:4,29; 2 Peter 1) by our submission to the Spirit of Holiness to work out our own salvation to preserve “the unity of ‘The faith'” (i.e. “fully knowing doctrine”) (Eph 4:12-14; 2 Tim 3:10), is attained (as in Phil 3:10-17) only when law becomes love (Rom 7:7,12-16,22,25; 2 Tim 4:3-8; 1 Jn 5:2&3), when doctrine purged of human tradition is accepted wholeheartedly for application by the rule of faith, by remembering to treat the wisdom of the Hebrew Scriptures as the elder “SISTER” of the New Testament (Prov 6:23; 7:1-4), because the Torah and the Prophets, the womb of and nurturing influence on our right-understanding of the “everlasting covenant” (Heb 13:20,21), are not only ‘no stranger’ to either love or life inspired from above, but are written to help us reconcile grace and law, faith and obedience, and therefore love and sacrifice of self-will (2 Jn vs 5&6).

That being so, who amongst us, having the evidence of Deut 18:19 and Acts 3:23 before us, would dare persist in believing the self-indulgent fallacy that grace and the love of YHVH do NOT operate within sharply defined boundaries, for our ultimate good (Matt 7:13,14).

The Torah (in conjunction with the Prophets and the writings), brings a sobering check and balance to the ecstasy of misrepresentation of the Gospel as a rose-strewn highway to eternal life.

Not DEFINING love correctly, impairs our EXPERIENCE of the life INTENDED for the chosen WHO WISELY DO NOT GRIEVE THE SPIRIT (Eph 1:4,5; 4:23,24,30).

What SHOULD be “our life and the length(ening) of our days” (Prov 3-7; Deut 32:47) remains what COULD be (Deut 11:13,21), because we dispute the “it,” in “IT (i.e. “ALL the Words [“the Way of life”]…which you shall COMMAND your children to observe to DO…”) is not a VAIN (futile) thing for you…” in Deut 32:46,47.

That clear instruction dates back to YHVH’s Instruction to Abraham in Gen 18:18,19, which Abraham could issue to his dynasty without hypocrisy because he himself had learned to love and appreciate the efficacy of the wisdom of the Holy Torah then in existence Gen 26:5.

Y’shua as Seed of Abraham, was handed Abraham’s baton, as we see Gen 17:1; 18:18,19 reflected exactly in Matt 5:17-19,48; 26:5and again in 2 Tim 3:14-17.

The Hebrew Scriptures (the “Sacred Writings” of 2 Tim 3:15) were PRESCRIBED to REDEEMED Timothy as daily spiritual nourishment for reproof and correction, establishment of sound doctrine for training in righteousness, to keep the Messianic household of Abraham in “the Way of YHVH,” by ratification of the “laws of life” (Rom 7:7,12-16,22,25) as the “Way of Holiness” (Is 35:8) which is “the Way (or Path) of Life” (Ps 16:11; Prov 6:23).

We weren’t promised a honeymoon THIS side of the first Sukkot/Tabernacles of the millennial Kingdom age (consummation of marriage), BUT, if we treat our courtship as a Heaven-sent opportunity to be increasingly conscientious in our consecration to DOING truth and righteousness, we will certainly taste more of the “powers” and benefits of the age to come (Heb 6:4,5), even though THAT degree of commitment will undoubtedly make us targets for tribulations, which, with our co-operation, our God will turn into character-forming exercises of faith under fiery pressure (Acts 14:22; 2 Tim 3:12).

English believer and thinker Francis Bacon insightfully observed:

“PROSPERITY is the blessing of the Old Testament; ADVERSITY is the blessing of the New which carrieth the GREATER BENEDICTION and the clearer revelation of God’s favour.The virtue of prosperity is TEMPERANCE; the virtue of adversity is FORTITUDE, which in the study of morals, is the more HEROIC virtue. The good things which belong to PROSPERITY are to be WISHED; but the good things that belong to ADVERSITY, are to be ADMIRED. Certainly, if miracles are the command over nature, they appear MOST in ADVERSITY”

“…the pencil of the Holy Spirit hath laboured more in describing the afflictions of Job (and Paul), than the felicities of Solomon.”

“Certainly, virtue is like precious odours, most fragrant when they are incensed or crushes: for prosperity doth best discover (reveal) VICE; but ADVERSITY doth best discover VIRTUE” in which there is glory (2 Peter 1:3).

“Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; while adversity is not without COMFORTS and HOPES” (2 Cor 1; 12).

He described Christian RESOLUTION (the fruit of FORTITUDE), as “sailing the ‘frail bark’ (boat) of the flesh through the waves of the world.”

“It is true greatness to have in one the frailty of a man, and the security of a god,” he wrote (Ps 82:6; Jn 10:35).

By teaching us “the Way of YHVH,” through the knowledge of YHVH gained through experiences pre-ordained for patient endurance in the crucible of refining fire (Mk 9:49; Rom 5:3-5; 1 Peter 5:6-12; 4:12-18), it is the chief purpose of the New Covenant to teach us the honour to be received and conferred by overcoming ANY eventuality with thanksgiving (Eph 5:20; 1 Thess 5:16-18; Heb 13:15) through total dependence upon our Father by His Spirit, through His Son, for their “praise, honour and glory” (1 Peter 1:1-9).

The Holy Torah is to be magnified (Ps 138:2; Is 42:21) as the chief wisdom-repository in Messiah (Matt 13:44-46,52; Col 2:2,3) to keep us perfectly aligned with the full counsel through the faith of Y’shua (Rom 3:31; Rev 12:17; 14:6,7,12), for our successful preparation for glorification in the First Resurrection (Rom 8:4,17,23,29; Rev 20:6).

HalleluYaH

Lyric for hymn referred to above:

“Here I Raise My Ebenezer…”

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, written by English pastor Robert Robinson in 1758.

Come, thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by Thy help I’m come; and I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious Blood.

O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be! Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here’s my heart, O take and seal it (sanctify it – Jn 17:17,19; Acts 20:32; 26:18; Rom 15:16-18; 1 Thess 5:23; 2 Thess 2:13,14), seal it for Thy courts above.

[It is a Hymn about God’s amazing grace and His amazing faithfulness…that He seeks us out when we are not seeking him, showers us with His mercy in Jesus, and holds onto us no matter what, especially when we are not faithful ourselves]