Tablets of Stone vs Flesh
Va’etchanan
Torah Portion Deuteronomy 4:1-7:26
Halph Torah Portion Isaiah 40:1-26
New Testament Luke 3:1-22
In this Torah Portion Moses gives the Children of Israel a recap of the commandments and the desire of YHVH wanted them to do. He knew way before that they would and will not obey what He wanted them to do. They were to be a beacon on a hill to show the World how to live according to the Commandments of YHVH. The world was to say…
Deu 4:6-8 ASV
(6) Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, that shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
(7) For what great nation is there, that hath a god so nigh unto them, as Jehovah our God is whensoever we call upon him?
(8) And what great nation is there, that hath statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
After the Children of Israel received the 10 commandments, they backed away and said that they would die if they heard the voice of YHVH from the fire. In this YHVH heard what they said and His response to this request was…
Deu 5:29 ASV
(29) Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!
The remedy came through the Prophet Jerimiah,
Jer 24:7 ASV
(7) And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Jehovah: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
Jer 31:21 ASV
(21) Set thee up waymarks, make thee guide-posts; set thy heart toward the highway, even the way by which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.
Jer 31:31-34 ASV
(31) Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
(32) not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith Jehovah.
(33) But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith Jehovah: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
(34) And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Jehovah; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith Jehovah: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.
The realization of this promise came in Jesus who was born through a virgin, God in the flesh.
Luk 2:4-7 ASV
(4) And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;
(5) to enrol himself with Mary, who was betrothed to him, being great with child.
(6) And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered.
(7) And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Jer 32:37-40 ASV
(37) Behold, I will gather them out of all the countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my wrath, and in great indignation; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely.
(38) And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:
(39) and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
(40) and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from following them, to do them good; and I will put my fear in their hearts, that they may not depart from me.
You see in all of this YHVH wanted a personal relationship with the Children of Israel. They for the most part would have nothing to do with Him. They wanted an intercessor rather than to walk with the creator of the universe and all that in it. Even though He would walk with them, protect them, feed them, and give them water. They only wanted a god that they would dictate the terms of their relationship with Him. Most Importantly they wanted to be god.
Here the thing we for the most part only want God in our lives when it suits us and our terms. When the danger has passed then it is back to life as we knew it. God is relegated to a place on the shelf and only pay any attention to Him when it suits us and when we have time to be with Him.
Luk 14:16-24 MKJV
(16) And He said to him, A certain man made a great supper and invited many.
(17) And he sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, Come, for all things are now ready.
(18) And all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of ground, I must go and see it. I beg you, have me excused.
(19) And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I beg you, have me excused.
(20) And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
(21) And coming up that servant reported these things to his lord. And the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and the maimed, and the lame and the blind.
(22) And the servant said, Lord, it is done as you have commanded, and still there is room.
(23) And the lord said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.
(24) For I say to you that none of these men who were invited shall taste of my supper.
Rom 11:17-24 MKJV
(17) And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and became a sharer of the root and the fatness of the olive tree with them, (18) do not boast against the branches. But if you boast, it is not you that bears the root, but the root bears you.
(19) You will say then, The branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.
(20) Well, because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be high-minded, but fear.
(21) For if God did not spare the natural branches, fear lest He also may not spare you either!
(22) Behold then the kindness, and the severity of God; on those having fallen, severity; but on you, kindness, if you continue in the kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
(23) And those also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in. For God is able to graft them in again.
(24) For if you were cut out of the natural wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more these being according to nature will be grafted into their own olive-tree?
So how do we make sure that we are grafted into the true vine? By abiding in the vine and doing what He said for us to do. For He said of Himself. That He is the True vine, and we are the branches. If we abide in Him, He will abide in us and we in Him.
You see that we cannot grow good fruit unless we abide in the True vine. If we do not abide in Him, then we will have no part in Him. He says in all of the scriptures that if we love Him. Then He will call us to Himself, and we will remain in Him. But if we walk against Him then He will walk against us.
None of this is possible without faith, it is the way it always has been. No amount of blood of bulls and goats will satisfy our guilt. It is only by faith that we ask Him to forgive us. And that we have a humble and contrite heart.
When John the Baptist asked of Jesus if He was the Messiah or if should they look for someone else. It was not because of a lack of faith that he asked. Rather he knew that in a short amount of time, he would lose his life. He wanted to be sure that he was dying for the right reasons. And that it wasn’t in vain that he would die.
Oh that we would ask the right questions. So that we can rest assured that our life was pleasing to our Master.
Mat 11:4-15 MKJV
(4) Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John again those things which you hear and see:
(5) the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel proclaimed to them.
(6) And blessed is he, whoever shall not be offended in Me.
(7) And as they departed, Jesus began to say to the crowds concerning John, What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
(8) But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, they who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
(9) But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yea, I say to you, and one more excellent than a prophet.
(10) For this is the one of whom it is written, “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who shall prepare Your way before You.”
(11) Truly I say to you, Among those who have been born of women there has not risen a greater one than John the Baptist. But the least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.
(12) And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of Heaven is taken by violence, and the violent take it by force.
(13) For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
(14) And if you will receive it, this is Elijah who is to come.
(15) He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
In the Torah Portion, we are witnessing the last days of Moses. And we see that God is allowing him to tie up some loose ends. He had to, in the coming chapters. Teach this second generation what YHVH would require of them so that they could live long in the land. YHVH was also expressing His sorrow that the Children of Israel would not follow Him with their whole heart.
The question is this…will you follow Yeshua with your whole heart? And will you love God with your whole heart, mind, and all of your being? And will you love your neighbor as you love yourself? I know that this seems rather basic, but without the foundation then it does not matter. You will not enter into the Kingdom.
Joh 14:1-14 MKJV
(1) Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me.
(2) In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
(3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, you may be also.
(4) And where I go you know, and the way you know.
(5) Thomas said to Him, Lord, we do not know where You go, and how can we know the way?
(6) Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.
(7) If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. And from now on you know Him and have seen Him.
(8) Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.
(9) Jesus said to him, Have I been with you such a long time and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. And how do you say, Show us the Father?
(10) Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The Words that I speak to you I do not speak of Myself, but the Father who dwells in Me, He does the works.
(11) Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the very works themselves.
(12) Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes on Me, the works that I do he shall do also, and greater works than these he shall do, because I go to My Father.
(13) And whatever you may ask in My name, that I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
(14) If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
So, if we are of Him and our life is about Him. And we love our neighbor and our enemies, then all the Law is fulfilled in them. And we then are no longer held under the Law of sin and death. It is good to remember. Those who have gone before us and how they loved or did not love God. It should serve us well as a warning. To return to the basics and return to the faith that will deliver us into the Kingdom.
Blessing to you all.
