PARASHAH KI’TAVO
(Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8) Week 50
KI’TAVO: “When You Come into the land” (Instructions to Follow from the Creator!)
BIKKURIM: First Fruits of Crops… Particularly referring to the 7 SPECIES gathered by the Spies in Canaan which were: Wheat, Barley, Grapes, Figs, Pomegranates, Olives, Dates.
The obedient Israeli farmer tied a string on the FIRST FRUIT of the plants, and later harvested that particular fruit, for his offering!
THE MA’ASER: Tithe
MITZVAH: Law
PEIA: Edge…the edge of a producing field of grain or fruit for the Gleaning of the Poor!
THE 1/50th: A farmer would leave 1/50th of produce for the poor on the 3rd and 6th years of production
LEKET: Harvested Bundles (for the poor)
SHIKCHAH: The Forgotten (for the poor)
SHEMITTAH: The 7- Year Agricultural REST of the land and farm animals, and the forgiveness of debt. (SHEMITAH!)
Types of Tithes:
Ma’aser Behemah: 1/10th of all Kosher cattle taken to Jerusalem, the Temple
Ma’aser Rishon: 1/10th of farming produce to the Levites
Ma’aser Sheni: The land was tithed a second time after separating the Ma’aser Rishon on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th year of the 7- year Sabbatical cycle (Shemittah)
Ma’aser Anni: The 3rd and 6th year Ma’aser Sheni was given to the poor instead of bringing to the ‘appointed place’ of Adonai.
Ma’aser Kesafim; 1/10th of MONEY…monetary tithing (what we know of today as tithing)
Viduy Ma’aser: This was a formal VOW or confession made every three years: That the tithing would be executed according to Torah Law. After this vow was made, the farmers would ask Adonai to BLESS the land and yield bountiful harvests, honoring their Vow to uphold Tithing. Torah truth: Obedience brings forth blessings!
Pentecost: First Fruits Pilgrimage! The baskets of First Fruits were laden on flower ornamented oxen and led in a grand parade into Jerusalem. Imagine the beauty of this Procession of obedient ‘Treasured People’… Am Segulah…with their First Fruits offerings!
Amen: Agreement!
Mattan Torah: The Giving and Acceptance of Torah. Midrash says the giving of Torah by ADONAI was like the giving of the ENGAGEMENT RING from the Groom to his Bride.
THE REMEMBERING: “A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down to Egypt…”
Recited annually by all who went to the Mishkan for Pentecost, with First Fruits Offerings!
Deuteronomy 26:10-14 MSG – A wandering Aramean was my father …
Deuteronomy 26:10-14 “A wandering Aramean was my father, he went down to Egypt and sojourned there, he and just a handful of his brothers at first, but soon, they became a great nation, mighty and many. The Egyptians abused and battered us, in a cruel and savage slavery.
This is the remembering or recounting of the life of Jacob and his descendants!
I encourage all of us to write our own Deuteronomy 26:10 version of our own family memories:
Sydney’s Remembrance: “A wandering sailor from the south, was my father. He went across the sea for the war with a great number of sailors, who were warriors. There he was favored and his life was spared. In this war Adonai favored our country, and we were victorious! Adonai went BEFORE US and was our REAR GUARD! We defeated many enemies which outnumbered us. The Lord brought us out of war and into a prosperous time. He blessed our land with crops and animals, with marriages and children, and with rain! He blessed our country with all the fruits of the Spirit of God, and our families with prosperity! We were blessed with favor going in and coming out, and with love and a strong faith in Adonai. Great is the Lord!”
And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of my life, which you, O Lord, have given me. I will set it down Lord, and worship You! Amen
Ahhh! Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful!
- I wanted to show you, dear Am Segulah, how to take Torah, and WEAVE it into a Tapestry for your lives and the lives of your entire family, so that your HISTORY as a treasured people can be REMEMBERED! Please take this time, to write your REMEMBRANCE and share it!
Moses warns Israel! Obedience would bring blessing but disobedience would bring cursing! The picture of Mount Gerizim, the valley of decision, and Mount Eval was a VISUAL then and unto this very day! These mountains still stand as they did thousands of years ago as a reminder…fruitfulness or bareness are consequences of obedience or rebellion!
Moses reminds Israel that they must obtain three things in order to be obedient!
- A HEART TO KNOW!
- EYES TO SEE AND!
- EARS TO HEAR!
This is the SAME for us today! This is the redeeming work of the Spirit as our lives are sanctified! This is the journey to obedience. The journey to Mount Gerizim!
Can we petition to the Lord that our country will be gifted with these three things in order to regain obedience, so all will go well with us?
Haftarah (Old Covenant) Reading: Is. 60:1-22
The Sixth of the Haftaroth of Consolation, to offer encouragement to Israel! A glorious visual of the LIGHT OF THE WORLD, Yeshua … illuminating Jerusalem!
All Israel will be united and gathered in the City of God!
Brit Chadashah (New Covenant) Reading: Eph. 1:3-6 and Rev. 21:10-27
The remnant Israel (Messianic Jews along with the Wild Olive Branch) will be grafted into the Messiah and made partakers of the NEW Covenant of the Lord.
The Revelation illuminates a picture of the Heavenly Jerusalem…and all raised into newness of life by the return of the Messiah, where we will dwell forever and ever with Him.
The promises in these verses sustain Israel now, and more than EVER, during the Tribulation! Jews do believe in a time of judgement to come, and they believe the Messiah will return just in time to restore Israel as the First Born of Adonai!
They believe in the Alcharit Hayamim, The End of Days. (Doomsday)