PARASHAH RE’EH
(Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) Week 47
RE’EH: SEE! “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse.” In RE’EH, is a command to SEE truth! The key is the word YOU; as a ‘National You’.
ALL OF ISRAEL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE ANOTHER. EACH INDIVIDUAL LIFE IMPACTS EVERY LIFE!
Blessings and Curses: Blessings and curses, as Moses REMINDS Israel of God’s INTENTIONS. God desires for us to walk with Him, follow His instructions and honor His Miztvot ~ Laws, by obeying them and teaching them to future generations: We curse ourselves by our choices…rooted in self-gratification and disobedience to God’s instruction.
The Appointed Place: Moses made it clear to Israel as they entered Canaan that the Idol Worship and Practices of all 7 Canaanite Nations must be utterly crushed and burned to the ground to protect Israel from falling away into Idol Worship. This meant that every High Place which was formerly an Idol Worship Altar, as well as the low places of Idol Worship must be destroyed completely, and could NOT be then used to make sacrifice unto Adonai! Nothing connected to Idol Worship was to be utilized in the Worship of Adonai, who is utterly HOLY.
Only places ASSIGNED by ADONAI could be used for sacrifice and worship. The separation between Holy and Common was the crux of the matter.
Kosher Practices: The ritual slaughter of Kosher animals for consumption was approved, except no blood from the animal slaughtered could be consumed…but must be poured into the ground. The eating of blood was prohibited for Israel, and the punishment for doing so was the SAME as for practicing witchcraft, wizardry and necromancing (speaking to the dead spirits to tell the future)
Ma’aser: Tithes – 3 types listed in the Parashah are:
Rishon (1/10th of produce for the Priesthood)
Sheni (after the 1/10th tithe of the land, further tithing of the produce was done on these years…1, 2, 4, 5th year of each 7-year Shemittah cycle)
Anni (The 3rd and 6th year tithe was given to the poor by way of gleaning the fields by those in need.) Gleaning meant to gather the leftovers; the crops that were left for the poor to freely gather what the land owner ordered to be left for the poor.
Navi Sheker: False Prophet…as in the end times or Alcharit Hayamim. There will be false prophets doing signs and wonders and calling followers to worship OTHER gods.
DISCERNING THE NAVI SHEKER: If they claim a god or an idol made with hands spoke to them, it is a LIE. There is only ONE true God: ADONAI
All other claims of other gods are IMPOSTERS and DEMONS who are a SNARE!
Another discerning test is to see IF the prophet is true to GOD’S WORD! A true prophet will never add or detract from God’s Word, but treat it with fear and trembling!
The penalty for false prophecy was death. Even a close family member who tried to sway one away from the one true God, ADONAI, must be rebuked openly, and then put to death.
Midrash states that this probably meant ‘to report this family member to the highest court for justice!
Ha-nidachat: A City condemned for idolatry. All inhabitants shall be put to death and all their possessions must be burned, as a whole burnt offering to the Lord!
THE CITY WOULD NOT BE REBUILT!
Shemittah: The Sabbatical Year is a Year of REST for the Land. In the seventh year of Shemittah, ALL debts by debtors to creditors must be cancelled. This is called the “shamot” or “release” of debt.
The creditor is NOT to collect the unpaid debt, nor even interest on it, by his brother or neighbor. But, if from a foreigner, he may collect it.
Tashmet Yadekha: Your Hand Shall Release! (See the Yad in the second word…the letter looks like a hand)
A MATTER OF THE HEART! The Shemittah of Release was not only the ‘opening of the hand’ of the creditor to the debtor, but also, his HEART toward THE DEBTOR!
The persons releasing debts were to have a spirit of generosity toward those whom they released from debt. Generosity toward the debtor going forward through life with them was a HEART ISSUE! Would they begrudge this person of the release…or would they truly RELEASE IT ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD?
We use the term forgive a debt. Consider how deep this goes into the HEART OF THE MATTER!
Adonai promises to bless those who truly forgive their debtors!
Abundance is promised for all who are obedient to the Shemittah! There would be NO poor, if this 7- year cycle of forgiveness of debts were honored today! Think about it! 😊
This type of generosity was to grow a community of people who treated one another like family!
Jewish belief is grounded in the hope that by giving generously to charity (tzedakah) one can change an evil decree of punishment from the Lord.
Servitude: As forced payment for theft; the thief could be put into indentured servitude for 6 years to repay what was stolen. In the 7th year he would be set free. Slaves were to be given funds and supplies in order to begin a new life. If they chose to stay with the family instead of going out into freedom, they were marked with a ring in the ear, which identified them as the ownership of the owner.
First Born Males: All first born males of family and of flocks shall be dedicated to the Lord. They shall not be worked, or put to profane use, or common use. The blemish free animals could be sacrificed and eaten before the Lord at the appointed place. First born animals with a blemish could be consumed by the owner for food but never offered for sacrifice to ADONAI.
Shelosh Regalim: The 3 Pilgrimages!
After the destruction of the Second Temple, until the building of the Third Temple, the actual pilgrimages are no longer obligatory upon Jews, and no longer take place on a national scale.
During synagogue services the related passages describing the holiday being observed are read aloud from a Torah scroll on the bimah (platform) used at the center of the synagogue services.
During the Jewish holidays in modern-day Israel, many Jews living in or near Jerusalem make an effort to attend prayer services at the Western Wall emulating the ancient pilgrimages.
We know from end of days prophecies that during the Millennial Reign of Yeshua, the three Pilgrimages to the Holy Mountain of Zion will be mandatory! These were and will be again, times of rejoicing, worship, feasting and fellowship for God’s Treasured People! (AM SEGULAH)
Should believers learn of and observe these important times of the Lord today? Yes, this is the moment to be in ALIGNMENT with His end time plans!
Haftarah (Old Covenant) Reading Is 54:11-55:5
The Third Haftarah of Consolation of encouragement to Israel in the face of exile:
In the midst of Jerusalem as a wasteland in Isaiah’s time, the promise was given that one day the Lord will lay the new foundations of Zion with diamonds!
All your children will be taught by the LORD!
When the Nation of Israel finally SEES Yeshua as Messiah and accepts Him during the Great Tribulation, the promises to Israel in the Covenant with Adonai will be completely fulfilled in the 1,000 – year Millennial Reign of Yeshua Ha Massiache. Hallelujah!
Pray for the lips of all Israel to say:
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”! BARUCH HABA B’SHEM ADONAI!
Pray for Israel to open the Torah, and receive the Living Water of Adonai’s WORDS!
Pray for Israel to profess the SHEMA, and live it OUT!
Brit Chadashah (New Covenant) Reading: John 7:37-52
John recounts the appeal of Jesus to Israel to come to Him and freely receive “living waters” during the “Water Libation Ceremony” on the last day of the Festival of Sukkot…
The Feast of Tabernacles.
Yeshua said:
“If anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ Amen!
RE’Eh: To See
It is the Spirit of Amalek which is the true enemy of ADONAI, to this day. Amalek begins with the letter Ayin — a symbol of the EYE.
Part of the word Amalek denotes another word in Hebrew meaning “DOUBT”. When we have the “doubtful eye” we have a “Spiritual Blindness.”
With the doubtful eye, we cannot SEE the abundant path to Adonai! We see only DOUBT, LACK, and FEAR, and all that comes from a negative VIEW of life.
Doubt is contagious and affects others around us.
THUS, THE PICTURE OF THE CEREMONY in the valley between MOUNT GERAZYM AND MOUNT EBAL…
Israel stood in the valley, looking to Mt. Gerazym’s fruitful and verdant covering which is always seen as blessings from God!
What is fruitful and of LIFE, is from ADONAI.
Then looking in the opposite direction to Mt. Ebal, which was barren, desolate, dry, and dead.
This was a VISUAL lesson! Adonai uses visuals to teach! When we stand between the Mountain of His blessings…and the Mountain of life’s bareness, which will we choose to walk in? LIFE… OR SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS LEADING TO DEATH?
Becherah Chofshit: Free Will (As Image Bearers, it is our responsibility to always choose LIFE)
Averut: Mutual Responsibility (Our Lives Matter…EACH Life Matters to the whole of a community)
Tochechah: Corrections (To correct the world we live in, we must first CORRECT ourselves, Teshuva!)
For those of us who have influence in the lives of others, please draw the picture of the two mountains!
Mount Gerizim in its fruitful and verdant beauty which supports LIFE for all who ascend!
The valley of decision…
Mount Ebal in its barren desolation, lacking life, growth or nourishment! A descent INTO DEATH.
THE CHOICE IS OURS!
Choose well…choose right! Choose LIFE!