Parshah 47 – R’eih – See D’varim (Deuteronomy) 11:26-16:17 B’rit Chadashah Reading: 1 Corinthians 5:9-13; 1 John 4:1-6 Note: Verses in () represent the numbering used in the Christian translation of the Scriptures. In R’eih, Moses addresses a powerful spiritual law of our faith. We are not to follow our eyes; we are not doing the right thing based on how we see it. Faith comes by hearing, not by sight. Moses instructs us to see how God has put the blessing before us if we obey, and how the curse awaits us if we disobey. (These are illustrated with the proclamation of the blessings and curses on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal after the Children of Israel enter the Land of Israel.) Moses also speaks to the future, the day when God would choose a place for His Name to reside. We are able to see this clearly now. HASHEM chose the city of Jerusalem as the place where He placed His name just as Moses said He would. He directs them to destroy all vestiges of idolatry from the Promised Land. Moses then describes areas of life that we must make choices in keeping His commandments. They include tithes, false prophets, the wayward city, tattoos, kashrut (the definition of what is called food), the Sabbatical Year, charity and the festivals ordained by God. These choices will either chart a course of obedience and blessing, or, by going our own way, a course that leads to many troubles. 26See, I present before you today a blessing and a curse. 27The blessing: if you hearken to the commandments of HASHEM, your God, that I command you today. 28And the curse: if you do not hearken to the commandments of HASHEM, your God, and you stray from the path that I command you today, to follow gods of others, that you did not know. (D’varim 11:26) Thus opens Parshah R’eih. The meaning is clear and consistent with what God told Abraham. We, in the Western culture, look at “a curse” as an absence of blessings. This is far from the truth. Blessings and curses produce consequences in our lives. Spiritual leaders, who suggest that you should not walk in obedience to the teaching of the Torah and that you should depart from what HASHEM has said, speak in direct contradiction to HASHEM. In D’varim 12:32-13:5, HASHEM says that you shall not follow that spiritual leader – even if he has signs and wonders. If he is not teaching what HASHEM has said, why follow him? Specifically, Moses lists the things with which you should check out a spiritual leader: 1. Does he teach and do “Love HASHEM”? 2. Does he teach and do “Fear HASHEM”? 3. Does he teach and do “Keep His Commandments”? 4. Does he teach and do “Serve HASHEM”? 5. Does he teach and do “Cleave to HASEHM”? 6. Does he teach and “Walk in the ways of HASEHM”? 7. Does he teach, “Listen to His voice”? This is not just any voice. This is the Voice that spoke on Mount Sinai. This is the Voice that spoke the commandments. Do you hear THAT VOICE? Or is what the spiritual leader speaking just theology? Does he wrestle with whether or not the Ten Commandments are still applicable? The spiritual leader under whom you sit should align himself with Moses, the prophets, Yeshua and the Apostles. If he, or she, is not aligned with all four, you need to look for one who does! The abundance of religions that exist today makes it difficult to discern the truth. Adding to this problem is the fact people have an inherent desire to believe and worship a god who fits into their own personal understandings. Unfortunately, worshiping a god that fits into our own personal belief system can lead us to worship false gods. To avoid falling into this trap, a person must be willing to admit that he or she does not fully understand the desires and motives of God. Putting aside personal beliefs is the only way to begin to see the true nature of HASHEM. However, when we put aside personal beliefs we must fill the void with a new understanding. The only new understanding that is acceptable to HASHEM is an understanding founded on the Torah. This is because the Torah is the only steadfast truth that exists. 142Your righteousness is eternal righteousness, and your Torah is truth. (Psalm 119:142) Clearly, the Torah is the truth. Therefore, the Torah should be the primary standard we use to discern the true nature of HASHEM. Yeshua uses this analogy to explain to His Talmudim (Disciples) the importance of understanding the truth. 13Go in through the narrow gate; for the gate that leads to destruction is wide and the road broad, and many travel it; 14but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15Beware of the false prophets! They come to you wearing the clothing of sheep, but underneath they are hungry wolves! (Matthew 7:13-15) Yeshua makes it clear these deceivers come in the clothing of sheep. Therefore, understanding the true nature of HASHEM is critical if we want to avoid false prophets who use our ignorance of the Torah to lead us astray. In fact, the most powerful weapon of a false prophet is the ability to tell individuals what they want to hear and present the teaching in the name of HASHEM. Unfortunately, believers are often afraid to confront false prophets, because false prophets come appearing to have authority. In R’eih, HASHEM makes it clear that a person must confront false prophets, and if they are operating outside the bounds of Torah, they have no authority. 2(1)If there should stand up in your midst a prophet or a dreamer of a dream, and he will produce to you a sign or a wonder, 3(2)and the sign or the wonder comes about, of which he spoke to you, saying, “Let us follow gods of other that you did not know and we shall worship them!” — 4(3)do not hearken to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer of a dream, for HASHEM, your God, is testing you to know whether you love HASHEM, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul. 5(4)HASHEM, your God, shall you follow and Him shall you fear; His commandments shall you observe and to His voice shall you hearken; Him shall you serve and to Him shall you cleave. (D’varim 13:2-5(1-4)) The use of signs and wonders by a prophet is not sufficient proof that the prophet is a prophet of HASHEM. According to the passage, the only way to determine a false prophet is if the prophet leads individuals away from serving HASHEM. When false prophets arise in the future, the Torah is going to be the most important tool believers have. 11Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. It had two horns like those of a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence; and it makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, the one whose fatal wound had been healed. 13It performs great miracles, even causing fire to come down from heaven onto the earth as people watch. 14It deceives the people living on earth by the miracles it is allowed to perform in the presence of the beast, and it tells them to make an image honoring the beast that was struck by the sword but came alive again. (Revelations 13:11-14) Signs and wonders will not guarantee that an individual is not a false prophet. In fact, signs and wonders will deceive many into believing the anti-messiah is a prophet of HASHEM. Relying on signs and wonder does not replace the spiritual discernment of the Torah. 15Beware of the false prophets! They come to you wearing the clothing of sheep, but underneath they are hungry wolves! 16You will recognize them by their fruit. Can people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise, every healthy tree produces good fruit, but a poor tree produces bad fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, or a poor tree good fruit. 19Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire! 20So you will recognize them by their fruit. (Matthew 7:15-20) Yeshua makes it clear that it is by his or her fruit one recognizes a false prophet. In D’varim 13:2-5(1-4), it is clear that the good fruit is fruit that leads individuals back to obedience. Therefore, the desirable fruit of a true prophet is not based on signs and wonders. The good fruit of one of the prophets of HASHEM; it is founded on the Torah. In other words, a true prophet of HASHEM produces fruit that is acceptable by the standard of Torah. The anti-messiah and other false prophets feed on the innate human desire to experience the miraculous. Therefore, false prophets rely on signs and wonders to convince believers they are the prophets of HASHEM. As a result, many individuals have been deceived into following false gods. Yeshua warns us of this danger 24For there will appear false Messiahs and false prophets performing great miracles — amazing things! — so as to fool even the chosen, if possible. (Matthew 24:24) The fruit of the Torah is the reason the elect are not deceived. 17The dragon was infuriated over the woman and went off to fight the rest of her children, those who obey commands of God and bear witness to Yeshua. (Revelation 12:17) The ability of the offspring of the woman to discern prophets causes the dragon to turn against those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Yeshua. Signs and wonders can be produced by lies. However, the Torah is the truth. Therefore, as followers of Yeshua, we should cling to the Torah and not hastily follow signs and wonders. God grants to every person freedom of choice. If a person desires to turn toward a good path and be righteous, the ability to do so in his hands. If a person desires to turn toward an evil path and be wicked, the ability to do so in his hands. 1Dear friends, do not trust every spirit. On the contrary, test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2Here is how you recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit, which acknowledges that Yeshua the Messiah came as a human being, is from God, 3and every spirit, which does not acknowledge Yeshua, is not from God – in fact, this is the spirit of the Anti-Messiah. You have heard that he is coming. Well, he is here now, in the world already! 4You, children, are from God and have overcome the false prophets, because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5They are from the world; therefore, they speak from the viewpoint of the world; and the world listens to them. 6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we distinguish the Spirit of truth from the spirit of error. (1 John 4:1-6) This concept is a fundamental principle and a pillar of the Torah and its commandments. 15See, I have placed before you today the life and the good, and the death and the evil, 16that which I command you today, to love HASHEM, your God, to walk in His ways, to observe His commandments, His decrees, and his ordinances; then you will live and you will multiply, and HASHEM, your God, will bless you in the Land to which you come, to possess it. (D’varim 30:15-16) It is by the measure of the Torah that God decrees a person to be righteous or wicked; commands a person through His prophets to “do this” and “do not do this” when within that person there exists an essence of nature which compels him toward a specific path, a specific conviction, a specific character trait or a specific deed. It is by the measure of the Torah that the ministry of Yeshua is examined. It is by the decree of the Torah that the way of salvation is within the reach of each of us through Yeshua of Nazareth. The religious leaders of the time of Yeshua did not believe that He was the Messiah. His words to them were:
Posted on: Fri, 02 Aug 2013 22:19:38 +0000
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