Rabbi’s Reflections – Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Shalom,
Pillar Eleven: The Kingdom is Expressed in Every Life Sphere – part 1
In this “pillar” we are going to see the destiny of the Kingdom of God is ubiquitous (everywhere). In other words, there will be nothing left in this world that is not totally submitted and a part of the kingdom of God. Naturally, His kingdom is any place where He is King. And He is only King at a place or at a time when everything is submitted to Him. Rebellion is not included in God’s kingdom.
So then, which is it? Is it kingdom now, or kingdom later? Those of you who have been reading for a while know the answer to this one. “Yes, both!” Yeshua said, Mark 1:15 “Now is the fullness of time,” He said, “and the kingdom of God is near! Turn away from your sins, and believe in the Good News!” Some translations use the phrase “The kingdom of God is at hand” meaning “The kingdom of God is available to you.”
The kingdom of God is always connected to the power of God. To experience His kingdom is to experience His power. Yeshua made this point Himself in Luke 11. Luke 11:17 But Yeshua, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and a house against a house falls. 18 Now if satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say by beelzebul I drive out the demons. 19 But if by beelzebul I drive out demons, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason, they will be your judges. 20 But if by the finger of God I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.”
God is the God of order. Satan is the author of confusion, and confusion equals chaos. When we come to Yeshua and He becomes Lord of our lives, He begins to “put us in order.” We say in Hebrew, “Aych sidarti otcha.” (How you put me in order.) God’s kingdom is put in order by His power. God’s kingdom is put in order by His presence. God drives out the author of confusion. This is how God’s kingdom is expressed in every sphere of life.
Week 11
Memory Verse: Deuteronomy 4:7 For what great nation is there that has gods so near to them, as Adonai our God is whenever we call on Him?
51 3/9 Monday: Numbers 20; 27:12-23
52 3/10 Tuesday: Numbers 34-35
* 53 3/11 Wednesday: Deuteronomy 1-2
54 3/12 Thursday: Deuteronomy 3-4
55 3/13 Friday: Deuteronomy 6-7
Question of the day: How do the first 2 chapters of Deuteronomy give us the idea that the last book of the 5 Books of Moses should be called Deuteronomy? From where does that name come?
Answer: Moses recounts the wanderings of the children of Israel in the desert for 40 years. Deuteronomy tells us when this was written (or first spoken). Deuteronomy 1:3 Now Moses spoke to Bnei-Yisrael, according to all Adonai had commanded him for them—in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month.
So, Moses says this about what is being said… Deuteronomy 1:5b Moses began to explain this Torah saying,…. But back to our original question of the day, what does Deuteronomy means? A “duet” is when 2 people sing. Deuteronomy is a repetition of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.
But these books of the Torah are written in Hebrew. What are their Hebrew names? Here you go. And shouldn’t we (Messianic Jews) be using the Hebrew names anyway? The Hebrew name for each book is taken from the first significant Hebrew word in the first sentence. This is also the name of the first Torah portion of each book.
Rabbi Trail: The annual reading of the Torah (5 books of Moses) is broken up into weekly portions. The Hebrew word for “portion” is “Mana.” (Sound familiar?) Thus the verse… Deuteronomy 8:3b man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of Adonai. This was quoted by Yeshua in Matthew 4:4 in answering the temptation of Satan. Each Torah portion has a name taken from the first significant Hebrew word in that portion. End RT.
Genesis is called “Beresheet” meaning “in the beginning.” Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Exodus is called “Shemot” meaning “names.” Exodus 1:1 Now these are the names of Bnei-Yisrael who came into Egypt with Jacob, each man with his family.
Leviticus is called “Vayikra” meaning “and he called out.” Leviticus 1:1 Now Adonai called to Moses and spoke to him out of the Tent of Meeting, saying.
Numbers is called “Bamid’bar” meaning “in the wilderness.” Numbers 1:1 In the wilderness of Sinai, on the first day of the second month in the second year from the Exodus from the land of Egypt, Adonai spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting saying.
Deuteronomy is called “Devarim” meaning “words.” Deuteronomy 1:1 These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordan—in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Di-Zahab.
One last note… Bamid’bar and Devarim are actually from the same Shoresh (Hebrew root), Dalet-Bet-Resh.
Rabbi Trail: Much of Hebrew (the vast 98th percentile) is made up of 3 letter Hebrew root words. The specific meaning are taken from grammatical structures using those 3 letter “shorashim.” The 3 letter “shoresh” is always the 3rd person, masculine, past tense form using the “ah-ah” vowels, as in “DaVaR.” End RT.
The shores “Davar” means both “words” and “things” (in the plural, but Davar in itself is singular). So how do we get “wilderness” (or desert) from the Hebrew word for “word?” My midrash on that is that we have to go into the desert “wilderness” to hear the “words” of God.
Well, that’s a long way from Deuteronomy being a repetition of the middle three books of the Torah. In many ways Deuteronomy is Moses summation of His experience leading the children of Israel through the wilderness. We will find that, as Moses gets closer to the end, his rhetoric intensifies. Chapter 32 (called “Ha’azinu” in Hebrew meaning “our ears”) becomes a summary of the summary. It is written as poetry. Every word and every line tells a story. A novelist takes hundreds of pages to tell a story that a poet tells in a few lines.
Thank You, Lord, for Your word. It is like honey on our lips. Psalm 119:103 How sweet is Your word to my taste— yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!