Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Shabbat Bible Study for 2Oct2021

©2021 Mark Pitrone & Fulfilling Torah Ministries

Year 3 – Week 30

Deuteronomy 9:1-29 – Jeremiah 3:1-2 – Psalm 127 – Ephesians 2:1-36

Devarim 9.1-6 – Moshe begins a litany of Israel’s offenses against Yah over the last 40 years of Wilderness Adventure. He mentions, almost in passing, that Israel is less culpable before him than the Cana’ani they are going to dispossess, but they are not to rely on their national ‘virtue’ to carry them through to victory. If Yah held them to the strict standard the church has always said they had to maintain, they would already also be toast. In fact, there have been numerous occasions when he’d have destroyed the nation to the last man and made Moshe a nation, had it not been for Moshe’s gap-standing intercession on Israel’s behalf and on behalf of Yah’s righteous Name [the latter, Y’hovah’s Name, being the thing he was looking for Moshe to uphold]. On this point of relative righteousness, Schottenstein’s Chumash has a good prefatory comment on vv.4-6 on pp. 62-63. 

Earlier, Moshe had warned Yisrael against the delusion that Yisraelite prowess alone would achieve the victory. Now,He goes to the next step. If physical strength was not the determining factor, then it must be either Yisraelite spiritual merit or the overwhelming wickedness of the Cana’ani. Moshe now addresses himself to this. Rashi and Rambam disagree as follows;

Rashi: Do not think that you will triumph because of Cana’ani wickedness [וברשעת, uvrashot] and your righteousness. Your righteousness is insufficient to be a factor at all. Instead, you will conquer because of Eloha’s oath to the Patriarchs.

Ramban: Do not think that your righteousness will win for you. Instead, it is the wickedness of the Cana’ani that is causing them to be driven out”; thus Ramban renders וברשעת as ‘but because of the wickedness …. In v.5, Moshe reiterated that Yisrael should not think their righteousness is sufficient. If so, Moshe must answer another question. Even though the Cana’ani deserve to be displaced, why should Yisrael have the privilege of succeeding them? To that he answers that the oath to the Patriarchs is still in effect.

Although Moshe had said [7.8] that Eloha loves Yisrael … that statement refers only to the nation in its totality throughout history. The criticism here was directed specifically at the people standing in front of him, who, as he is about to say, had been guilty of many rebellions against Eloha.

Rashi and Ramban actually agree there, that Israel is NOT all that AND a bag of chips. In fact, they aren’t really even the bag of chips. Both stress that Y’hovah did not favor Israel over the Cana’ani because they were intrinsically better ACTORS than Cana’an or that they were particularly adept at fighting and winning battles. They were favored for Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’acov’s sakes to whom Yah had PROMISED this land for their family. THIS is STILL why Israel is favored; NOT because they are more righteous than their neighbors, but because Yah PROMISED. Here’s what Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, a Xian resource, says about “Not for” in v.5

Not for: Though the Canaanites were expelled for their wickedness, it does not follow, that the Israelites were established in their room on account of any distinguished virtue, or because they deserved it. On many occasions, it may be seen in the history of the world, that Eloha punishes the wicked by the instrumentality of other men, who are as wicked as themselves. Not the Israelites’ righteousness, but the wickedness of the inhabitants, and the promise of Eloha to their fathers, was the cause of their obtaining Canaan.

We Netzari believers LIKEWISE are not more favored than the wicked people around us because WE are all that and a bag of chips, either. WE are not BETTER than the heathen around us. We are better OFF than they due to our Hebraic style of faith, doing what we say we believe at least some of the time by his gracious provision.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: the gift of Eloha: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Mashiyach Yeshua unto good works, which Eloha hath before ordained that we should walk in them. [Eph.2.8-10]

In vv.2-3 Moshe tells Israel that they will destroy the Cana’ani by HIS power, not their own, as Paraoh, Amalek and Amor had been.

11 And the magicians could not stand before Moshe [Ex.9] 

8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim… 13 And Yehoshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 And Yah said unto Moshe, Write this a memorial in a book, and rehearse in the ears of Yehoshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven… 16 For he said, Because Y’hovah hath sworn Y’hovah to war with Amalek from generation to generation. [Ex.17.8, 13, 14, 16]

And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of Ammon strong. [Num.21.21, 23-24]

Q&C

Vv.7-29 – Moshe here lists a number of times, not an exhaustive account by any means, that Israel has ‘gone a-whoring’ to their own will and ways. He doesn’t even bring up, except in passing [v.7], Meribah or the other incidents of rebellion between Egypt and Sinai, but only the time AFTER they’d agreed to the Covenant – at LEAST 4 times at the foot of Sinai; 

19.7 And Moshe came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which Yah commanded him. 8 And all the people answered together [through their representatives – Mark edit], and said, All that Yah hath spoken we will do. And Moshe returned the words of the people unto Yah. 

18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw, they removed, and stood afar off. 19 And they said unto Moshe, Speak thou with us, and we will hear [shema, “to hear and do” – Mark edit]: but let not Eloha speak with us, lest we die.

24.3 And Moshe came and told the people all the words of Yah, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which Yah hath said will we do. 7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that Yah hath said will we do, and be obedient.[Ex.19.7-8, 20.18-19, 24.3, 7]

The use of Chorev [H2722] in v.8 is kinda interesting, since the word means ‘desolation’, which is what happened to Israel in the ‘golden calf’ incident. The nation desolated itself by bowing to the idols and debauching before them. The root verb of Chorev is H2717 charav, which means ‘to parch or lose vitality’, which was the spiritual condition of the Israelite nation as they played the harlot at the foot of Sinai – the very place where they had agreed to do what Y’hovah had commanded them AT LEAST 4 times. 

Now, don’t get all puffed up because YOU would never do such a thing, because you probably have at least once already today. I am sharing this on 2Oct2021, and reviewing it on 25Sep2021, but I know myself well enough to know that I have probably already transgressed Torah today – BOTH days. And in that I have already stood at Chorev TODAY. HalleluYah! that Mashiyach Yeshua intercedes for me because I SOMETIMES have a heart to obey him, even as Moshe stood in the gap for Yisrael and for Yah’s Name before a rightfully angry Yah Tzavaoth. 

Moshe speaks for the rest of this chapter about the events surrounding the golden calf;

• How he went up on the mountain at Yah’s command and was given the bullet points of the covenant and how Yisrael was to implement their part of it, which he told them first thing upon his return to the foot of Sinai after 40 days and nights – outside of time and space – in Yah’s throneroom. He was so full of life and well rested after his 40 days without food or drink that he stayed up all night to write a hard copy of what he’d told them and then read it to them that morning. Their agreement to do all that Yah had covenanted with them the night before and again that day were the nation’s 3rd and 4th signatures to the covenant, 
• How he went BACK up the mount for another 40 days and nights to receive the details of the covenant, of which the written record Moshe had just delivered was the outline, 
• How Israel, and even Aharon and probably the other Levi’im, had had a part in the corruption, KJV’s use of ‘corrupted’ [H7843 shachath שחת, ‘to corrupt or degenerate irreversibly’] is interesting. Here are a couple of other uses;

16 Lest ye corrupt and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, [Dt.4.16] 

11 The earth also was corrupt before Eloha, and the earth was filled with violence. 12  And Eloha looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. [Gen.6.11-12]

– every use of ‘corrupt’ is from H7843, shachath, to degenerate irreversibly.

• How Yah warned Moshe that he was righteous to wipe Israel out,
• How Moshe demonstrated Israel’s rebellion by destroying the tables of the testimony,

Again, from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on ‘cast them’:

Moshe might have done this through distress and anguish of spirit, on beholding their abominable idolatry and dissolute conduct; or probably he did it emblematically, and perhaps by the direction of Eloha; intimating thereby, that as by this act of his the tables were broken in pieces, on which the Law of Eloha was written, so they, by their present conduct, had made a breach in the covenant, and broken the laws of their Maker and Sovereign,

• How Moshe stood in the gap for Yisrael, for Yah’s Name and for Aharon, whom Yah thought to destroy,
• How Moshe burnt and ground the image with fire and strewed it over the waters of Rephidim,
• How Israel transgressed at Massah and Kibroth-hattaavah 
• and Kadesh-Barnea, and were denied passage into the Land until the whole adult population of Israel [except the 2 Yisraelite spies] died because they would not believe Yah’s Word, but followed the tourist’s word instead,
• How Moshe stood in the gap for Yisrael’s and the Patriarchs’ sakes, and for the sake of Yah’s Name before the heathen and especially Egypt.

Q&C

YirmeYahu 3.1-2 – This is a direct reference to 

1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give in her hand, and send her out of his house. 2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s. 3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her his wife; 4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that abomination before Yah: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which Yah Elohecha giveth thee an inheritance. [Dt.24.1-4] 

except that Y’hovah Elohenu asks us to return to him,

      … yet return again to me, saith Yah. [v.1] 

He cares very deeply that we went after other gods, but he wants us to return to him. He lived in flesh like ours and knows experientially what we go through and He empathizes/sympathizes with us, so much so that He made a way for us to escape the fate we’d taken on ourselves. He directs us in v.2 to look at and understand what we’ve done against Him, and to make our teshuvah, to repent of what we KNEW full well was a transgression of His commandments to us. We very seldom sin against him that we don’t KNOW we are sinning BEFORE we actually do it. He knows we are not stupid. He knows that his commands are simple. But he also knows that in our flesh they are NOT easy; and He empathizes/sympathizes with us. He WANTS us to walk in his ways, and he graciously supplies the power for us to do so by his indwelling Ruach haKodesh, his set-apart Spirit. He tells us in v.2 to look for those things we have NOT corrupted and to fix on THOSE things, not the places where we have failed and then repented, confessed and been forgiven. That doesn’t give us carte blanche to transgress his Word, for we are not being sanctified in areas over which we keep control. But the blood of Yeshua has covered and made restitution for our sins and iniquities. Those things we have been forgiven are also forgotten by Y’hovah’s choice because he no longer looks at us as transgressors, but as his Son’s Bride and as His sons, 

34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yah: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith Yah: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. [Jer.31.34]

The sin that Yah has forgiven no longer exists and is as if it never did exist. There are only 2 places the memory of them still exists

1. in our own minds, and
2. in haSatan’s mind.

In the New Creation, Yah will wipe our minds of the memory of our transgressions and he will have already sent haSatan to the Lake of Fire for utter destruction. 

19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. [Mic.7.19]

So, we need to be mindful of that truth and not beat ourselves up over sins that have been repented of, confessed and forgiven. And when they DO come to mind, we need to

1. rebuke haSatan over the memory and then 
2. Hallel Yah that he has forgiven it and also made us blameless by his stripes and death on the tree.

Q&C

Tehellim 127 –  This song of ascent was written FOR Schlomo, not BY him. As you probably know, Schlomo went after multiple wives/concubines, mostly as alliance sealers, but for each of them he built an altar to and worshipped those wives’ deities. He might just as well have bowed to the golden calf at Chorev. [Isn’t it amazing how the Psalm, chosen sequentially, so readily correspond to the Torah parshah? BTW, here comes some MAJOR conjecture.] 

Whoever wrote this song of ascent KNEW Schlomo’s Torah transgression and was herein telling Schlomo to repent and confess his sin and iniquity in disobeying Yah by accumulating wives, horses and chariots. The Temple was still in the building stage when this psalm was delivered to him, so there is that application, as well. Did Yah build Schlomo’s house? He did, but not due to Schlomo’s tzedekah, but David’s. Yehudah didn’t continue for 400 more years because of Schlomo’s righteousness, but David’s. Schlomo was just a regular guy like me and you, but who happened to be born into the house of the king of that part of the world, so he lived quite opulently, perhaps indulgently; spoiled. There is no reference to Schlomo ever engaging in a battle with an enemy. His kingdom’s power was created by David’s military and political prowess, not Schlomo’s. IF my conjecture about Schlomo’s less than Davidic character is correct this psalm is a rebuke to him from Ruach haKodesh, with a blessing attached, depending on a positive response. 

If this conjecture has any legs, Shlomo is being told that unless he turns to Yah’s Way his house will not stand. He is being told in v.1 that he needs to get his hands out of the ‘house building’ business [I don’t think Schlomo ever held a saw or hammer in his hand], presumably because MOST of the ones Schlomo had had built were to foreign elohims. V.2 speaks to the uselessness of watchmen if the city has gone a-whoring and despises or contemns Yah. 

Then he addresses the numerous children Shlomo probably had, what with all those “concu-wives”. Vv.3-5, if the conjecture holds true, is one of the 1st inklings that Yah will be dividing the kingdom, as ‘THEY’, that is, Shlomo’s kids, will not be ashamed and will speak with enemies in his very own gates, as did ChizkiYahu to MerodachBaladan’s officers.

At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to ChizkiYahu: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered. [Isa. 39.1]

I would not be surprised to learn that MerodachBaladan was his father’s Director of National Security, like the NSA chief today. Now that might have SEEMED like a blessing to Chizkiyahu, but when YeshaYahu heard about the Babylonian king’s officers’ being in the city, he asked ChizkiYahu what he’d shown them, which was everything, and Y’hovah spoke prophecy through him,

5 Then said YeshaYahu to ChizkiYahu, Hear the word of Yah of hosts: 6 Behold, the days come, that all in thine house, and which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith Yah. 7 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. [Is.39.5-7]

ChananYahu [Shadrach], Mishael [Meshach], AzarYahu [Abednego] [cumulatively, Sh’MA] and Daniel [or, Daniel and Sh’MA] were all sons of ChizkiYahu, who told YeshaYahu it was good that it wasn’t going to happen in his lifetime or his own son’s. I think Shlomo had the same kind of reaction to the news AviYahu brought him about 10 tribes being severed from his son; “Oh, well! At least I won’t see it!” 

The prophetic significance of vv.3-5 is that from Shlomo’s loins would eventually proceed Mashiyach ben David, the ultimate MelchiZedek high priest. Q&C

Ephesians 2-3 – Eph.2.1-3 – Remember the pronouns, YOU = formerly gentile believers, WE = Yehudi believers in Mashiyach Yeshua, US = all the believers together as one body, THEY/THEM = the Pharisee CCers, whether believers or not. In this sentence that encompasses all of the 1st 3 verses, Sha’ul begins drawing the You’s and the We’s together as Us/We All. He is primarily addressing the former gentiles in vv.1-4. They were drawn naturally to the sins of the flesh, having had no Torah to teach them Yah’s Way. But he also includes himself and his Yehudi brethren in the same boat, because Sha’ul was nothing if not brutally honest. Just as the gentiles were slaves to their lusts according to the directions of the flesh and possibly (though not certainly) with the influence of haSatan, so were the Yehudim. Remember that in Rom.7 Sha’ul said he was made aware of just how covetous he was when he actually thought about the 10th commandment for the first time.

What shall we say then? Is Torah sin? Eloha forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by Torah: for I had not known lust, except Torah had said, Thou shalt not covet. (Romans 7:7)

Do you suppose it was/is the same with most Yehudim? I would be willing to wager, without MUCH chance involved. I don’t think his problem was lusting over OTHER people’s stuff, but lusting for what he already had,

4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, the tribe of BenYamin, an Hebrew of Hebrews; as touching Torah [oral – MP], a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in Torah, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Mashiyach. (Phil.3.4-7)

[I think Paul was the rich young man [Matt.19] who coveted his stuff; ^ THIS ^ stuff + his father’s estate.]

Vv.4-7 – “But Eloha” are quite probably the sweetest words in scripture, aren’t they? As wicked as we can be without even knowing it, Yah is knowingly that merciful towards us, full of love for which we are throughly undeserving. He, by his gracious favor, quickened us together with Mashiyach Yeshua when he raised him from death, and seats us in eternity in Mashiyach and through him allows us to inherit in his Kingdom.  

Vv.8-10 – It is by his gracious favor to usward that we are delivered by the faith of Mashiyach. This faith needs to be seen in the Hebraic sense that faith is both mental assent to truth and obedience working out that truth. Remember that it is not OUR faith that secures our deliverance from Torah of sin and death, but the finished work of Mashiyach Yeshua on the tree, in the grave and upon his resurrection. 

Even the righteousness of Eloha which is by faith of Yeshua haMashiyach unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: (Romans 3:22)

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of Torah, but by the faith of Yeshua haMashiyach, even we have believed in Yeshua haMashiyach, that we might be justified by the faith of Mashiyach, and not by the works of Torah: for by the works of Torah shall no flesh be justified But if, while we seek to be justified by Mashiyach, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Mashiyach the minister of sin? Eloha forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through Torah am dead to Torah, that I might live unto Eloha. I am crucified with Mashiyach: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Mashiyach liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of Eloha, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:16-20)

That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Yeshua haMashiyach; that we might receive the promise of Ruach through faith… But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Yeshua haMashiyach might be given to them that believe. (Galatians 3:14, 22)

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is Eloha which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. [Phil.2.12-13]

My brethren, have not the faith of our Master Yeshua haMashiyach, the Master of glory, with respect of persons. (James 2:1)

And now, we haltingly obey his commandments as we submit to his Ruach haKodesh, who supplies the spiritual power we need to comply and to thereby overcome the wicked one – our/my own fleshly self and, on occasion, haSatan and his hordes. We ARE his workmanship. He has created us IN Mashiyach UNTO obedience. W/O the Ruach of Mashiyach, we could not obey. I purposely left out the references of our faith IN Mashiyach, because I didn’t want to confuse the issue. But suffice it to say that our FAITH is IN Mashiyach in exactly the same way that WE are IN Mashiyach. It is not OUR faith in Mashiyach that saves us, but HIS faith, the faith OF Mashiyach that delivers us from death to life IN HIM. We English speakers, who were raised in the deception of the church’s political leadership, think that faith is mere belief, while Hebrew speakers understand that every word is based in ACTION, not merely concept. If you claim to be in Mashiyach and you understand that concept to be true, but your understanding hasn’t affected your life and produced the effect of obedience, your faith is useless; your faith is dead.

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone… For as the body without Ruach is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:17, 26) 

Q&C

Vv.11-13 – Here are our pronouns again, and put to good use. YE (former gentiles) WERE afar off; w/o Mashiyach, goyim, gerim, hopeless, w/o Eloha though surrounded by gods; but are NOW brought near by Mashiyach’s blood. He is OUR shalom, having made the two (We and Ye = us) echad. Now; today; in the physical world, we still have 2 houses extant, comprised of Yehudah, who have been conditioned to distrust Xians and will not accept that many are being drawn to Torah by Mashiyach, and Ephraim and full goyim, who have been conditioned to distrust Yehudah by the same anti-Jewish Xian ‘fathers’ who perpetrated the crusades, inquisitions and pogroms that made the Yehudim distrustful of all things that name Yeshua as their Mashiyach. But IN Mashiyach there is no Jew/Greek, no bond/free, no male/female dichotomies. All are echad, a singularity, in him as Yah is echad. 

The middle wall of partition, friends, is the oral traditions that keep us from breaking Torah, while also keeping us from truly obeying Torah. The context of the sentence also shows that that middle wall is the enmity that stands between us. Yeshua abolished that middle wall (passed which, in the 2nd Temple, a gentile could not enter) and the enmity it represents between Yehudi and goyish believer in the same Yah Elohenu by Yah Yeshua’s finished work on the tree. By that work, as we said before, he made of the 2 one body. See that he reconciled us to Eloha – we are one in Eloha, as well as in Mashiyach by Yeshua’s abolition of enmity between goyish and Yehudi believers. The enmity was not just between goy and Yehudi, but also between BOTH human houses and Eloha, between the Shalom Yeshua brings that is BOTH between us 2 human houses AND between both houses and Yah. <<< THIS is why I say that the gospel in a nutshell is, “You can have PEACE with the Creator of the universe.” What better news could there be to a world lost and dying? All we need to do after they see that their problem is enmity with Yah is to show them the delivery vehicle of Yeshua’s death, burial and resurrection. 

And so, we former gentiles are made citizens in the Israelite Commonwealth and members of Eloha’s family, built on the foundation of the sent out prophets [schlichim] of Yah and the cornerstone of Mashiyach.   

The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. (Psalms 118:22)

In that day shall there be an altar to Yah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to Yah. (YeshaYahu 19:19)

The HEADstone of the corner describes only one stone I can think of – a pyramid’s CAPstone, as it is placed at the head of the pyramid and stands over ALL 4 corners of it. In Mashiyach all the body, from the 4 corners of the earth, will be brought together as echad, and in him we will be one as Y’hovah is one – absolute Shalom. Q&C

End of Shabbat Bible Study