Va’era (I Appeared) Exodus 6-9
Torah Portion: Va’era (I Appeared) Sh’mot (Exodus) 6:2-9:35
HafTorah: Ezekiel 28:25-29:21
Tonight we read the portion of Torah that covers most of the plagues that G-d was to bring on the people of Egypt and to rescue His bride. We could see this as a contest between G-d and a man who thought he was god and others thought he was god. So, Pharaoh could not relent to the demands of a shepherd and a bunch of slaves. In fact last week we read in Exodus 5:2, “Who is the L-rd that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the L-rd and I will not let Israel go.” The word, know, here is the Hebrew word for intimate knowledge. Maybe he had heard some reference somewhere to a Jewish G-d but he had no personal knowledge and deemed it beneath him to listen to this shepherd.
B’chukkotai (By my regulations) Vayikra Lev. 26
Torah Portion: B’chukkotai (By My regulations) Vayikra (Leviticus) 26:3-27:34
HafTorah: Jeremiah 16:19-17:14
New Testament: John 14:15-21; 15:10-12; I John
Today I want us to look at a difficult passage where G-d outlines the blessings and curses associated with obedience and disobedience. I want us to look at these on a personal level. But before we get to that we must realize that these verses were written on a national and a personal basis.
Not Rules By the Present – B’chukotai (In My Statutes) Lev.26
Torah Portion: B’chukotai (In My Statutes) Leviticus 26:3-27:34
HafTorah: Jeremiah 16:19-17:14
Our Torah portion this week is one of two places in the Bible that we read a listing of blessings and curses that hinge on obedience to G-d. Here there are 11 verses that talk about blessings and 36 verses that tell us the consequences of disobedience. I would like to propose that here we read the last line of the story first. I think we now are in and have been in the age of the curses. We see disobedience to G-d’s word on every side.
Ki Tavo (When You Come) Deut 26
Torah Portion: Ki Tavo (When You Come In) Deut. 26:1-29:8
HafTorah: Isaiah 60:1-22
Tonight I want us to look at the Torah section and the HafTorah as the beginning and the end of the same story. I think these two sections give us a unique opportunity to see history unfold for us from beginning to end. And I want you to see Israel’s centrality in this story. It begins and ends with Israel.
So in the Torah portion called, “When You Come”, we see Moses laying out the renewal of the covenant between G-d and Israel. He states the benefits of that covenant or the blessings. In these blessings every area of life is covered. What is required of Israel to enjoy these blessings? Read Deut. 28:45, 28:62, 28:46-47 and you will see it is obedience and gladness or joy. Reverence, also a requirement, is found in Deut. 28:58. So G-d required these three things from the people in response to the covenant between them and G-d. In fact, I think for us the requirements are the same. The New Covenant, which allows us as non-Jews to be grafted in to Israel, also requires us as part of G-d’s people, the same obligations. Read in Romans 16:26 (obedience) Luke 2:10, Romans 15:13 and Acts 20:24 (joy) Hebrews 12:28 (reverence). This is our part in this covenant transaction between G-d and us. What happens if we don’t hold up our end? Is the covenant nullified? No. Even though much of the church believes scripture states, because of Israel’s sin, G-d has rejected the Jewish people. No, G-d does not walk away. But we do suffer the consequences of our actions when we sin. Here in this Torah portion we read those consequences. They are severe. They take up many more verses than the verses describing the blessings. Why was G-d so clear here about what would result from Israel’s disobedience? They were to be a light to the nations. In fact, the place where they finally ratified this covenant was specifically chosen for that reason – Schem. This was literally the cross roads of the major trade routes of the ancient world.
Ve’etachanan (I pleaded)
Weekly Torah Section: Va’etchanan (I pleaded) Deut. 3:23-7:11, HafTorah Isaiah 40:1-26
Tonight I would like to spend most of our time on the Torah section in Deuteronomy. But to start I want to jump ahead to Deut. 5:22 and talk about this verse first. In our English translation the end of the verse is, “with a loud voice; and He added no more.” First, this is making a statement about the voice of G-d. The phrase and “He added not more” can also be translated from the Hebrew as “never ending.” If we look at it like this it really seems to flow better and help us to understand better what Moses is saying about the voice of G-d. What does he mean when he says G-d’s voice is never ending? Think of it specifically in light of what this section says. His voice did not weaken as ours does. His voice is as relevant today as when He first uttered these words. G-d saw that His people might be caught up in different cultures or societies. The cultural norms would change. He saw people that would question if His words were still relevant. He was making a point here that the voice that goes on to speak the 10 commandments was not only relevant and powerful when it was spoken but it did not end. It still rings out. It still speaks to each of us and it spoke to them especially as they were about to enter the land. A land with different people who would seek to tempt the people of G-d with different ideas, values and idols.