Mishpatim (Judgments) Sh’mot Exodus 21-24
Torah Portion: Mishpatim (Judgments) Sh’mot Exodus 21-24
HafTorah: Jeremiah 34:8-22; 33:25-26
Tonight we read the Torah portion Mishpatim or Judgments. This portion follows immediately after the giving of the Ten Commandments in last weeks Torah reading. The Jewish people had been in Egypt for hundreds of years, most of that time serving as slaves to the country of Egypt. They had little or no experience living as a free people, a people that had to deal with how to live as a free society. Here in this portion we read the beginning of G-d’s instructions on how a society should operate.
Va’etchanan (I Pleaded) Deut 3:23-7:11
Torah Portion: Va’etchanan (I Pleaded) Devarim (Deut.) 3:23-7:11
HafTorah: Isaiah 40:1-26
NT Matt. 4:1-11; 22:33-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 4:1-13; 10:25-37; Acts 13:13-43; Romans 3:27-31; I Tim 2:4-6; James 2:14-26
“I pleaded with the L-rd at that time.” Deut 3:23: Moses asked over and over that G-d allow him to enter the Land. Jewish sages teach that He wished to enter Israel mainly that he could keep all the commandments of G-d. Some could only be kept in Israel – such as first fruits. If they are correct we see Messiah being like Moses teaching His disciples in Matt. 5:17, “I did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill.” What does this mean? Yeshua like Moses sought to fulfill the Law by being able to give us an example of how one was to show his love of G-d by living one’s life completely as G-d intended.
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.