Parasha Re’eh

by

D’varim (Deuteronomy) 11:26 – 16:17

Haftarah: Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 54:11 – 55:5

Brit Chadasha:  1 Corin. 5:9 – 13 and 1 Jn. 4:1 – 6

רְאֵ֗הmeaning “to see or have vision”

  • Parasha Highlights:
  • The blessing and the curse
  • Destroying pagan altars upon entering the land
  • The “place” where YaHaVah will choose to place His name forever 
  • The three pilgrimage festivals
  • Re’eh, in this instance, is used in the “imperative.”  It is used to issue a command in the second person—that is, the command is directed at the person being spoken to.  Hebrew imperatives agree in gender and number with those at whom they are directed.
  • In this case, Re’eh is a simple positive command issued by The Father, to Moses.  Moses as the second person delivers the command to Am Israel.
  • In its ancient form, Re’eh would read:  “The head of the body is our leader, the Man who will be revealed.”
  • The numerical value of Re’eh is 206; 2 + 6 = 8.  The number 8 is the number for covenant.  The 8th  letter of the Aleph Bet is the Chet, which means separation or division.  Essentially, this word is telling us that something significant occurred at the “reshit,” the beginning of recorded history.  That is the covenant with fire in the center, Bereshit.
  • Our sidra then, should have something to do with covenant fidelity.
  • Dt. 11:26 – 29: “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing אֶֽת־הַבְּרָכָה )  ) if you obey the commandments of YaHaVah your Elohay which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of YaHaVah your Elohay, but turn aside from ‘the way’ which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. Now it shall be, when YaHaVah your Elohay has brought you into the land which you go to possess, that you shall put the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.”
  • The blessing is contingent upon obedience to Yeshua, the Aleph Tav, which equals the strength of the covenant.

The 20th century scholar Peter Craigie, formerly of the University of Calgary, saw in Deuteronomy 11:26–29:1, the following chiastic structure centered on the specific legislation, stressing the importance of the blessing and curse contingent upon obedience to the legislation both in the present and in the future.

  • A: The blessing and curse in the present renewal of the covenant (Deuteronomy 11:26–28) 
  •              B: The blessing and curse in the future renewal of the covenant
  •                   (Deuteronomy 11:29–32)
  •                                     C: The specific legislation (Deuteronomy 12:1–26:19)
  •              B1:The blessing and curse in the future renewal of the covenant 
  •                (Deuteronomy 27:1–26)
  • A1:The blessing and curse in the present renewal of the covenant (Deuteronomy 28:1–29:1)  (Wikipedia)

HaMacom
“The Place”

  • In our current sidra, The Father makes a point approximately 15 times about “the place” where He will choose to place His name forever.
  • Dt. 12:1 – 5:  “These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to observe in the land which YaHaVah your Elohay of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.
  • And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from “that place.” You shall not worship YaHaVah your Elohay with such things.  But you shall seek “the place” where YaHaVah your Elohay chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go.”
  • These instructions involve the purification by fire of “the place” where the Father will place His name forever.
  • The Father has been speaking about “the place” since Ge. 22. The tenth trial of Abraham was the Akeidah, the binding of Isaac.
  • Ge. 22:1 – 4:  “Now it came to pass after these things that Yah tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then He said, ‘take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’  So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which Yah had told him.
  • Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place (אֶת־הַמָּק֖וֹם ) afar off.”
  • The ancient mountain range of Moriah had three mountains; Mt. Zion, Mt. Moriah and Mt. of Olives.  The Akeidah, the binding of Isaac actually occurred on the Mt. of Olives.  Isaac was a type and shadow of Yeshua who would surrender His life on this very mount.
  • The Father chose Mt. Moriah as the place where He would place His name forever.
  • 2 Chron. 6:5 – 6:  “Since the day I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house so that My Name would be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be ruler over My people Israel. But I have chosen Jerusalem so that My Name will be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.”
  • Jerusalem is located on Mt. Moriah.
  • Jerusalem is a compound word from the passive participle of יָרָה and שָׁלַם meaning “teaching of peace.”  Yarah is the root word for Torah and Shalam is the root word for Shalom.
  • The numerical value of Jerusalem is 586: 5 + 8 + 6 = 19, 1 + 9 = 10, the 10 Words.  During the millennial kingdom Messiah Yeshua will teach the Royal Torah from Jerusalem.
  • Furthermore, the nineteenth letter of the Aleph Bet is the Quph.  This letter is represented by the back of a head.  We are either facing Jerusalem, the place where The Father placed His name forever or we have turned our back on Him while facing the world system.
  • Jer. 3:17:  “At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of YaHaVah; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of YaHaVah, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.”
  • Is. 2:2 – 3:  “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain (Mt. Moriah) of YaHaVahs’ house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.  Many people shall come and say, ‘come, and let us go up to the mountain of YaHaVah, to the house of the Yah of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’  For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of YaHaVah from Jerusalem.”
  • The first mention of “place” is found in Ge. 1:9:  “Then Yah said, ‘let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear;’ and it was so.”
  • It makes sense to me that this place is not an arbitrary place, rather The Father looks at this “place” as “the place” where He would place His name forever.  His “place” has His stamp on it, a remembrance of His creation.
  • This “place” would have been sealed with an even, a stone.  In fact this “place” is known as the navel of the world while the stone is referred to as the “Even Shetiyah.”
  • According to the Jewish sages, God began the creation of the universe there, and the bedrock at Moriah is called Even ha-Shetiyah (אבן השתייה ) the Foundation Stone,” referring to the creation of the earth on the First Day.  (Hebrew4Christians)
  • Isa. 28:16:  “Therefore thus says YaHaVah Elohay:  ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily.’”
  • The Hebrew word for “Place” isמָקוֹם .  In its ancient form this word would read; “The mighty will turn their face toward Jerusalem, they will attach themselves to King Messiah who leads them out of chaos.”
  • This word is spelled with double Mems.  The first letter is called an open Mem.  The ancient symbol for the Mem is water.  Because it is open this tells us that something will be birthed.  Recall from last weeks teaching, we are experiencing the birth pangs all over the world indicating that the birthing process has begun.
  • In my opinion, the bride of Messiah is what is being birthed, those who are walking in covenant with Him.  To be in covenant we must obey His commandments, His word.  We just read that the word of YaHaVah will flow forth from Jerusalem.
  • The last letter of this word is referred to as a Mem sofit, or ending form of the Mem.  This tells us that at some future point in time, entry into the open Mem will reach its conclusion.
  • Recall in Jn. 7:38:  “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  The physical “living water” can only emerge from the location of the Even Shetiyah, the place where the waters were gathered.
  • The root word for “Macom” is Qum, קוּם.  Qum is defined as to rise, arise, stand, rise up or stand up. While in the Piel verb stem can  mean, to fulfil, to confirm, ratify, establish or impose.
  • It is our King Messiah that will rise, He will be raised up from the borrowed tomb.  He will establish His Fathers kingdom on earth as He inaugurates His own millennial kingdom.
  • Yeshua uses this word in Mk. 5:38 – 42  “Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, ‘why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, ‘Talitha, cumi,’ which is translated, ‘little girl, I say to you, arise.’  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.”
  • This twelve year old little girl represents Israel in her youth.  This is the spiritual condition of Am Israel, those who are camped at the bank of the Jordan River.  They are not literally dead, they are spiritually dead.  That is the point of Sefer D’varim.  Moses is teaching them the living word in order for them to take this revelation understanding into their very beings then walk it out.
  • The narrative of this twelve year old girl follows the woman with the issue of blood for twelve years.  She represents Am Israel in her adulthood.  She is unclean because of her disobedience hence the issue of blood.  The remedy for her uncleanness is her return to covenant fidelity, i.e. following the Torah precepts.

Three Pilgrimage Festivals

  • Chapter 16 presents the third time instructions are given regarding the pilgrimage festivals, Pesach (representing covenant), Shavuot (representing the giving of the 10 Words) and Sukkot (representing the final ingathering), also present as a chiastic structure.
  • Pesach/Passover, covenant
  •                                                     
  •                                           Shavuot/Pentecost, 10 Words
  •   

Sukkot/feast of weeks, the final ingathering

  • The Pilgrimage Festivals are the requirement for all men to travel to Jerusalem three times a year to “the place” where YaHaVah chose to place His name forever.  Did Messiah Yeshua and His disciples follow this command?
  • Jn. 2:13 records His first Pesach/Passover:  “Now the Passover of (YaHaVah) the Jews was at hand, and Yeshua went up to Jerusalem.” (Also recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke)
  • His observance of the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, is recorded in Jn. 7:10- 14:  “But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.”
  • Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, ‘where is He?’ And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, ‘He is good;’ others said, ‘no, on the contrary, He deceives the people.’  However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.  Now about the middle of the feast Yeshua went up into the temple and taught.” 
  • Sukkot is The Fathers 7th festival.  In my opinion, Yeshua will establish His millennial kingdom on the first day of this festival.  Perhaps He will gather His elect from the four corners of the world because on the eighth day of this festival, will be great rejoicing.  The great eighth day!
  • It can’t be an arbitrary decision for Jerusalem, the center of the known world, to be located within the boundaries of the tribe of Benjamin.  
  • Consider who Benjamin is; the 12th  son of Jacob and the bride of promise, Rachel.  The only son with two names, BenOni, the name given by his mother meaning “son of my sorrow” and Benjamin, the name given by his father meaning “son of my right hand.”  A picture of Yeshua at His first and second advents.  It would have been a great honor for this small tribe to have Jerusalem built in his tribal territory.
twelve-tribes-of-israel

Haftarah

  • Is. 54:11 – 55:5

The connection to the Torah portion I find in 54:17:  “If we are obedient to His commands then no weapon formed against you shall  prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall prove wrong.  This is the inheritance of the servants of YaHaVah, and their righteousness from Me, declares YaHaVah.”

Brit Chadasha

  • 1st Corin. 5:9 – 13:  “Expel the evil doer from among yourselves.”  
  • 1st Jn. 4:1 – 6:  “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of YaHaVah; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
  • In conclusion, Jerusalem is still where the name of YaHaVah resides and our obedience to the Rules of the Kingdom are the order of the day.
  • It is still the “holy city.”  During the millennial kingdom Jerusalem is the city where Yeshua will teach people the Book of the Covenant including the 10 Words.
  • Finally we will all be going “up to Jerusalem” to observe the Feast of Tabernacles during the millennial kingdom:  Zech. 14:16:  “And it shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, YaHaVah of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.”