Today's Torah
Portion:
Love for Yahweh - first and Supreme
Deuteronomy 6:8-9 -
"And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."
Truly, our love for Yahweh and exclusive worship of Him is to be central to our lives and forefront in our thinking at all times. But what are we to do, according to the intent of Deuteronomy 6:8-9, to keep us mindful of our love of Yahweh?
Now I'm not going to state that Deuteronomy 6:8-9 should not be taken literally - in fact, we do have a mezzuzah upon the doorpost of our house, which contains the words of Deuteronomy 6:4-5. It is positioned similarly to the mezzuzah shown in the picture on the right. Additionally, as I mentioned yesterday, my husband does wear the tzit tzits, as a visual reminder.
When reading this Statute, the first question which comes to mind is what are we to keep as "frontlets" between our eyes and post upon our houses and gates? The answer is found in the context, in verses 4 and 5 of Deuteronomy 6, which says:
"Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our God is one Yah: And thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."
Truly, our love for Yahweh and exclusive worship of Him is to be central to our lives and forefront in our thinking at all times. But what are we to do, according to the intent of Deuteronomy 6:8-9, to keep us mindful of our love of Yahweh?
We are instructed to write the words of Deuteronomy 6:4-5 on the doorposts of our homes and gates. The Jews also literally wrote the words of Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and put them in phylacteries which they literally bound to their foreheads. Many orthodox Jews still do this to this day, believing that the wearing of a phylactery is required by Yahweh.
But, in the time of Christ, the wearing of the phylactery wasn't about being mindful of Torah, it was about making a show of looking pious. The wearing of phylacteries is cited by Yahshua as an added rule - a burden - which was not in obedience to Torah, but was instead a demonstration of false pride:
Matthew 23:4-6 "For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at Feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues."
If our keeping of Deuteronomy 6:8-9 is about putting on a show, or making a visual statement for the benefit of others, we have missed the boat of what Yahweh intended.
How then, should we interpret Deuteronomy 6:8-9? Scripture tells us that keeping the Torah (by Yahweh's Grace) is part of the sealing:
Isaiah 8:16 "Bind up the testimony, seal the Law (Torah) among My disciples."
We also find that the mark or sign of the sealing is the Father's Name being inscribed upon His sealed saints (Revelation 14:1). And the location of the Seal of Yahweh, or the Mark of the Beast is the forehead and the hand (Revelation 14:9-10; Revelation 7:1-8) - the two places where Deuteronomy 6:8 tells us to commemorate the Torah.
Now I'm not going to state that Deuteronomy 6:8-9 should not be taken literally - in fact, we do have a mezzuzah upon the doorpost of our house, which contains the words of Deuteronomy 6:4-5. It is positioned similarly to the mezzuzah shown in the picture on the right. Additionally, as I mentioned yesterday, my husband does wear the tzit tzits, as a visual reminder.
We do not, however, wear anything on our foreheads or hands. Just as Yahshua indicated, the wearing of the tzit tzits was a sufficient visual reminder. Wearing anything beyond the tzit tzits was missing the point. Yahweh's point was not to truss His people up with paraphernalia, it was to tell us that Torah-mindfulness is a vital part of citizenship in His Kingdom.
The point of indicating the forehead and hand in Deuteronomy 6:8 is symbolic of our keeping the Torah foremost in our thinking (symbolized in the forehead) and in our obedient actions (represented in the hand).
Mindfulness - and obedience - to the beautiful principles laid down by Yahweh in the Torah is a fundamental part of loving Yahweh. Love is an action word. And saying that we love Yahweh without the obedient actions to accompany the claim is nothing more than verbal sneezing.
David, who was a man after God's own Heart, understood what it means to be mindful of the Torah. In fact, he attributed his Torah-mindfulness as the key in true success. How did David "bind" the Torah to his forehead? The answer is found in Psalm 1:1-3:
Psalm 1:1-3 "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the Law of Yahweh; and in his Law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
This Week's Torah Studies: (Statutes 141-164)
The Torah studies are provided in two formats for your convenience. The first option (below) is the blank worksheets for this week, which will allow you to print out the worksheets and hand-write the studies yourself. If you have less time, you may wish to read/print my completed Statute studies. The completed worksheets are the second option (below):
This week we will be studying Statutes 141-164, which are summarized below. Happy studying!
Statute 141-143 Summary:
The Feast of Trumpets is the seventh New Moon (the first day of the 7th Biblical
month.)
(#141) It is a Sabbath of rest.
(#142) We are to blow trumpets and hold a holy
convocation and
(#143) present ourselves (by Yahweh’s Grace) acceptable living
sacrifices (Romans 12:1).
Leviticus 23:24-25 “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto Yahweh..”
Statute 144-148 Summary:
The Feast of Trumpets is a Holy Day when specific sacrifices are to be
offered. We no longer shed animal blood, as the animal blood all pointed to the
Sacrifice of Yahshua (Hebrews 9:8-15). But, we still are to bring the spiritual
offering, claiming and acknowledging each aspect of the Saviour’s Sacrifice for
our cleansing.
The bullock showed the tremendous cost of our redemption. (#144)
On the Feast of Trumpets, we are to count the cost of sin, and as we do so, sin
loses its attractiveness in our eyes.
The ram offering showed the Saviour’s
Role as the Protector and Leader of His Flock. (#145) On Trumpets, we are to
prayerfully measure our lives to be certain we are following our Divine Leader.
We are to see His cleansing for any time we’ve strayed from His Leadership.
We
are to offer seven lambs. Seven is the number of perfection or completeness.
The lamb was an offering which showed the innocence of our Saviour. (#146) On
the Feast of Trumpets, we are to claim His offering as our perfect and complete
Lamb. In so doing we are made perfect, complete and innocent in Him.
The goat
was offered to show the Saviour’s work to destroy satan’s traits (he’s the goat
symbol in Atonement) in us. (#147) On the Feast of Trumpets, we are to seek YAHWEH’s
deliverance from every satanic stronghold and any traces of the demonic goat in
us.
(#148) On the Feast of Trumpets, we are also to spiritually offer ourselves
as acceptable living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). This is represented in the meat
offering and drink offerings. This is our reasonable response of Thanks to our
Saviour for all that He has given for our redemption.
Numbers 29:1-6 “And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you. And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savour unto Yahweh; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish: And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram, And one tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you: Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto Yahweh.”
Statute 149-151 Summary:
The Day of Atonement is the Tenth Day of the Seventh Month.
(#149) It is a holy
Convocation (rehearsal - and a day to gather for special worship).
(#150) Yahweh’s people are to offer spiritual sacrifices (see the Statute
Summary on Statutes 144-148 for an explanation of the Sacrifices) on this Holy
Day.
(#151) Yahweh’s people are to afflict their souls on this Day.
Numbers 29:7-11 “And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an
holy convocation; and ye shall afflict
your souls: ye shall not do
any work therein: But ye shall offer a
burnt offering unto Yahweh for a sweet savour; one young bullock, one ram, and
seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish: And their
meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals to a
bullock, and two tenth deals to one ram,
A several tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs: One kid
of the goats for a sin offering; beside the sin offering of atonement, and the
continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink
offerings.”
Statute 129-131 Summary:
(#129) The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a Day of rest (Sabbath) and a holy Convocation day. (#130) The last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a Day of rest (Sabbath) and a holy Convocation day. (#131) On these two days of Unleavened Bread, no work is to be done, with one exception: cooking and preparing food is allowed.
Exodus 12:16 “And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.”
Statute 152-156 Summary:
(#152) Keeping the Day of Atonement is a statute which endures forever.
(#153)
No work of any kind is to be done on this Day. It is a Sabbath of rest.
(#154) On
the Day of Atonement, Yahweh’s people are to be cleansed from all sin before Yahweh.
(#155) YAHWEH’s anointed, consecrated priests are to officiate in the Atonement
service.
(#156) They are to spiritually wear the white linen, which is the
righteousness of Yahshua, in preparation for leading out in these services.
Leviticus 16:29-34 “And this shall be a statute
for ever unto you: that in the
seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and
do no work at all, whether it be one of
your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: For on that day
shall the priest make an Atonement
for you, to cleanse you, that ye may
be clean from all your sins before Yahweh. It shall be a Sabbath of
rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever. And the
priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the
priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the Atonement, and shall put
on the linen clothes, even the holy garments: And he shall make an Atonement
for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an Atonement for the tabernacle of
the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an Atonement for the
priests, and for all the people of the congregation. And this shall be an
everlasting statute unto you, to make an Atonement for the children of Israel
for all their sins once a year. And he did as Yahweh
commanded Moses.”
Statute 157-159 Summary:
(#157) We are commanded to keep the Day of Atonement. Keeping the Day of Atonement is a salvational issue. We know this because
Yahweh plainly states that any soul who fails to keep this Day will be cut off
from the congregation of the Covenant and destroyed.
We are to keep the Day of Atonement at the time specified. (#158) We are to begin keeping the Day of Atonement
begins at sundown on the ninth day of the Seventh month.
(#159) We are to end our keeping of the Day of Atonement on the evening
(at sundown) of the 10th day of the Seventh month.
Leviticus 23:27-32 “Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be
a Day of Atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall
afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto Yahweh. And ye shall do no work in that same
day: for it is a Day of Atonement, to make an Atonement for you before Yahweh
your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same
day, he shall be cut off from
among his people. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same
day, the same soul will I destroy
from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for
ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and
ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall
ye celebrate your Sabbath.”
Statute 160-164 Summary:
(#160) The Feast of Tabernacles is to be kept, starting on the fifteenth day of the
Seventh Month.
(#161) We are to keep the feast for seven days.
(#162) On the first day of
Tabernacles, Yahweh’s people are to keep a holy Sabbath of rest.
(#163)
Throughout the entire feast, Yahweh’s people are to make an offering made by
fire – spiritually this represents presenting themselves as acceptable living
sacrifices (Rom 12:1), claiming the Blood of Yahshua and seeking the Heavenly
Fire, which represents Yahweh’s acceptance.
#164) The eighth day is not
actually part of the Seven-day Feast of Tabernacles, but is next to it. This
day is also a Sabbath of rest, during which there is to be no servile work.
Leviticus 23:34-36 “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day
of this seventh month shall be the Feast
of Tabernacles for seven days
unto Yahweh. On the first day shall be an holy
convocation: ye shall do no
servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto Yahweh:
on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an
offering made by fire unto Yahweh: it is a solemn
assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.”
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