Today's Torah
Portion:
Love for Yahweh - first and Supreme
Deuteronomy 8:2-9 -
"And thou shalt remember all the way which Yahweh thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His Commandments, or no.
And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of Yahweh doth man live.
Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so Yahweh thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the
For Yahweh thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;
A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass."
And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of Yahweh doth man live.
Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so Yahweh thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the
For Yahweh thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;
A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass."
This grouping of verses is on the subject of thankfulness to Yahweh, in all circumstances. As was beautifully explained in the online article "What does the Bible say about thankfulness/gratitude?" at www.gotquestions.com:
Thankfulness is a prominent Bible theme. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Yahshua.” Did you catch that? Give thanks in all circumstances. Thankfulness should be a way of life for us, naturally flowing from our hearts and mouths.
Digging into the Scriptures a little more deeply, we understand why we should be thankful and also how to have gratitude in different circumstances.
Psalm 136:1 says, “Give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good. His love endures forever.”
Here we have two reasons to be thankful: God’s constant goodness and His steadfast love. When we recognize the nature of our depravity and understand that, apart from God, there is only death (John 10:10; Romans 7:5), our natural response is to be grateful for the life He gives.
Psalm 30 gives praise to God for His deliverance. David writes, “I will exalt you, O Yahweh, for You lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. O Yahweh my God, I called to You for help and You healed me. O Yahweh, You brought me up from the grave; You spared me from going down into the pit. . . . You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O Yahweh my God, I will give you thanks forever” (Psalm 30:1-12).
Here David gives thanks to God following an obviously difficult circumstance. This psalm of thanksgiving not only praises God in the moment but remembers God’s past faithfulness. It is a statement of God’s Character, which is so wonderful that praise is the only appropriate response.
We also have examples of being thankful in the midst of hard circumstances. Psalm 28, for example, depicts David’s distress. It is a cry to God for mercy, protection, and justice. After David cries out to God, he writes, “Praise be to Yahweh, for He has heard my cry for mercy. Yahweh is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song” (Psalm 28:6-7).
In the midst of hardship, David remembers who God is and, as a result of knowing and trusting God, gives thanks. Job had a similar attitude of praise, even in the face of death: “Yahweh gave and Yahweh has taken away; may the Name of Yahweh be praised” (Job 1:21).
There are examples of believers’ thankfulness in the New Testament as well. Paul was heavily persecuted, yet he wrote, “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him” (2 Corinthians 2:14).
The writer of Hebrews says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28).
Peter gives a reason to be thankful for “grief and all kinds of trials,” saying that, through the hardships, our faith “may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Yahshua Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
The people of God are thankful people, for they realize how much they have been given. One of the characteristics of the last days is a lack of thanksgiving, according to 2 Timothy 3:2. Wicked people will be “ungrateful.”
We should be thankful because God is worthy of our thanksgiving. It is only right to credit Him for “every good and perfect gift” He gives (James 1:17). When we are thankful, our focus moves off selfish desires and off the pain of current circumstances. Expressing thankfulness helps us remember that God is in control.
Thankfulness, then, is not only appropriate; it is actually healthy and beneficial to us. It reminds us of the bigger picture, that we belong to God, and that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). Truly, we have an abundant life (John 10:10), and gratefulness is fitting.
Thankfulness is a prominent Bible theme. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Yahshua.” Did you catch that? Give thanks in all circumstances. Thankfulness should be a way of life for us, naturally flowing from our hearts and mouths.
Digging into the Scriptures a little more deeply, we understand why we should be thankful and also how to have gratitude in different circumstances.
Psalm 136:1 says, “Give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good. His love endures forever.”
Here we have two reasons to be thankful: God’s constant goodness and His steadfast love. When we recognize the nature of our depravity and understand that, apart from God, there is only death (John 10:10; Romans 7:5), our natural response is to be grateful for the life He gives.
Psalm 30 gives praise to God for His deliverance. David writes, “I will exalt you, O Yahweh, for You lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. O Yahweh my God, I called to You for help and You healed me. O Yahweh, You brought me up from the grave; You spared me from going down into the pit. . . . You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O Yahweh my God, I will give you thanks forever” (Psalm 30:1-12).
Here David gives thanks to God following an obviously difficult circumstance. This psalm of thanksgiving not only praises God in the moment but remembers God’s past faithfulness. It is a statement of God’s Character, which is so wonderful that praise is the only appropriate response.
We also have examples of being thankful in the midst of hard circumstances. Psalm 28, for example, depicts David’s distress. It is a cry to God for mercy, protection, and justice. After David cries out to God, he writes, “Praise be to Yahweh, for He has heard my cry for mercy. Yahweh is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song” (Psalm 28:6-7).
In the midst of hardship, David remembers who God is and, as a result of knowing and trusting God, gives thanks. Job had a similar attitude of praise, even in the face of death: “Yahweh gave and Yahweh has taken away; may the Name of Yahweh be praised” (Job 1:21).
There are examples of believers’ thankfulness in the New Testament as well. Paul was heavily persecuted, yet he wrote, “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him” (2 Corinthians 2:14).
The writer of Hebrews says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28).
Peter gives a reason to be thankful for “grief and all kinds of trials,” saying that, through the hardships, our faith “may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Yahshua Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
The people of God are thankful people, for they realize how much they have been given. One of the characteristics of the last days is a lack of thanksgiving, according to 2 Timothy 3:2. Wicked people will be “ungrateful.”
We should be thankful because God is worthy of our thanksgiving. It is only right to credit Him for “every good and perfect gift” He gives (James 1:17). When we are thankful, our focus moves off selfish desires and off the pain of current circumstances. Expressing thankfulness helps us remember that God is in control.
Thankfulness, then, is not only appropriate; it is actually healthy and beneficial to us. It reminds us of the bigger picture, that we belong to God, and that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). Truly, we have an abundant life (John 10:10), and gratefulness is fitting.
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.”
