Midrash for Shabbat 10 February 2007
©2007 Mark Pitrone & Fulfilling Torah Ministries
Devarim (Dt.) 29.10 - 30.10, Yeshayahu (Is.) 55.6 - 58.8; Tehellim (Ps) 143; Romiyah (Rom) 10.1 - 21

Devarim 29.10-15 - This whole episode began in 27.1, where YHWH had Moshe call together all the children of Israel between mounts Ebal and Gerezim to pronounce blessing and cursing, blessing on those who would obey their YHWH and cursing on those who would go their own way. The blessings and cursing were more completely delineated in Ch.28.1-29.9, where the thesis of Ch.27 is restated as the summary, "Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do." This is really the theme of the entire Midrash today.

Now Moshe is telling them that they are without excuse, if they fail because the whole house of Ya'acov, which included the strangers within their camps, was present to hear the whole thing. The strangers in their camps seems to mean that when a stranger came among the Israelites to identify with them and their YHWH, he chose a tribe to be a part of and he was accepted. He would willingly accept the covenant and physically become a part of the commonwealth of Israel in exactly the same way that we do spiritually today. The rabbis don't accept us physically unless we submit to the traditions of the elders as well as Torah, but YHWH accepts us when we repent and go His way (Eph.2.11-22).
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without the Messiah, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without Elohim in the world: 13 But now in Messiah Yehushua ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of the Messiah.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto YHWH in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of YHWH; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yehushua the Messiah himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in YHWH: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of Elohim through the Spirit.
Do you see that reference in italics? Who were these strangers in Dev.29.11, if not strangers from the covenants of promise? Until they identified themselves with B'Nai Yisrael, that is. Now they were joint heirs with the physical seed of Avraham. There was no middle wall to be broken down.

What was this enmity? This law of commandments contained in ordinances? Was it not the "Oral Torah" that was supposedly (according to orthodox Yahudism) given to Moshe on Sinai at the same time as the tables of stone? Smile and Nod. Yeshua came to call us back to the faith of the fathers, the ONCE delivered to the saints faith (Jd.3). It is the traditions of the elders that the Jews (not the common folk, but the leaders of the Temple religion) were constantly accusing Yeshua of breaking. It was the traditions about which Yeshua always accused the Jews of holding in higher esteem than Torah. What is this ONCE delivered to the saints faith? The covenants of promise.

Who are the saints to whom the promises and the faith were delivered? Eph.2.19,
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of YHWH.
To which saints was Sha'ul referring? Israelites who were faithful to Torah and with whom the gentiles to whom he wrote were made 'fellowcitizens'. In our passage in Devarim, the saints were the physical seed of Avraham AND the strangers in the camp.

YHWH was establishing ALL the saints as a people set apart unto himself. And not just those to whom Moshe spoke audibly was he establishing; but also those of us who would be made fellowcitizens with the saints all these thousands of years later by the preaching of the gospel of peace. I think [1] Sha'ul had this Devarim passage in mind when he wrote both Eph.2 and Rom.11. The similarities are striking. Q&C

Vv.18-30.10 - Going after other gods is the root of bitterness spoken of in Heb.12.15, which is a companion passage to this one in Devarim. In Dev.29 we are being admonished to look diligently to our walk in Torah to keep a root of gall and wormwood from springing up, as we are in Heb.12.15. Both gall and wormwood are exceptionally bitter. W1828 has:
Gall, 2. Anything extremely bitter. 3. Rancor; malignity. 4. Anger; bitterness of mind.
Wormwood, … It has a bitter, nauseous taste; but is stomachic and corroborant.

What does YHWH say is the natural consequence of this root of bitterness? We think, "YHWH wouldn't bring the curses to bear on ME! I have peace! So what if I go my own way and not his; if I walk after my own imagination (a word that is NEVER used in a positive context in scripture); if I am gluttonous in my imbibing of 'feel good' stuff! I have peace! (Famous words that we hear all the time and that are supposed to make you believe that the person has heard from Gaw-Awd. What it usually means is that the person has had his conscience cauterized against any more 'bleeding' of guilt, he's convinced himself that he's 'holy'. Of course, that's not ALWAYS true.) I have peace!"

Not with YHWH, you don't! You get to deal with the curses of Dev.28.15ff. You get to deal with the curses of Dev.29.20&21 - your name blotted out from under heaven. This is serious stuff here, folk. Separated unto evil OUT of the tribes of Israel = EXILE. Peace with YHWH is not a feeling or a lack thereof. It is a position. One is closer to peace with YHWH when he 'feels' guilt for his sins than when he feels 'peace' in his sins.

Do you see the tie in with Heb.12 here? Look at v.11, the 'peaceable fruit of righteousness', which comes by enduring chastening for our sins, and making straight paths for our feet to walk on. Straight paths = Torah. We cannot have peace with YHWH while following our own paths. And if we have no peace with YHWH, we will have no peace with our neighbors, either. Peace is NOT cessation of hostilities. Peace is agreement with and obedience to YHWH. Once real peace is achieved, cessation of hostilities will follow, as spring follows winter.

When we have peace in our sins, we will have chastisement at best - judgment at worst. If we fail to grasp our condition and turn in repentance, we will eventually be given over to our sin. Then the other nations of the earth will wonder at why YHWH would abandon us after doing such wonders in our behalf. Then men will say (and not necessarily righteous men), "They went after idols and YHWH gave them what they wanted."

When we repent and call on YHWH's Name and ask him to deliver us. He will do it. It's one of the promises he made and of which we are made joint heirs. Q&C

Yeshayahu 55.6-13 - Last week we talked about YHWH LEADING and GUIDING us into exile when we go our own way, and that he is therefore right alongside us when we come to ourselves and repent. So, when is it that he can no longer be found? When will we be unable to seek him and call upon him? V.7 tells us what seeking and calling entail, namely, forsaking our way and thoughts, and repenting. So, we will no longer be able to seek him and call on him when we are no longer alive. He MAY choose to give us over to our sin before we die, but for certain our time is up when we croak. Who within the sound of my voice has a guarantee on his or her next breath? YHWH forbid it should happen, but the possibility exists that someone listening to me right now will die before we are finished with the midrash today. Consider it yourself right now. Do you have a 'root of bitterness' in your life? IOW, do you have ANYTHING in your life that is not given to YHWH and counted in your life as dung? Here's a good way to find out. Imagine that the jihadists have taken over America and have taken you and your family prisoner. They have you tied securely to a chair and they bring your children, one at a time, before you and say, "If you will just say 'Allahu Akhbar', we will let your child live. If not, we will behead him right now before your eyes." What do you do? (BTW, you can substitute anything here - a car, a pet, a TV show. I just wanted to bring the point abruptly before your eyes.) And if you say the words, EVEN IF YOU DON'T REALLY MEAN IT, does that not constitute denial of Yeshua before men? And what does he say about those who will deny him before men? What will he do before his Father in heaven? This is serious stuff, guys. Look at Matt.10.32ff.
32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
It may literally come to this, so be prepared for it. You may literally have to decide between your child's life, or your spouse's, and faithfulness to YHWH. May he grant us all the grace to endure it.

You may not believe he'd allow such a thing, but look at v.8 - his thoughts are not our thoughts and his ways are not our ways. We are to think HIS thoughts after him, to follow HIS ways (Torah). We think we're all that and a bag of chips, but his ways are further from our ability to comprehend than ours are to an amoeba.

YHWH's word does to our lives what the rain and snow do to the earth - cause it to bring forth new life, and sustain that which already is. His word accomplishes his purpose. Always! If we seek him and call on his Name, his word will cause us joy, peace, singing, the clapping of hands in praise to him. The very Creation will hallel him. Q&C

YeshaYahu 56 - Keeping judgment and doing justice is likened to keeping Shabbat and our hands from any evil. In the parallelism, Shabbat = judgment, hands from any evil = justice, and we are blessed if we do them by laying hold of them. How do we keep from polluting Shabbat? By treating it differently from all other days of the week. On the other days of the week we are to work our living, but not on Shabbat. This was pictured in Ex.16, where we were to gather manna on the 6 days of the week, but on Shabbat we were NOT to gather manna or even go out to the field to find it (It wasn't there anyway). We are to set it apart by not working our livings (to abstain from ALL work is technically impossible - getting out of bed is work, picking up food is work, munching is work), even as YHWH had set it apart at least 3 ways in Ex.16 (double manna on 6th day, no manna on Shabbat, the left over of 6th day's manna didn't rot and stink).

The first tie-in to today's Torah portion is in v.3, where the stranger in the camp is to be treated as one of the physical B'Nai Yisrael. In this case, I think [1] it is the physical seed that HAS been separated from YHWH, for the stranger has joined himself to YHWH. If YHWH has separated him who has joined himself TO YHWH from the people, then it must be the people who have separated themselves from YHWH. Same with the eunuchs, who YHWH says 'keep my sabbaths, choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant.' YHWH says he will bring both the eunuchs and the strangers that go after him to his set-apart mountain. YHWH gathers strangers and eunuchs, outcasts from Israel, into his holy mount. This seems to fly in the face of Dev.23.1, where a man who has his 'privy member cut off' is excluded from the kahal. So is the stranger who lived in Canaan, but would not identify with YHWH (Dev.31.16). And not just these, but others even more vile than eunuchs and strangers. Like me ... and you.

Vv.9-12 sounds like the vast majority of the 'church' today - blind watchmen, ignorant, dumb dogs that can't bark (raise an alarm), lazy, asleep, greedy, looking for their own interests and not the kahal's or YHWH's, who say they are rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, but who really are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. Q&C

Yeshayahu 57 - V.1 says that noone considers why the righteous die, that they are being delivered by YHWH from the wrath he is about to pour out on the wicked and on those who believe he is, but have forsaken his ways. The ones who have forsaken him are described in vv.3-13a. Look at some of the descriptions; sons of the sorceress, seed of the adulterer and the whore (the wicked offspring of human reasoning and pagan religion, I think [1]), children of transgression, seed of falsehood, etc. They slay their children under the clifts of rock (in the Tophet caves of the Hinnom Valley), pouring out drink offerings to smooth rocks of a stream (an altar), set their beds in high places (where the altar is set up, temple prostitution). V.9 shows Israel covering her sores and stench of her adulteries with perfume and ointment, hoping the king will accept her. She keeps relying on her self-righteousness in vv.10-11. YHWH says the righteousness of their works is unprofitable. YHWH won't answer in your trouble if you fail to acknowledge him when times are good.

Vv.13b-21 contrast with 3-13a, showing the profit of those who put their trust in YHWH, having forsaken their own ways. 'Cast up, cast up' is a reference to Yehuda and Ephraim putting their trust in YHWH and clearing the way for others to follow. Wherever YHWH dwells is high and holy, and that is usually where people are contrite and humble, whose spirits he revives. His wrath will not last forever; he will heal the believer who has gone his own way, if that believer will but humble himself. If he stayed angry with us, we would all utterly perish. His love and mercy provides our escape from his wrath, and guarantees that he will not remain angry with us. He offers peace to both houses of Jacob, the one far off (Ephraim) and the one nigh (Yehuda) and then heals HIM (Jacob). Carefully note the order in which that happens, please. Peace first, then healing. Q&C

YeshaYahu.58.1-8 - Ch.58 concerns Yom Kippur and the whole house of Ya'acov. Vv.1-5 show our yoke. If the burden isn't YHWH's there is no grace to deal with it. The people delight in approaching YHWH, fully aware of their sin. This describes both the body of Messiah today and me. We should not delight in approaching YHWH when we should be afflicting our souls in the fast of Yom Kippur. When we see that he takes no delight in our going through the motions, we complain about it, and he says we do it to please ourselves, not to approach him on his terms. We seem to expect YHWH to perform for us because we've gone through the motions and jumped through the right hoops. It is our attitude in the fast that makes it of no value. We fast for strife and debate, trying to show YHWH our 'holiness'. No, our reason for fasting does not agree with Yah's reason for calling a fast. It seems that we do it to be seen of men, to get praises and adulation from others, not to afflict our souls in misery of our sins.

Vv.6-7 is YHWH's yoke and show the 8 reasons for YHWH's calling this fast. It is very interesting that this is almost exactly (6 of 8) what Yeshua addressed (2X) in the 'Olivet Discourse'? Matt.25.32ff.
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, master, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, master, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
After we do the works of Torah that are listed in Yesh.58.6-7, then our light shall break forth as the morning, and our health shall spring forth speedily, our righteousness shall go before us and the esteem (glory) of our Elohim will be our re-reward. Our righteousness is Yeshua. Yeshua is the glory of YHWH. So he leads by taking the point AND he guards our flanks. Nothing can harm us, IF we are going after him and DOING the Word. Q&C

Ps.143 - Remember v.2 when we get to the B'rit HaDashah portion today. In vv.1-2, David is in tribulation and is asking for YHWH to hear and answer his cry for deliverance. He's asking that YHWH look at his trust in Yah and not his works, for he knows that if YHWH enters into righteous judgment over him he will in no wise be justified.

In vv.3-6 he lays out before Yah his tribulation and predicament, his enemies having it all over him in the flesh. We have more than one enemy, though. David speaks of his physical enemies, but there is an enemy that is ever present that can be inferred here. That enemy is the flesh. It persecutes our souls, beats our spirits down to the ground, and makes us dwell in darkness as if we are dead (both conditions of spiritual exile). Then David remembers all the wondrous works of YHWH for Israel in the past and recalls it to YHWH's remembrance, while letting Yah know that he wants only a morsel or sample of what he performed for Israel.

In vv.7-12, He makes 12 supplications to YHWH and the reasons he's asking them. He expects YHWH to grant his supplications and deliver him from tribulation. We don't actually SEE Yah's deliverance, but David expects it and we can infer Yah's positive response. Q&C

Rom.10.1-21 - in vv.1-2, Paul speaks his desire for Israel, in this case speaking of both houses of Ya'acov, but mainly in v.2 of Yehuda. He says that they are zealous, but not according to knowledge. I'd like to ask if anyone knows what Paul is talking about here - this is NOT rhetorical, I'd like to get an answer or two before I weigh in.

To what were they zealous? Look at Acts.22.3.
3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward Elohim, as ye all are this day.
Sha'ul tells his audience in Jerusalem that he was taught the 'Oral Torah', the law of the fathers, perfectly and was zealous toward it and toward Elohim. This is what he alludes to in Rom.11.2. They knew the 'law of the fathers' better than the written Torah, and held to (and still to this day hold to) those traditions and interpretations of Torah as a HIGHER truth than the written Torah. They have a zeal toward Elohim, but they don't know what his true requirements are, being more zealous for the 'Oral Torah' than YHWH's written word. Zeal not according to knowledge. This is exactly what Paul says in a nutshell in v.3. They are ignorant of Elohim's righteousness, which is living in Torah, but go about establishing their own righteousness, which is going after ANYTHING else - whether it's in addition to living according to Torah or in place of it. Doing Torah, remember, is not how we are saved or how we maintain our salvation. It is what we do to keep from sin AFTER we are justified.

Messiah is the purpose of Torah, not its termination. Torah points to Messiah. He, in fact, IS Torah in a very real sense. Moshe DESCRIBES the righteousness which comes by living Torah. Look at Dev.30.11-14 (I know it's in next week's Torah portion, but we will not be having a Midrash next week so bear with me.) Start in v.9 to get the context:
9 And YHWH thy Elohim will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for YHWH will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers: 10 If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of YHWH thy Elohim, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book Torah, and if thou turn unto YHWH thy Elohim with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
The righteousness of Torah, which YHWH requires of us if we desire NOT TO SIN, is right with us, not off in the far blue sky or beyond the far blue sea. We KNOW how we are to live. This is the faith once delivered to the saints (Jd.3). Biblical faith is not mere belief or mental assent to a series of theological truths. It is DOING what YHWH requires. The Israelites that Sha'ul was speaking of in vv.1-2 were zealous, but not for this righteousness. They had works of righteousness, but did not have faith. He sets up the next passage in v.8 by saying, "the word of faith, which we preach;" and then explains biblical faith and its righteousness. Q&C

What is the righteousness of faith? It is belief, which brings justification, with the resultant works of Torah. In v.9-15, Paul describes justification. Remember to put this passage in its overall context. The Roman believers are mainly gentiles who are attending one of the synagogues there for biblical instruction. Remember also the Jerusalem council in Acts.15, where the gentiles were told that their justification is valid and they needed to hold to a few requirements to attend the synagogues. Look at Acts.15.19-21.
19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to YHWH: 20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moshe of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Please notice that it was expected of them that they go to the synagogue on Shabbat to receive more instruction in righteousness (2Tim.3.16, 17), which comes from Torah (Moshe). There was no need to require but the most basic things of the gentile converts. If they were really after the heart of YHWH, they would hear his Torah and obey it. The gentiles were justified at the time they trusted YHWH Yeshua, as were the Yehudim who asked the question of the council in the first place. Now they needed some instruction, as they could not be expected to know all YHWH's righteous requirements for living in an instant of time.

In vv.9-10, we see what proves our justification - belief and confession of YHWH Yeshua. Then in v.11 we see that those who are truly justified will not be ashamed of their justification, which shows in the public confession of belief. Everything from then on requires Torah instruction. How can one call on YHWH's Name if they never hear (Sh'ma) it? If an unbeliever knows his Name, and calls on it, he is as guilty of taking YHWH's Name in vain as a believer is if he denies him or acts outside of his character. How can they hear if noone tells (kara) them? How can one tell who isn't sent (sholiach)? In v.16 we see that not all obeyed the gospel of peace. It does NOT say 'not all believed', but 'not all obeyed'. OBEYING the gospel is biblical faith. BTW, if not ALL obeyed, SOME must have obeyed - RIGHT? So we first get peace (justification), then healing of our sinfulness (obedience). The one follows, indeed necessitates, the other. No peace/no faith.

V.17 says that FAITH is by hearing, which is by the Torah of Elohim. Israel had known their present predicament was coming, if they believed Moshe. Unfortunately, most didn't. Moshe had told them that provocation would come from 'no people' (Lo Ammi? Hos.1). Then they failed to heed the Nevi'im, as well, for Yeshayahu said that these 'Lo Ammi' would find YHWH when he manifested himself to them, while Israel would not hearken to YHWH's repeated attempts to call them to repentance and obedience. The "Lo Ammi" would not replace Israel, but be graffed into the root of Messiah, as we can see in Romans 11. Another time. Q&C

(1)An italicized 'I think' denotes an educated (or not so) guess. I could be wrong ..... but I doubt it.