KEHILAT NOTES 9/18/04

Devarim Ha’azinu means “give ear” Chapter 32

Mikhael:

Adonai has purposes in all things.

Read “By the Rivers of Babylon…” Psalm 137 often used as part of blessing after meals.

The descendants of Edom – who are they? See Psalm 127 – Edomites are sometimes identified as the “enemies in the gate”.

We have been in the Galut (exile) of spirituality that is from Babylon.

Invite a neighbor over and start teaching Torah. Teach people what you know. Then God will begin to open up revelation to you. We started with Shabbat. That’s always a good starting point. People are hungry to hear about Torah.

I’ll teach you something new tonight that comes from tradition. There’s nothing wrong with tradition as long as it doesn’t contradict Torah. We’ve talked a lot about Yetzirah and Yetzirtov. Check the end of Psalm 139. We all have that herd or group mentality, wanting to associate with those who are putting someone else down, or not being bold enough to speak out about what’s going on. We all have in us Yezirah, our evil nature. The prophets & apostles struggled with this. We look at things we shouldn’t look at, we say things we shouldn’t say, we do things we shouldn’t do.

We study the Torah according to portions that were broken down about 5-600 years ago. I’ve been reading these for 25 years and often the portion connects us to what’s happening in the world.

We only have one more portion after this, and then we start on Genesis again on October 9. Go through it for a whole year and see if God says something to you from it. Torah has a thousand faces. You will find something new. The Torah was created before the foundations of the world. The letters of Torah created this world – it is the foundation of this world. It has life in it. If you came from a normal Christian background, Torah was not read much. Paul told Timothy to read Scripture. He said this is where you will get your doctrines. Yeshua said search those Scriptures because you will find me there. We saw him in Noach – the Ark that saved the righteous in that generation. We saw him in Moses, who saved the people. We saw it in David, Joshua, and the fullness of it in Yeshua.

When Yeshua returns, he will come with a new name that no man knows written on his thigh. He will have with him the Neshama of God, setting himself up as the High Priest. We touched on that before – the Tzimtzum, the light withdrawing so creation could happen. There was a point in time when creation began, and God used the Torah to create this world we know. There will be a new heaven and new earth coming soon.

Genesis 21 & 22 – the Akida (binding of Isaac) happened on Rosh Hashana. It’s an 8 hour walk from Hebron to Mt. Moriah. Today it’s a little faster because you’d have to run through Arab territory. It’s a very dangerous journey today. It took Abraham 3 days to get there, being tested and wondering.

My oldest son John was raised in a Christian school, and got a scholarship to Oral Roberts University. He came back in rebellion, addicted to cocaine, with earrings and tattoos. He said the leadership was hypocritical. He knew one girl who was seen naked in bed blown out on cocaine with a couple of guys the night before she went up and spoke in tongues for the college chapel. He went from a son you’d want, to one you didn’t want, to one that you’d want again. Now he’s married and raising kids. He said “I struggled for two years. All my life God spoke to me. But during this time I cried out to God, deliver me, help me, save me from this addiction, but he wasn’t there. I didn’t sense his presence. But I knew intellectually that somehow he was there but he didn’t reveal himself to me. Now I know he was with me the whole time.” This is contrary to our intellect. See Deut. Chapter 8. In Chapter 2 or 3 God said he carried you as a son.

The point of all this is that sometimes when you’re in a wilderness, like when Abraham was walking those 3 days, we ask “what’s happening”. You have to hang on to his promises always. They’re very real and they’re in Torah. He’s there in the darkness of everyone’s wilderness. His will, will be done. Problems with children, work, any situation, don’t you know “it was Me who led you there.” We have this idea that good is from God and bad is from the Devil. But nothing happens unless God allows it. We live by the word of God. That makes us strange in this world. Christianity lives by traditions for the most part. Judaism lives by the laws of men. We’re on the narrow road.

We can walk around provoking jealousy in others. How can we do this? It’s because of the mitzvots we do. This is the light of God in this world. You can’t see it in many people, even among us. Do we live the rest of the week by this? In a restaurant do we go over to the sink and wash our hands and say a blessing before we eat? Is there lard in your beans? Was ham cooked on the same grill? It’s a narrow road we walk, and it’s according to Torah.

I’m not saying I have all the answers. We have a lot to learn. We know one thing, we don’t live by bread alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.

Numbers 29 is read for Rosh Hashanah. On the first day of the first month there will be a holy convocation, known by many names. It is the day of Judgement – Adin. Rememberance – this is the day you die, so to speak. The sentence is on Yom Kippur, for the next year. God goes before us and plans the way before us. He is Yahweh Nisi – going before us. Our life is written before us. This is based on what we do with repentance, getting things right with people. This is what we do on this day. It’s also the name for a graveyard.

1 Samuel 1 1-10 the story of Hannah is also read on this day. Elkanon & Panina – first wife made things hard for the second wife. She went to the temple because her womb was barren. That conception was on Rosh Hashana.

Jeremiah 31 connects with this Torah portion. It is the promise to all of us that he’s going to bring us home.
Isaiah 56
Ezekiel 39

How do we identify those who are in the house of Israel? Those who have hearts for Torah. The soul that is in you wakes up. When was your soul formed? It says, at the beginning of the foundation of this world. I haven’t heard these words for 6,000 years. Lev. 16:11 Neshama (life) is in the blood, and brings out this desire to learn Torah.

Those who can never connect to Torah – there’s nothing wrong with that person. That person is just from the nations and not from Israel. We’ve got to have both in this world. We’re not better. Some might say that because we’re from Israel we’re chosen. But it’s that we have a tremendous responsibility. I’m the one who Jezebel, Hitler, Luther martyred. “Choose somebody else”. Chosenness is responsibility, not privilege.

“In the last days I will call the House of Israel. I won’t leave one of them”. The souls of those ten tribes dispersed into the world will wake up. This was done to disperse the word of a monotheistic God, but they failed and became Gentiles.

If you can’t prove you’re a Jew you’re not welcome. I’m from Issachar – God told me that. I’m a stubborn ass. He’s the one who bears burdens, the Torah scholar, who teaches the prophets. He went behind Judah in battle. For all I know I’m nothing. All I know is my soul woke up 25 years ago when I heard the words of Torah. I went to Switzerland and found my ancestry in the Jewish community of Bavaria. I went to Israel and got citizenship. Remember what I said when we found out – never again will I stand outside the boxcars. I’m going to be with my people if that ever happens.

Jeremiah Chapter 31 ties in this Torah portion. This whole chapter is about the remnant, about us. It is ALL the families of Israel. Confirmed in Zecharaiah 14. The Bible definition of a saint – not someone appointed by the Pope, or who believes they’re a saint. A saint is defined as one who keeps the commandments of God and has faith in the Messiah.

What did Yeshua say about the Gentiles? He didn’t come to save them. He came for the lost sheep of Israel. In Jeremiah 32 a new covenant is written for the house of Israel. A Gentile gets saved by becoming part of Israel. Ex 12:48, Lev. 23, Ex 20, Deut, John 17 – keeping the commandments.

We got it all backwards. Christians are supposed to go out and save Jews. Come and worship my Christmas tree. Desecrate the Shabbat. Eat things that will defile you.

We ran a kibbutz for a while. There were some Anglicans there from South Africa. They got mad at us because we were “Judaizers”, trying to turn Christians into Jews. We go out and we bring the Gentiles who are blinded, the Christians who commit idolatry and participate in pagan festivals.

Jeremiah 31:2, Deut. 32:2 – the people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness.

This last year has been hell, but I wouldn’t trade it. I’ve learned so much, and God has revealed his grace and mercy to me in ways that I never would have known otherwise. What is God trying to teach you? What does he want you to know? He says in Jeremiah, “search for me with all your heart and you will find me.” People are floating down the river with no control. There’s grace in the wilderness, in all these rivers and floods. Imagine walking 40 years in the wilderness. You know how much water they consumed in a day in the desert? Where did it come from? Moses struck a rock – God’s provision. And when you get thirsty enough, and cry out to God, look for God. Don’t go out and do the easy, natural thing, like get drunk. Who has done that? Everyone here has. Seek God, because that’s where you will find true joy and deliverance.

His grace is in the wilderness. We’re in this valley to grow. We’re in this valley to receive the dew from heaven. It’s in the first verses of this Torah portion. What’s the difference from rain and dew? Rain comes down, dew comes up. Rain is the mitzvot, bringing life to Earth. Dew and rain are in Deut. 32:2. Dew is the speech of God. This is our life – without this we are nothing.

It’s not like before, when we can go somewhere, sing hymns for an hour, go home, and everything’s ok. Torah changes who we are, gives us purpose for life, gives us hope when there’s no hope anywhere around us. It makes us feel like God is with us. We ask, like Abraham, “what did I do wrong?” The Accuser starts whispering in our ear. Because that stuff that we did 20 or 30 years go doesn’t work. How many of you can say that it worked? Some of it. Some of it had some meaning. Jeremiah 16:19 – “we have inherited the lies of our fathers.” They didn’t know any better. Somebody’s got to stop this and find the truth. Give us grandchildren who will serve God.

Lawlessness, Torahlessness, I can see it in some kids. What do you do? Torah. Here’s the answer. You have to do it. Set down and teach children the Torah. Read between the lines. What is he saying to us? Make it relevant. It means nothing if you just read it. The Sages say, the black is the black fire, but in between the lines is white fire. How do you do that? You study, pray, ask God to reveal truth.

Buy commentary series books. Spend money on it, study. This will change lives. This boy over here could grow up like Maimonides.

Now I have to teach my grandchildren.
Galatians 5:19

They will say “we don’t believe in the Old Testament” and then “bring that tithe into the storehouse.”

Last thing Malachai says to us, “don’t forget the Torah.”

When I say I’m not subject to Torah, I’m saying there is no law. Yeshua said, “depart from me, I never knew you.” James says, “I can see the kind of faith you have by the things you do.” There is no truth in you. And Revelations says that all liars will have a part in the Lake of Fire.

The big churches don’t want to hear it. It’s a narrow road, but isn’t it a wonderful road? It’s like riding a motorcycle through the hills of Oregon, not an Interstate. Just get on this road for a minute. Let’s walk through Beersheit together. You haven’t tasted anything like this. Your soul will awaken.

NEXT WEEK: Yom Kippur