Can a sacrifice produce joy?

Deuteronomy 12:11 – 12:28

Then to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the LORD. And there rejoice before the LORD your God, you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns, who have no allotment or inheritance of their own.

(Deut.12:11-12 LBLA)

Can a sacrifice produce joy?

The Eternal wishes that His people learn to go up to the temple and come before Him and bring Him offerings and tithes. He wants that the place of His presence is a place of happiness and enjoyment. That's why there are not only offerings and tithes given completely to the service of the Eternal, but also in part so that the remaining of it may be eaten with the family, rejoicing at the table before the Eternal.

There is fullness of joy in the Eternal's presence (Ps. 16:11). Pleasing sacrifices are those that come from joyful hearts. A sacrifice offered with sadness and grief is not pleasing. The one who can't enjoy giving his offering is not showing his appreciation for the Eternal. The one who doesn't appreciate and love Him feels that tithe and offerings are a burden and cause of sadness. Love is shown by giving. That's why the one who loves gives and the one who doesn't love doesn't like giving either. The one who loves the Eternal gives Him the tithe and offerings and that produces joy because love rejoices.

The one who can't rejoice in giving tithe and offerings needs to check his heart and surrender it to the Eternal, stop living for himself and stop fearing and doubting divine provision. The one who lives for himself can't feel the real happiness found in giving.

There are those who give in order to receive, thinking that the one who sows also reaps. But even if it's true that the one who sows also reaps if done correctly, that attitude is not the best regarding giving to the Eternal. We don't give in order to receive; we give because we want to obey and express our love by giving.

However, if we believe in the promise that the Eternal is not going to abandon us if we give from what we have; and that He is going to bless what remains after the tithes, then we can calmly trust in divine provision regarding our finances. But we don't give in order to receive, that attitude is really childish.

'It is more blessed to give than to receive.

' (Acts 20:35 NIV)

Blessings,

How may we become strong and prolong our lives?

Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, and so that you may live long in the land that the LORD swore to your forefathers to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey

.

(Deut. 11:8-9 NIV)

How may we become strong and prolong our lives?

The Torah gives us the clue to be strong and have long lives on our lands: to keep all the commandments that the Eternal orders us today. Had the people of Israel kept the commandments better throughout history, they would be the strongest and largest people in the world.

A people who don't commit idolatry will be a strong people, a people who don't commit blasphemy will live a long time on their land. A people where both born and non-born are not murdered will be powerful. A people who don't commit adultery and fornication will have very old citizens. A people where there is no theft but respect for private property of both poor and rich, will be prospered. A people who don't eat parts or blood of live animals nor treat them with cruelty, will have a long existence on their lands. A people whose legal system watches over their citizens' conducts and punishes all those who break one of these previous six laws and rewards those who respect them, will be an extremely powerful and blessed people on earth.

Keep the commandments, you'll be strong and enjoy a long life.

Kol tuv,

What does the Eternal require from us?

Deuteronomy 10:12-22

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

(Deut. 10:12-13 NIV)

What does the Eternal require from us?

I

n the section of the Shemah (Deut. 6:4-5) the Eternal highlights love as the most important thing for man. But in this text fear of the Eternal is mentioned as the first thing. How are we going to understand this? What is more important, love or fear?

If you are a parent, what do you appreciate the most from your children, that they respect you or that they love you? Both things are necessary but in my opinion, love is more important. Then we have to understand this text in the light of the Shemah. We can understand it like the fear of the Eternal is the first step to love Him with all our heart keeping His commandments and statutes.

Fear has two levels. The first level is the one who fears punishment for the sin and the second level is the one that shows reverence. The one who grows in obedience based on love is going to transition more and more from the first to the second level, from the level of fear to punishment to the level of reverence.

Fear of the Eternal drives men towards a right behaviour. Love of the Eternal drives men to serve Him and keep His commandments and statutes.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 is written not only for the Jew but for all men: "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (NIV)

Keep the commandments with the right motivation and it will go well with you in this life and the next one.

Kol tuv,

Ketriel

Can objects from idolatry be used for something good?

Deuteronomy 10:1-11

At that time the LORD said to me, Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones and come up to me on the mountain. Also make a wooden chest

.

(Deut. 10:1 NIVUK)

Can objects from idolatry be used for something good?

HaShem ordered Moshe to make stone and wood objects for the sacred service. The same materials; wood and stone, are used for idolatry (4:28). This teaches us that what the Eternal has created has the purpose of serving his interests but it may be used in a wrong way. Anything good may be used for evil purposes.

The question that if what was once used for evil purposes may afterwards be used for a good purpose rises. Can objects from idolatry cults be used to serve the Eternal? The sons of Israel were ordered to destroy all pagan cult related objects (Deut. 7:5). It was also said that if one introduces in his home an object that has been used in a pagan cult, one becomes anathema like that object (Deut. 7:25-26).

It's not matter that attracts evil spirits but the idolatry or magical motive for which the object was made. Even an object that may seem innocent may have been created in honour of false gods or to promote magic and occultism and in that case it may harm those who carry it and introduce it in his home or car.

The fact of sanctifying to the Eternal an object from a pagan cult does not free it from its contact with the world of evil spirits. The only thing that can be done is to destroy it.

Go through all the objects you have to see if there is abomination in them or if they have been made for idolatry purposes. Check paintings, sculptures, jewellery, clothing, souvenirs, pictures of places of idolatry, CDs, games, toys, movies, books, and so on. Check everything that is yours and destroy anything that doesn't honour the Eternal.

May you have a clean life with objects that only bring glory to the Eternal.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matt. 6:13 NIVUK)

Blessings,

Why so much rebuke?

Deuteronomy 9:4-29

Do not say to yourself, "...because of my righteousness." It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land … Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness.. you are a stiff-necked people. Remember this and never forget how you provoked the LORD your God to anger in the desert... At Horeb you aroused the LORD's wrath so that he was angry enough to destroy you... You also made the LORD angry... But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You did not trust him or obey him... You have been rebellious against the LORD ever since I have known you.

(Deut. 9:4a, 5a, 6, 7, 8, 22b, 23b, 24 NIV)

Why so much rebuke?

How is it possible that Moshe Rabbenu keeps saying once and again that the people are rebellious? Shouldn't he have just encouraged them to live a righteous life instead of rebuking them for their past sins?

It's true that most of the time Moshe spoke words of encouragement, hope and faith to the people he so much loved. But in this instance Moshe urges the people three times not to stress their own righteousness but to remember their rebellion. Wouldn't it be better to forget past sins and focus on the good deeds?

The reason why Moshe Rabbenu admonishes the people in this way is in order for them not to commit such sins again. The one who does not repent thinking that he hasn't done any wrong, will keep on doing what's not right. That's why a person that doesn't see his sin or doesn't understand the severity of the sin must be aware of what he has done so he is ashamed and makes the decision of never doing such thing again. Moshe knew, due to his prophetic sight, that many among the people didn't understand the implications of their sin and were taking the matter too lightly. This is the reason why Moshe reprimands them so much.

Deep down, this entire rebuke comes from a great love and a desire to help the people to go well.

It's unfortunate that many without the same feeling as Moshe have used his words to express their despise against the Jewish people and justify their rejection against them. Because even though they say the same words as Moshe Rabbenu did, the motivation and attitude behind those words are the opposite of those of the great Prophet. It's not the same to say: "It's a rebellious people" from inside with love and concern than to say: "It's a rebellious people" from outside with despise and rejection.

Never use the words of Moshe to point and accuse the Jewish people. Stop criticising the Rabbis and their writings. The non-Jew who despises the rabbinical laws is under the influence of an anti-Jewish spirit. The Jew who doesn't want to submit to the rabbinical laws is a rebel.

When you rebuke someone make sure that the only thing you want is that such person is blessed and prospered. Never remind a repented person of his past sins. This can only be done when there is absolute certainty that such person hasn't repented.

If you have repented of something, don't let the memory of past sins make you doubt about the forgiveness and justification you received in Messiah Yeshua. At the same time you should never forget what you've done in order to understand what kind of mercy the Eternal has shown you. If it wasn't for His forgiveness and mercy we would all be lost and destroyed by the Eternal's righteous wrath.

Blessed be Eternal for His great forgiveness in Messiah Yeshua!

Ketriel

Is there life in the commandments?

Ekev 46-1

Consequence

Deuteronomy 7:12- 8:11

Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers... man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

(Deut. 8:1, 3b NIV)

Is there life in the commandments?

In several occasions the expression "today" – in Hebrew hayom, היום – appears in relation to the fulfillment of the commandments. The commandments have been given to be fulfilled today and tomorrow, not yesterday because we can't change the past, only the present and the future.

This text says that there is life as a consequence of fulfilling the commandments. From this we learn that the one who transgress the commandments is in the path of death and the one who fulfills them is on the path of life. For the one who breaks the commandments death awaits him, twice, in this life and after resurrection, and to that one who fulfills the commandments life awaits him twice, in this life and after resurrection.

No man, except one, has been able to fulfill all the commandments required from him without failing. That's why the Eternal has provided with His mercy and forgiveness of sins for the one who repents of his disobedience. The one who accepts all the commandments that correspond to him and makes an effort to obey them, will have, as a general rule, a blessed life, longer than if he hadn't kept them. When he fails, repents and asks for forgiveness, the Eternal is merciful and forgives him. He has provided all the necessary means to provide forgiveness to those who repent. In this way, there is life in the obedience of the commandments.

One of the most important commandments is to believe and trust in the Eternal and the one who fulfills that commandment, will receive life, not only in this age but also in the next one. The one who believes in the Eternal's forgiveness and kindness, thus fulfilling one of the most important commandments, will gain forgiveness and everlasting life.

There is a deceiving teaching that states that the Eternal's commandments can't give everlasting life. It's true that a person, through legalistic efforts for fulfilling the commandments, can't gain enough merit to get forgiveness and eternal life in exchange. It's true that eternal life is a gift, but it is also true that nobody can achieve eternal life if he's not willing to obey the Eternal. It's not the same to disobey voluntarily than to fall because of weakness or by mistake. It's not the same to sin by fault than to sin because of lack of willingness to obey. The one who doesn't take the yoke of the commandments upon his shoulders won't ever be able to receive eternal life.

The Jew will have to take the yoke of the commandments given in Sinai upon his shoulders to get eternal life and the ben Noach (son of Noach) will have to take the yoke of the seven commandments. The one who lives in disobedience of the commandments without repentance and willingness to obey will never be able to receive eternal life. It's not the same to fail than to practise disobedience of the commandments. The one who fails, wants to obey, there is willingness to obey in his heart. But the one who practises disobedience doesn't want to keep certain commandments that the Eternal has ordered. There is a big difference between them both.

When the thief who was hung on the same tree as Yeshua was dying, he asked the Rabbi to remember him when he came into his kingdom. He died for his sins, as the criminal he was, and acknowledged it. At the same time, he asked the Redeemer sent by the Eternal to take him into account in the time of the resurrection of the dead. This shows that he repented of his sins and acknowledged that Yeshua didn't commit any death deserving sin and that he was going to be lifted up after resurrection. He believed that Yeshua was going to be able to help him in the resurrection in spite of his sins. Because of that repentance, that trust and that confession, he was saved and so Yeshua pronounced an order by the authority invested on him by the Eternal: “Assuredly, I say to you today: You will be with Me in Paradise.”

Yeshua promised him on that day that one day he would be with him in paradise, on the day of the resurrection of the dead. Yeshua, the Torah made flesh, spoke like the Torah saying "the command I am giving you today" (Deut 8:1) thus showing that what he said was for today eternally.

Certainly there is life in the commandments because men live on every word that comes from the mouth of the Eternal.

Shavua tov,

What is more important, business or family?

Mattot 42-6

Tribes

Numbers 32:1-19

the land that the LORD struck down before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.

(Num. 32:4 ESV)

What is more important, business or family?

The children of Reuven said that they had a lot of cattle, but they did not mention their children. In verse 16, we see that the cattle were mentioned before the children. It seems as though the descendants of Reuven did not appreciate their children. They were more interested in their business than they were in their families. This is an age-old problem for man; to worry more about his professional life than about his own children. Moshe rebuked this attitude in verse 24, where it is written, “Build you cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep…” He put the children before the cattle.

In Genesis 42:37, it is written: “Re'uven spoke to his father, saying, ‘Kill my two sons, if I don’t bring him to you. Deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to you again.’” (HNV) Reuven’s attitude toward his children is sad. He does not value their lives. The life of a human is of much more value than business.

A society where career and position are prioritized above raising children is an unhealthy society, doomed to destruction. A society where the woman is forced out into the working world, forced to leave her children in the care of others is a society that breeds criminality. A society where women choose abortion to avoid losing their job is a society that does not understand the principles that lead to success. A society where a human is murdered in order that other may steal a little money is a society close to annihilation.

In Hosea 6:8, it is written: “Gil`ad is a city of those who work iniquity; it is stained with blood.” (HNV) The area east of the Yarden, where the two and a half tribes settled, was an area full of conflict, where the value of human life was reduced drastically. Therefore three cities of refuge were needed for two and a half tribes, as opposed to three cities of refuge for nine and a half tribes on the other side of the Yarden. This teaches us that violence and a low value for human life dominated the area of the two and a half tribes.

This area was the most exposed to attacks by the enemies of Israel. Those who lived there were the first to be taken away into exile by the Assyrians and other nations.

Appreciate your children highly. Don't let anyone else educate them for you. Take time with them, educate them, instruct them, correct them and play with them. They are much more important than your job or business. Your children need much more of your time than of your money.

Kol tuv,

Ketriel

Why did the soldiers atone for their souls with valuable objects?

Mattot 42-5

Tribes

Numbers 31:42-54

Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses and said to him, "Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing. So we have brought as an offering to the LORD the gold articles each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.

Num. 31:48-50 NIV)

Why did the soldiers atone for their souls with valuable objects?

The prohibition of counting the people of Israel is based on the promise made to our father Avraham that his descendants couldn't be counted. However, the Eternal taught the people a system to be able to be counted without a plague coming to them, that's the system of the half shekel (Ex. 30:12). Each male gave a coin of half a shekel and instead of counting the people the coins were counted. The coins were given afterwards to the tabernacle as a memorial and thus the people weren't harmed for having been counted.

In this case, they didn't use the method of the half shekel for the census of the 12000 and that brought guilt upon them before the Eternal. The delivery of the valuables would then be a reward for their fault.

The second reason for the delivery of the spoils, the jewels they got in the war, was that when entering the tents of the Midianite women and when they grabbed the jewels from their corpses, they couldn't help having impure thoughts; and for having those impure thoughts they were guilty before the Eternal. The surrender of the jewels would serve as a sign of repentance.

The third reason we can deduce from this text is that they had an immense feeling of gratitude, not only for having survived the war, but also for having received all those riches from the spoils. They wanted to thank the Eternal because He preserved their lives and gave them such material wealth. Their hearts' gratitude had to be shown in a practical way and the giving of valuable objects is a good way of saying thanks.

Beloved chosen ones from among the nations: be grateful to the Eternal all your days because He has saved you so many times from death during your life. How many times have you been in danger of death? For sure many more times we have been closer to death than we thought! Thanks to His protection we are alive. Besides He provides us with more material goods than we deserve. Let's thank Him for that in a practical way; let's give some money and valuables to a good cause that also helps the advancement of the Kingdom among us.

Blessings,

How were the Midianite virgins lifted up?

Mattot 42-4

Tribes

Numbers 31:25-41

"You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured.

(Num. 31:26 NIV)

How were the Midianite virgins lifted up?

The Eternal commanded Moshe not only to count the booty of the war against Midian, but also to give tribute from it to the high priest and the Levites. They didn't have to count the goods though, but the people and animals only. That's why the Hebrew text reads literally: שׂא את ראשׁ מלקוח – sa et rosh malkoach – lift up the head of the booty.

In a simple sense it means to take the person or animal into account, to make a census. But the same expression, to lift up the head, is an invitation for us to think that when a person is counted, taken into account, he/she is also lifted up. The feeling of no one counting on me can be very negative. That's why to be counted in is a way of being honoured.

The expression can also be understood as an elevation of spiritual or moral dignity. In this way we can also understand that not only the 32000 young virgins but also the animals that were captured in the war, were elevated to a higher level at the moment of being received in the people of Israel. It's not only a great honour for a person to be able to serve the priestly people, but also the one who does it is also lifted up spiritually and morally.

It must have been very painful and frustrating for the prisoner girls not only to have lost their families and homes but also to have to submit and serve a strange people with language, culture and customs that were very different from theirs.

On the other hand, these daughters of Midian would learn good rules from the Torah and noble customs from the people of the covenant that would enable them to lift themselves up to a level of obedience to the Eternal that they would have never achieved in their place of origin. Definitely, the war against Midian was very painful for them, but in the long run the benefit was very high.

The first thing the Eternal commanded for these virgins was that their heads were lifted up. They didn't have to walk looking to the floor anymore; they were counted, taken into account, valued and delivered to the sacred service. Thus, humiliation was transformed into elevation.

Blessed be the Eternal for lifting up the fallen ones!

Can the pure be mixed with the impure?

Mattot 42-3

Tribes

Numbers 31:13-24

Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp.

(Num. 31:13 NIV)

Can the pure be mixed with the impure?

The 12000 soldiers had touched the dead during war. That’s why they were all ritually impure and couldn’t enter the camp of the sacred people. Therefore, Moshe, Eleazar, the high priest and all the chiefs of the congregation went out to receive them.

The impure couldn’t enter the pure camp, but the pure ones could come out to receive the impure ones without being contaminated. Even though the high priest was the most sacred person of Israel and couldn't be in contact with death, he could come out where the impure were and instruct about how they had to get purified in order to enter the pure area. This teaches us that the impure can't be introduced in the pure. But the pure can influence over the impure to purify it.

What a beautiful scene! Men can't enter in the sacred presence of the Eternal due to their state of impurity and mortality. But the sacred comes out from the Eternal's presence to purify it and grant it immortality so men can enter His sacred presence and remain there forever.

Blessed be the Eternal for having come to encounter us to rescue and purify us!!

Why did a priest go to war?

Mattot 42-2

Tribes

Numbers 31:1-12

Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.

(Num. 31:6 NIV)

Why did a priest go to war?

When 12000 of the sons of Israel were sent to carry out the Eternal’s vengeance against Midian, Pinchas, Aharon’s grandson who received the priesthood because of the zeal he showed when part of the people fornicated with the idolatrous women, was also sent. Pinchas shared the feeling with the Eternal regarding the Midianites that’s why he was able to lead the people in this war.

However, the most important thing in this case is that Pinchas was in charge of taking some of the tabernacle’s sacred utensils and the silver trumpets to sound the trua’h – תרועה – alarm. According to Rashi, the sacred utensils were the ark and the high priest’s gold head plate. These objects were taken to confront the spirit of impurity behind the Midianites. This war was sacred, commanded by the Eternal to execute his vengeance. Therefore, the divine presence and the angels had to come with them in war.

Pinchas the priest was there to activate the Eternal’s supernatural forces in the moment of war. When the silver trumpets were played, the Eternal sent orders to His angels to protect and strengthen the 12000 soldiers who were fulfilling His orders. In that way their mission was very prosperous.

When you enter in battle, make sure of three things: that you are fulfilling a divine order, that the Eternal’s presence is with you and that you walk in sanctity. That’s how you will prosper in battle.

Blessings,