Ki Tavo - When You Come -( כִּי־תָבוֹ ) Audio Podcast Sept 2, 2023

In the teaching we will continue to talk about being the generation of the Heels of Messiah, which also includes 4 types of people will discuss- These lack a relationship

We will speak about righteous judgement, regarding these people

Come from the word of God

Need to know the Torah

We will follow the flow of the Torah Portion

We will talk about more mitvoz and chukkim in this portion

Remember: mitvoz are logical; chukkim - we do not understand

We will first speak about the disconnect of our Torah portion and the status quo of the church at large - by means of history of the church - which we will discuss in this introduction

We will present a philosophical case for our Torah Portion

And the disconnect between the Torah and Brit Chadasha

We will present the Biblical perspective of that disconnect - consistency

Finally we will speak about these 4 types of people the Torah calls us to exercise extraordinary care for.

Humanism?

Introduction

Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19

Deuteronomy 26:1–2 NKJV

1 “And it shall be, when you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, 2 that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide.

COME

Picture

995 Strongs 935 בּוֹא‎ (bô(ʾ)): v.; ≡ come/go, i.e., make linear movement of a general kind 2. arrive, come to a place 3. be included, i.e., be in an association with others in a limited group 4. return, i.e., come back to a prior point from which one previously departed 5. pursue, i.e., follow after in haste and intensity 6. happens, formally, come, i.e., have an event or state happen 7. bear, carry, i.e., transport an object from one place to another (Lev 4:5); 8. bring, take, i.e., guide or direct an object to a place be brought (Ge 33:11); 9. harvest, formally, bring, i.e., gather crops from the field (2Sa 9:10); 10. cause to happen, bring to pass., i.e., make an event happen 11. apply, formally, bring, i.e., learn information and correlate to other ideas or facts, with a possible focus on energy and diligence 12. put, place, i.e., set an object in a particular location

Come to the land and

Then the fruit will happen

Who was this promise given to?

Deuteronomy 26:2–9 NKJV

2 that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. 3 And you shall go to the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the country which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’ 4 “Then the priest shall take the basket out of your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God. 5 And you shall answer and say before the Lord your God: ‘My father was a Syrian, about to perish, and he went down to Egypt and dwelt there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and laid hard bondage on us. 7 Then we cried out to the Lord God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and our oppression. 8 So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. 9 He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, “a land flowing with milk and honey”;

Israel is given the promise

Coming out of Egypt

Consistency Generates Fruit

Whose consistency?

When we think of fruit we think of our own fruit

My joy, my love, my kindness, my goodness

It is important to define where that fruit comes from

Although it is God who gives the fruits of the spirit - they are not ours

Most of the time we are in the word, we ask what does it mean to ME, what is the application for ME?

This is Greek philosophy - we find it in the history of the Christian church, which predates Messiah

Consider Socrates (470 BC - 399 BC)

Socrates was a moral philosopher.

concerned with the quality of his soul and that of others.

philosophy examines how we should live.

virtues, things like

wisdom, justice, courage, piety, and so on.

By correcting false beliefs.

people should care less about their bodies and possessions + about their souls, saying, “wealth does not bring goodness, but goodness brings wealth.”

serving the city of Athens and its citizens by highlighting their incorrect thinking.

Who decided what was correct thinking?

Consider Aristotle: (384-322 BC)

His big question: What is the ultimate purpose of human existence?

Eudaimonia (happiness) requires intellectual contemplation

In order to meet our rational capacities.

The issue is that this is happiness for ME

eudaimonia is a lifelong goal

Based on rational reflection.

virtues – for example, generosity, justice, friendship, and citizenship.

Eudaimonia requires intellect (thinking)

Basically, Aristotle teaches Ethics

Consistent with God?

Ethics component:

1. Everyone Seeks Eudaimonia (Flourishing)

“Well-being” and “flourishing”

And someone who is flourishing = Good Life.

“Man = political creature”

man is a rational creature who lives in poleis (societies) - polite, political, police - polis

4 aspects of man:

a- Physical beings - we are animals - require nourishment

b- Emotional beings - we are animals - wants - emotional needs

c- Social beings - live in groups- function in - need trust

d- Rational beings - Greeks - rationality made us human - knowledge seeking, obey reason

All self -centered

Ethics component:

2- Virtue

“practical wisdom.”

not intelligence, - it is a rational trait;

it’s more like knowing

Ethics component:

3- More virtue through Education and Habit

Nurturing - flourish

Idolizing a role model - aspire to be like others

Correlate virtuous to wealthy

The Hebrew way is you start teaching the Torah at an early age - 3 Leviticus

Hoping the Torah will produce fruit

Fruit does not come from man. Fruit comes from the Lord

Deuteronomy 26:10–11 NKJV

Greek philosophy is all about self

Consider another philosopher “Giant”

Plato (428-427)

Plato introduced the idea: class of entities he called forms

Examples of which were Justice, Beauty, and Equality.

Accessible not to the senses but to the mind alone

Forms- the most important constituents of reality

Ethics and moral psychology - good life requires not just a certain kind of knowledge (as Socrates had suggested)

but habituation to healthy emotional responses

Harmony - soul

(according to Plato, reason, spirit, and appetite)

Plato’s works are traditionally arranged in a manner deriving from Thrasyllus of Alexandria (Roman Name: Tiberius Claudius Thrasyllus)

(flourished 1st century CE): 36 works (counting the Letters as one) are divided into nine groups of four.

Main theory?

Forms asserts that the physical world is not really the 'real' world;

instead, ultimate reality - beyond - physical world.

Plato discusses this in work: called 'The Republic”

Plato's four big ideas for making life more fulfilling

1. Think more

2- Let your lover change you

“true love is admiration.” (idols)

3- Decode the message of beauty

4. Reform society

Plato was the first utopian thinker

Plato says:

“Human behaviour flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge”

Have we come to the point in church where we only teach ethics?

Only considering the 10 commandments is teaching ethics alone

PRESENTATION

The Torah Portion

What does God say about all this?

Back to the Portion

Deuteronomy 26:12–16 NKJV

12 “When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year—the year of tithing—and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, 13 then you shall say before the Lord your God: ‘I have removed the holy tithe from my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten them. 14 I have not eaten any of it when in mourning, nor have I removed any of it for an unclean use, nor given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that You have commanded me. 15 Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, just as You swore to our fathers, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’ 16 “This day the Lord your God commands you to observe these statutes and judgments; therefore you shall be careful to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.

What God calls us to do is to obey Him

He will make the blessing happen.

This is the renewal of the Curses and Blessings - there is a cause - fruit

Picture of Chiasm

Deuteronomy 28:1–2 NKJV

1 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

Consistency Generates Fruit

Whose consistency?

Blessings shall come upon you (bo) בּוֹא

Deuteronomy 28:3–6 NKJV

3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. 4 “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. 5 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 6 “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

When you come (bo) בּוֹא

The Lord will perform it:

Deuteronomy 28:7–10 NKJV

7 “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. 8 “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. 9 “The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. 10 Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you.

Deuteronomy 28:11–13 NKJV

11 And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. 12 The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.

What is our part?

It is definitely not to make it happen

Deuteronomy 28:14 NKJV

14 So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

Obey DEBARIM

Not to turn aside from the word

Not to serve other gods

But if not,

Deuteronomy 28:15 NKJV

15 “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

all these curses will come (bo) בּוֹא

The Lord will.... in every verse : 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28, 35, 36, 37, chapter 28

Why? because you did not obey

Deuteronomy 28:45–46 NKJV

45 “Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. 46 And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your descendants forever.

Why? - because you did not serve the Lord

What are we doing observing philosophies of man- consequences:

Deuteronomy 28:47–48 NKJV

47 “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you.

So He requires them (Israel) to write them so that they may not forget that whichever way we respond will have a response from the Lord:

He will make it happen because what He says He does: Law

Deuteronomy 27:3 NKJV

3 You shall write on them all the words of this law, when you have crossed over, that you may enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ just as the Lord God of your fathers promised you.

Deuteronomy 27:8 NKJV

8 And you shall write very plainly on the stones all the words of this law.”

So what happened?

We have Socrates, Aristotle and Plato speaking of Humanism -

Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good.

– American Humanist Association

Humanism exalts self

Taken over by Greece and Rome, Israel -moved out of the way

Replacement theology entered the scene

Paul had the same problem

1 Corinthians 1:18–19 NKJV

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

The story continues even after Yeshua and Paul

Marcion - 75-155 AD

Marcion of Sinope- bishop in early Christianity.

Theology rejected the deity described in the Jewish Scriptures

Tanahk inferior or subjugated to the God proclaimed in the Christian gospel

Was denounced by the Church Fathers and he was excommunicated

No damage done?

The Early Church and the Middle Ages

The question = relationship between NT/OT early church often.

Adopting the NT by faith, -the problem of how far the OT relevant?.

Initially, both accepted.

Second century, Marcion challenged the unity NT/OT.

Influence: dualism of Gnosticism (thought & practice especially of various cults of late pre-Christian and early Christian centuries

Distinguished by the conviction that matter is evil and that emancipation comes through gnosis/ knowledge)

Marcion preached a radical discontinuity OT/NT Old and New Testaments

Marcion the god of Israel - not the Father of Jesus,

nor was the law the gospel.

Marcion eliminated OT from his Bible, along with unacceptable (that is, Jewish) parts of NT.

The church condemn Marcion as a heretic.

Justin Martyr defended the unity of N/O T.

Both Irenaeus (ca. 130–200) and Tertullian (ca. 160–220) considered Messiah- link between O/N T.

Origen (ca. 185–254) defended the O/T against Marcion.

Thus orthodoxy preserved OT as Christian.

Or did it?

The authority and interpretation of the Bible = central issues - Protestant Reformation.

Not surprisingly, therefore, the question of the relationship between O/N T reopened.

Martin Luther (1483–1546) accepted the unity of the Bible.

O/T is to be praised as the ground & proof N/T.

But N/T - grace and salvation; the O/T - to point man to N/T - to Christ.

John Calvin (1509–1564) stressed - unity - Bible, devoting time- the many similarities between the O/N T.

Reaction to the Reformers, Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation convened the Council of Trent (1546).

The Council recognized the unity of the Bible but mandated that all biblical interpretation had to conform to the teaching of the Roman Church.

The implications - no allowance for further investigation of problem.

The Reformation brought new problems - interpretation of the relationship N/O T.

Although Calvin widely followed, an increasing # - theologians -challenge traditional ways of interpreting the Bible.

In the seventeenth century rationalists such as Hobbes (1588–1679) and Spinoza (1632–1677) sought a more humanistic approach to the Bible.

Consequence of this “humanizing” of Scripture was a readiness to reject less acceptable parts of the Old Testament.

Lessing (1729–1781) and Kant (1724–1804) continued this trend in the 18th century.

In 19th - German scholar Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768–1834) relegated the O/T to the status of an appendix N/T

OT Scriptures do not have the inspiration of the New.

Schleiermacher’s views came close to the wholesale rejection of the Old Testament espoused by Marcion.1

1 David S. Dockery, ed., Holman Bible Handbook (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1992), 24–25.

Consistency Generates Fruit

Whose consistency?

Lord’s

What do we see now people observing in the West?

Humanism

Do I believe what He says in His Torah and trust Him?

Or do I continue with my human efforts?

Did Yeshua do humanitarian work or did He reward the servant?

Yeshua heals a centurion’s Servant

The Centurion is possibly a Gentile

We do not know this because at that time they would recruit from the conquered people

Luke 7:1 NKJV

1 Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum.

Sayings = devarim

hearing = shema

Luke 7:2 NKJV

2 And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.

The centre of the story - servant

The centurion was already demonstrating the character of God by loving the servant

The servant was dear to the centurion.

The servant is actually a stranger to Messiah

Luke 7:3 NKJV

3 So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.

He believed Yeshua is Messiah.

He was probably among the multitude in verse 1

He believes in … as well

Luke 7:8 NKJV

8 For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

The law guarantees that when exercised properly, there will be fruit (Paul says to Timothy, 1 Tim, chapter 1:8 “But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully)

Because I trust Him I do not need to make human effort to make things happen

Luke 7:4 NKJV

4 And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving,

Centurion- deserving

Centurion responded to the “hearing” about Jesus, vs 3 - shema - believing

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Centurion came to Him, believing that He is - that Messiah is God - shema

The law doesn’t bring punishment

brings faith when properly understood.

Who diligently seek Him (Matthew chap 6, v - 33)

Does your humanity aspires for a position, as explained before,

you desire to be somebody, as Aristotle said: all you need is “A trait character that enables a person to flourish.”

Or even Plato saying that “beautiful objects are whispering important truths to us about the good life”?

In other words:

When you aspire a position are you seeking the Kingdom of God or yours?

Ephesians 6:5–6 NKJV

5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

Luke 7:4–5 NKJV

4 And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, 5 “for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.”

I will bless those who bless you - Bless Israel

Built a synagogue

Strong's G4864

a bringing together, gathering (as of fruits)

an assembly of Jews - gathered- to offer prayers and listen to scriptures;

assemblies every sabbath and feast day

name transferred to an assembly of Christians formally gathered together for religious purposes

An assembly of men

Luke 7:6 NKJV

6 Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.

Then, after shema

Loving Israel

Building a house = synagogue

demonstrating obedience

The centurion sends massengers (vayshelach) - Gen ch 28-10

Yeshua is not our homeboy

He is messiah and my king

Luke 7:7 NKJV

7 Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Not worthy, how can you come under my covering?

You want to believe the big ones, but have difficulty believing the little ones - you either believe or don’t

Centurion realizes he is not worthy - in his mind; in his thinking

Your mind is a place - never empty

You cannot compete with the King of Glory in your humanity

You will want to compete with Him only if you see Him as your homeboy - not in awe of Him.

The centurion says, “say the word”

Debar = logs

It is impossible when you meet Messiah and believe in Him to stay the same - He says: my servant will be healed

Luke 7:8 NKJV

Are you in the Kingdom to be a king or to be a servant? - a levite.

Did Yeshua do humanitarian work or did He reward the servant?

I will let you be the one to judge by looking at what Yeshua explained

But this brings us back to the Torah Portion

Deuteronomy 26:10–12 NKJV

10 and now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land which you, O Lord, have given me.’ “Then you shall set it before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God. 11 So you shall rejoice in every good thing which the Lord your God has given to you and your house, you and the Levite and the stranger who is among you. 12 “When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year—the year of tithing—and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled,

Rejoice in every good thing which the Lord ...has given you, and your house, with

The Levite - which we just discussed - in the servant

The Stranger - King

The Fatherless- Father

The Widow - Husband

CLOSING

Do we help others because it is the human thing to do?

Deuteronomy 26:11 NKJV

11 So you shall rejoice in every good thing which the Lord your God has given to you and your house, you and the Levite and the stranger who is among you.

Picture

Stranger

1731 גֵּר‎ (gēr): n.masc.; ≡ Str 1616; TWOT 330a—LN 11.55–11.89 alien, stranger, foreigner, i.e., one who is of a different geographical or cultural group, often with less rights than the reference group

Abraham was a ger at some point

Genesis 23:4 NKJV

4 “I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

The Torah makes provision for the ger

Exodus 12:49 NKJV

49 One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.”

Sabbath for the stranger

Exodus 20:10 NKJV

10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.

3 Kinds of strangers/ sojourner

1- Ger - a stranger who wants to enter the covenant of God - Cornelious

2- Goy - Goyim - nations - no Israelite by birth (as in Gen chp 10- v5)

3- Nakri - an alien/ foreigner (less preferable to use)

No so close association to Israel

Ruth (who called herself Nakri - Rut chap 2-v10)

Deuteronomy 10:19 NKJV

19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 26:11–13 NKJV

11 So you shall rejoice in every good thing which the Lord your God has given to you and your house, you and the Levite and the stranger who is among you. 12 “When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year—the year of tithing—and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, 13 then you shall say before the Lord your God: ‘I have removed the holy tithe from my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed Your commandments, nor have I forgotten them.

If not careful the stranger can influence you

Exactly what happened

Deuteronomy 27:19 NKJV

19 ‘Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the stranger, the fatherless, and widow.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’

The prophecy for the Goyim

Deuteronomy 28:43 NKJV

43 “The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower.

Orphan / Fatherless

Inheritance = only sons get inheritance

Galatians 4:7 NKJV

7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

The Jewish coming back home to a new era. The era of redemption, from Jerusalem.

We will serve there , Jerusalem, as the world centre of God’s kingdom.

This is to fulfill the prophecy that out of Zion will come the word of God: in Is chap 2 v- 2-3

When we follow the steps of Messiah, God puts you on a mission, we then say henini (heninikan): Here I am Lord

I am not your planner, God. You direct your plan

Jeremiah 7:5–7 NKJV

5 “For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, 6 if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, 7 then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.

Promote the building of the temple

Justice between man and his neighbour

By mishpat (between the man and his neighbour, v5)

By means of not oppressing the: stranger, fatherless and the widow

Do not shed innocent blood

Serving other gods (idols)

Then you will live in this land, Jerusalem, forever

Build a house for those who are lacking a place

The stranger does not have a place in Jerusalem

A fatherless cannot inherit the place since he does not have a father

The widow cannot inherit her husband’s - only the first son

A home for you to have a family

By the divine presence in this house begins with the orphan and the widow.

These are His children. He is a protector of the orphan and the widow, and inclusive of the stranger.

The orphan and the widow have a missing family member. A stranger does not have a land - a place

These are the ones God uses to show the Father’s heart

the father’s obligation is to protect his family.

If the father is not there, YHVH is very protective of the widow and the orphan.

Who are they? Why is the Father so protective?

To be able to build the temple and see His divine presence in the temple, inspiring the word for ever and ever, you must begin with the caring for the orphan and the widow.

Zechariah 7:8–10 NKJV

8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart Against his brother.’

Isaiah 1:16–17 NKJV

16 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.

All the scriptures speak of the importance of caring for the orphan and the widow as a preparation for the building the temple

not about humanism

Who are these orphans and widows the Bible is talking about?

Many support orphanage work, in the world- humanism

But the Bible never talks the orphan alone, with it always talks of the orphan and the widow.

In fact, in Exodus is the widow and the orphan, in Deuteronomy (Devarim) the orphan and the widow.

Exodus 22:22 NKJV

22 “You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child.

Exodus 22:24 NKJV

24 and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

Deuteronomy 10:18 NKJV

18 He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing.

Deuteronomy 14:29 NKJV

29 And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

What is the importance of dealing with the widow and the orphan as one unit?

What is the importance in the redemption process?

In English the word orphan means somebody that does not have two parents.

In Hebrew, the word Yathom, means the fatherless

3846 יָתוֹם‎ (yā·ṯôm): n. fatherless child, an orphan with a dead father and a widowed mother, as a class of helpless person- with no resource

Yatom is the only child in the Bible who has a name: fatherless. a child who is crippled, a child who is blind, there is no noun for these.

Orphan does not mean fatherless

Exodus 22:21–24 NKJV

21 “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 22 “You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; 24 and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

If you oppress ANY orphan or widow, rich, poor, slave, free, etc. they will call out to me and I will kill you.

Then your wives will be widows and your children will be orphans.

This is not talking about missing the two parents, but it is talking about being FATHERLESS.

Why would any body offend, either intentionally or unintentionally, the fatherless and the widow?

The word in Hebrew: lo tanun (lo theannun) לא - תענוך is either active or passive.

Active = by doing something to them

Passive = by not doing something for them

The passive of le tanun in Hebrew is the same word used to say “to cause them to become poor.”

So, if you allow them to become poor, make sure they do not go down to the lowest level of needs.

This is for any fatherless. We are also including somebody who still has a mother who lives.

We need to make sure that the unity between the orphan and the widow stays secured.

We are talking about a situation where the family is at stake.

So, sending a fatherless to an orphanage is against God.

A person needs both parents. If they only have one, the mother, our job is to strengthen the surviving parent, to make sure she does not become weak, because the source for a blessing of a child comes from the parents.

Exodus 20:12 NKJV

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

When we have a family, father and a mother, serve as a protection for the child.

The children are on the roof. When the child has an accomplishment the parents are the first ones to celebrate: starts walking, does well in school, first car, etc.

Both parents are cleaving under heaven.

When one of the parents is missing, especially the father, the house starts collapsing.

Our job is not to replace the father. We cannot replace the father.

Only God can do that. What we can do is to strengthen the surviving parent so that they may be able to protect the child.

When a child loses a parent, he is fearful of losing the other parent. This is why divorce is devastating.

1 Corinthians 4:15–16 NKJV

15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me.

2 Timothy 1:2 NKJV

2 To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Titus 1:4 NKJV

4 To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

Hebrews 2:13 NKJV

13 And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

The best thing for an orphan is to give them a strong father- not to send them to an orphanage

Genesis 22:18 NKJV

18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

In the book of Genesis, a man leaves his father and mother to be joined to his wife (chap 2, v-24).

At the end of the book of Genesis, which is the foundation for the entire Bible, Joseph keeps the family together by providing for his brother and their “little one.” (chapter 50, verses 19-21)

You know who is always together with the widow and the fatherless, the stranger (alien, sojourner, stranger, poor).

But we never look at the Levite who is included in the process.

God says for me the orphan and the widow are like the Levite - the servants of the Lord. They are there to remind you the Exodus of Egypt. They will remind you of the redemption.

To build God’s temple, we must rebuild the family which is the most sacred place for a person.

How do we rebuild. We use the covenant and affirm the covenant.

We take the covenant and the love of God because that is the purpose of the Father. We rebuild the temple through the tenets of the Torah.

Respect the widow and the orphan as the Levite.

These need joy- to be strengthen in the Lord.

God says I am the father of that child. I am the husband of that woman. I am the king of the stranger.

If you oppress them, you will be oppressed the same way and with the thing you oppress them with- meaning your family will have widows and orphans.

Picture

Widow:

530 אַלְמָנָה‎ (ʾǎl·mā·nā(h)): Str 490; widow, i.e., one whose spouse has died note: often there is an associative meaning of a class of persons, low in status, meager in resources, and so pitiable that society was to take special effort to help them

The word widow in Hebrew comes from the same root as in

Exodus 4:11 NKJV

11 So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?

522 אִלֵּם‎ (ʾil·lēm): adj.; ≡ Str 483; mute, i.e., pertaining to being unable to speak

Meaning quiet

An almanah is a person who does not a voice

But not Israel

Isaiah 54:4–8 NKJV

4 “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. 5 For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. 6 For the Lord has called you Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Like a youthful wife when you were refused,” Says your God. 7 “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you. 8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer.

God is there to protect us.

Israel is mentioned as being lonely and as a widow:

Lamentations 1:1 NKJV

1 How lonely sits the city That was full of people! How like a widow is she, Who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces Has become a slave!

Isaiah 54:6–7 NKJV

6 For the Lord has called you Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Like a youthful wife when you were refused,” Says your God. 7 “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you.

Israel lived like a widow for a while because she was treated like an abandoned wife by her husband/God.

Is the original Hebrew word (almenutayich) used here simply denoting a wife who has been disowned / divorced by her husband - rather then a woman whos husband has died ?

The original Hebrew word means the state of being a widow or widowhood.

It could be used literally to mean her husband has died or metaphorically to mean her husband has not died but has abandoned her.

Ezekiel 44:22 NKJV

22 They shall not take as wife a widow or a divorced woman, but take virgins of the descendants of the house of Israel, or widows of priests.

Ezekiel 44:25–27 NKJV

25 “They shall not defile themselves by coming near a dead person. Only for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister may they defile themselves. 26 After he is cleansed, they shall count seven days for him. 27 And on the day that he goes to the sanctuary to minister in the sanctuary, he must offer his sin offering in the inner court,” says the Lord God.

(22) A widow that had a priest before.--In regard both to marriage and to mourning (Ezekiel 44:25-27)

the Levitical law made a broad distinction between the ordinary priest and the high priest.

The former was only forbidden to marry a divorced woman (Leviticus 21:7),

but was allowed to marry a widow;

the latter could marry only a virgin of Israel (ib. 14).

So also in the law of mourning; the high priest might not be "defiled" nor make any sign of mourning even for his nearest of kin (Leviticus 21:11-14).

Ezekiel does not recognise this distinction, and in fact nowhere mentions the high priest at all;

but, instead, gives a general law for all priests, somewhat between the two.

Verse 22. - As to marriage (since the priests in Ezekiel's "house" were no more expected to be celibates than were those employed about Moses' tabernacle or Solomon's temple)

they were forbidden to marry widows (which the Levitical priests were not, though the high priest was) or divorced women, and allowed to wed only virgins of the house of Israel

or (the sole exception) widows of such as had been priests (compare with the priest-code, Leviticus 21:7, 13, 14). Ezekiel's enactment discovers two variations -

first, that it does not formally forbid to the priests marriage with a harlot

and, second, that it sanctions marriage with a priest's widow.

But the first was implied in the prohibition of marriage with an adulteress

and the second was a sign of the higher sanctity of the priesthood belonging to Ezekiel's temple.

Hence, so far from indicating the priority of Ezekiel, it rather points to the priority of Leviticus.

almanah (widow) is not a matter of poverty.

It is a matter of loneliness - having lost a loved one.

It is a matter of the loss of a voice - a sound.

Deuteronomy 10:17–20 NKJV

17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. 18 He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name.

He is the protector The Orphan the Widow and the Stranger, the Levite

Stranger-King

Orphan - Father

Widow - husband

He does justice for them. Not just in the courts, but for the situation of being a widow, dealing with so much.

In the eyes of God, they do not have a place.

They do not have a permanent venue

Lack stability

Our great God makes sure that the justice of these is not deprive

Deuteronomy 10:20 NKJV

20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name.

God is not telling you how great He is - although He is great - He wants you to stay still in His ways

He calls us to show His greatness to the fatherless, widow and stranger

Within your gates

Deuteronomy 26:12 NKJV

Consistency Generates Fruit

Whose consistency?

The Lord’s

Deuteronomy 24:19 NKJV

19 “When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

Deuteronomy 24:20–21 NKJV

20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.

This ministry is for the Stranger, the Fatherless, and the widow

Stranger - King

Fatherless - Father

Widow - Husband

Let’s be consistent with the Lord

Remember His Torah/ Live the Torah/ Teach the Torah

Shabbat Shalom

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