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Deuteronomy_2nd_Torah_Portion by Fran Regan
08/15/2010
Deuteronomy 4:32-35 “For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that Elohim created man on the earth, and ask from one end of the heavens to the other end of the heavens, whether there has been a Word (or a thing) as great as this, or has been heard like it.
Has a people heard the voice of Elohim speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live? Or has Elohim set forth to take for Himself a nation from the midst of a nation by trials (4531) (Adamic), and by signs (226) (Noahic), and by wonders (4159) (Abrahamic), and by war (4421) (Mosiac), and by a strong (2389) hand (3027) (Levitical) and an outstretched (5186) arm (2220 (Davidic) and by great (1419) terrors (4172) (Messianic), according to all that Yah your Elohim did for you in Egypt before your eyes? ”You have been shown it, to know that Yah Himself is Elohim; there is no one beside Him.” How magnificent, how awesome and beyond comprehension was Creation? Creating something out of nothing - We really can’t get our minds around it. Yah is saying that His forming of the nation of Israel [taking a nation out of the midst of a nation] is equal with the incredibleness of Creation. It demonstrates to the whole world without a doubt that Yahuah is Elohim as much as the very act of Creation does, this according to Yah, Himself. With the first Exodus, Yah is taking us back to Creation to instruct us on the second Exodus still future (end from the beginning). The things that were written beforehand were written for our instruction Paul tells us (Ro. 15:4). “All these came upon them as examples, and they were written as a warning to us, on whom the ends of the age have come…:”(1Corth. 10:11) We are looking forward to a Second Exodus that will, according to Scripture, most definitely supercede the First Exodus and therefore, again, rival Creation in its scope and awesomeness. And Yah states there are seven ways He has done this and is going to do this again. (He has ‘sevened’ Himself) Why seven? He ‘sevened’ Himself or bound Himself to a Word or Covenant. This is compared to the 7 days of Creation – for Yah Himself said nothing like this has happened since Elohim created man on the earth. The number 7, along with the reference to Creation, brings to mind the Menorah – as taught by Dr. Alewine in the Creation Gospel – the seven days and what was created on each day, the seven movements of the Spirit on each day, the seven festivals, and the seven assemblies in Revelation. The root for “7” means ‘to be complete’, fulfillment, perfection, to seven oneself, to take an oath. (shin, beit, ayin) #7650 shaba According to Strong’s Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words, the root for ‘to swear’ (oath, covenant) and the root for ‘seven’ are the same in Hebrew. (Bible Dictionary, page 832) To swear (or to covenant) is to bind oneself with seven things, to declare something seven times (conjecture). Actually, the relationship between seven and to swear is not clearly understood, yet not to be discounted. - We know Elohim deals with mankind through covenants, so with this passage taking us back to Creation with reference to an oath or Covenant, (by ‘sevening’ Himself), I am going to take Dr. Alewine’s Creation Gospel one step further and place the Seven Covenants (which are really One Covenant) within the seven days of Creation – each on its day and try to show that Yah is actually covenanting with His people as He brings them out (whether from Egypt of the World). He is binding Himself to what He has promised in these Covenants. He says in Isaiah 45:23 “I have sworn (7650) by (covenanted with) Myself, a word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, so that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue swear (7650).” [shall go into covenant with Him] We know the Good News or Besorah or Gospel includes the re-gathering of all the lost sheep into one fold with One Shepherd. So this passage is also speaking of the Gospel – from Creation. It is speaking of the re-gathering/recreation/renewal of the whole house of Israel (Yah taking for Himself a nation – which is compared to Creation). The 7 ways Elohim is doing this or the 7 manifestations of His Covenant to us are: 1. Trials #4531 – maccah – mem, samech, hey - a testing of men or of God, temptations, trial 2. Signs #226 – alef, vav, tav – owth – appearing, a signal, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, mark miracle, sign, token from 225 to come, to assent [Exodus 8:23 “And I shall put a distinction between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.” (also Exodus 11:7, 9:4, 10:23, 12:13, 27) ] Exodus 3:12 “…And this is to you the sign that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you are to serve Elohim on this mountain.” Until we come out of Egypt (or the world), we cannot serve Elohim. The Covenant was given on this mountain. We worship, we serve being in covenant with Elohim. This is a sign. 3. Wonders #4159 – tav, pey, vav, mem – mowpheth – conspicuousness,[can’t miss this] a miracle, a token or omen, sign, wonder, to be bright, beautiful [Exodus 4:21 “And Yah said to Moses, ‘As you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand…” Exodus 11:9 “But Yah said to Moses, ‘Pharaoh is not going to listen to you, in order to multiply My wonders in the land of Egypt.” Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Yahusah of Natsareth, a Man from Elohim, having been pointed out to you by mighty works, and wonders, and signs which Elohim did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know….”] 4. War #4421 – milchamah – mem, lamed chet mem hey – a battle, the engagement, war, fighting [“Exodus 14:9 “And the Egyptians pursued them, and all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them….” Exodus 14:13 “And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still and see the deliverance of Yah, which He does for you today…..Yah does fight for you, and you keep still. Vs 15 “….let them (His people) go forward.”] Yah does fight for us but we must also move forward under His Hand. 5. Strong Hand #2389/3027 – chazaq, chet, zayin, qof – strong, hard, cold, violent, mighty, harder Yad – yud, dalet - a hand, the open one indicating power, means, direction [The plagues were sent with a ‘strong hand’ and ‘an outstretched arm’. With a strong hand Yah brought us out of Egypt, the house of bondage. Exodus 13:3, 9, 14, 16 [Exodus 3:20 “And I shall stretch out My hand and smite Egypt with all My wonders which I shall do in its midst. “ Exodus 7:5 - And the Egyptians shall know that I am Yah, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt. And I shall bring the children of Israel out from among them.” Exodus 13:3 “And Moses said to the people, ‘Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. For by strength of hand Yah brought you out of this place, and whatever is leavened shall not be eaten.”] 6. Outstretched Arm #5186/2220 – natah – hey, tet, nun – to stretch or spread out, deliver, wrest, cause to yield Zerowa – zayin, resh, vav, ayin – help, mighty, power, shoulder, strength, to sow, to disseminate, plant, conceive seed, yield [Exodus 6:6 – “Say, therefore, to the children of Israel, ‘I am Yah, and I shall bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and shall deliver you from their enslaving, and shall redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments, and shall take you as My people and I shall be your Elohim. And you shall know that I am Yah your Elohim who is bringing you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I shall bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give it to you as an inheritance. I am Yah.”] 7. Great Terrors #1419/4172 – gadowl – gimel, dalet, vav, lamed – great, older, exceedingly, loud, mighty, Morah – mem, vav, resh, hey – fear, a fearful thing or deed, dread, terror, to revere, be had in reverence [Exodus 7:4 “And Pharaoh is not going to listen to you, and I shall lay My hand on Egypt, and bring My divisions and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am Yah, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt. And I shall bring the children of Israel out from among them.” Exodus 9:14 “for at this time I am sending all My plagues unto your heart and on your servants and on your people, so that you know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.”] 1. TRIALS (temptations/tests) SPIRIT OF WISDOM 1st Day: Separation of Light and Darkness 1st Covenant: Adamic: covenant represented by the Tree of Life and/or the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil – Two Different Seeds/Two Different Words/Two Different Choices – light and darkness - Life or Death – distinct and separate. We remember this Covenant by it’s testing, sometimes referred to as the temptation. This was Elohim’s first relevation to man. The covenant was defined in a clear choice - no misunderstanding. We are separated by our choices. The Spirit of Wisdom moved on this day. It was wisdom to make a separation, a distinction. 2. SIGNS SPIRIT OF UNDERSTANDING (Understanding builds upon the wisdom of separation.) 2nd Day: Separation: Upper and Lower Waters [waters as peoples –Yah separates people (Exodus)– waters as the word – Yah’s Word or the serpent’s word – mixture is not good] 2nd Covenant: Noahic: It was through Elohim’s signs (both in the Exodus and in commanding the Ark to be built) – that Yah made a distinction or separation between His people and all others. We see also that obedience means survival. The Ark was the sign or token. Noah and his family were separated out from all others, as were the children of Israel from Egypt, with signs. When the upper and lower waters came back together as we’re told in Gen.7:11 “…on that day all the fountains of the great deep [lower waters] were broken up, and the windows of the heavens [upper waters] were opened.” Destruction is a reversal of Creation. Noah and his family were kept safe in the midst of destruction because of their obedience. The Covenant separates the disobedient from the righteous and then gathers them together each to their rightful place. To show that these are different manifestations of the One Covenant: When Yah told Noah in Genesis 6:18 that He would establish His covenant with him….. “establish” is Strong’s #6965 [quwm - qof, vav, mem] and means to be clearer, confirm, continue, to lift up or make to rise again. This shows Elohim’s covenant with Noah was not a new covenant but one already in place and was being reconfirmed, continued, made clearer, lifted up again. You cannot continue something unless it was there in the first place. Yah is making Himself clearer to man through His Covenant, which up until this point, was known as the Adamic Covenant. 3. WONDERS SPIRIT OF COUNSEL (Counsel same word as tree, which began to grow and produce seeds on the 3rd day.) 3rd Day: Wonder of Life began. The Spirit of Counsel moved on this day – same as ‘tree’. Seeds reproduced after their own kind. The hidden was revealed. (Dry land, from which life grew, appeared on the 3rd day, -- The Seed had been hidden under 3 layers of concealment: beneath the earth, which was beneath the waters, which had been under darkness. #3 = Messiah) 3rd Covenant: Abrahamic: Had to leave everything familiar and comfortable and what he considered safe, to follow Yah, to begin a new life. He had to trust beyond what he could see with his eyes - and by doing so, he would be given a Land/an Inheritance. Abraham’s seed or his descendants (3rd day – seed), were included in this promise, illustrated by Abraham’s miracle or wonder son, a miracle of life out of death – a picture of Messiah. Messiah, Who is our life, was hidden, (a secret) to be revealed as Elohim separated and gathered. If, again, the waters represent nations/peoples, then the secret of Messiah was hidden among the nations to be revealed in Yah’s time. The Messiah left everything familiar and comfortable to do His Father’s will and come to earth to give us life. Wonder of Wonders! 4. WAR SPIRIT OF ADONI (Ruling Light/Torah) [all the others stem from it] 4th Day: Ruling Lights that governed were created, along with the mo’edine that were a picture of our Messiah, Who will rule forever. 4th Covenant: Mosaic: Yah’s Words (Covenant) given at Mt. Sinai (by the hand of Moses) are our government or constitution, as Israel. It is to be our ruling authority in the Land. It is governments, it is Kings, it is ruling authorities that wage war. Yah is our King and our Ruling Authority. He goes before us to fight for us. We also have to move forward but only under His command. 5. STRONG HAND SPIRIT OF POWER (The open hand representing power, means and direction in disseminating the Word/Seed.) 5th Day: Birds/Fish: They disseminate/scatter seed throughout the earth. They are Yah’s messengers, so to speak, to disseminate His seed. 5th Covenant: Levitical: It is the job of the Priest to disseminate the Word/Seed throughout the Land through the power of Yah. Malachi 2:7 “For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and they seek the Torah from his mouth, for he is the messenger of Yah of hosts.” We are told we are a Kingdom of Priests. It is through Yah’s power (the Spirit of Power that moved on this day) that we are able to do this. 6. OUTSTRETCHED ARM SPIRIT OF KNOWLEDGE (a deep, selfless, sacrificial love and relationship) 6th Day: Man and Beast; Breath of Life; Flesh and Spirit, be fruitful and multiply [one definition of ‘arm’: to conceive seed] 6th Covenant: Davidic: Spirit of Knowledge (that moved on this day) is a sacrificial love and intimate relationship; David was called a man after Yah’s own heart; his love of Yah and His Word is forever recorded in Scriptures; his Descendant, called the Son of David would rule as King forever; This King, Son of David, covers and protects His people, Israel – gave Himself in her place – took her punishment, an example of deep, selfless, sacrificial love. 7. GREAT TERRORS SPIRIT OF REVERENCE (The beginning of Wisdom…..a deep respect and awe for Adoni) 7th Day: Sabbath, Yah Rested because everything was completed (#7 again and completion) and it was good (perfection) 7th Covenant: Messianic: Completion/Fulfillment/Rest/Perfection: 7th Millennium – Messiah Reigns Deuteronomy 4:10 “…Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.” Dr. Alewine states, We need to fear Adoni more than we fear the tests He has designed for us. We need to fear Adoni more than we fear people or circumstances. (Book 1, page 55). Isaiah 14:1, 3,7 “Because Yah……….. shall again choose Israel, and give them rest in their own land…. And it shall be, in the day Yah gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your trouble and the hard service in which you were made to serve,….”All the earth is at rest and at peace, they shall break forth into singing.” But it is not all rest. It is also called a great and terrible day. Great Terrors [Fearsome Deeds] and Reverence: Revelation 6:17 “…the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Isaiah 13:9 “See, the day of Yah is coming, fierce, with wrath and heat of displeasure, to lay the earth waste, and destroy its sinners from it.” Amos 5:18,20 “Woe to you who are longing for the day of Yah! What does the day of Yah mean to you? It is darkness, and not light,…. Is not the day of Yah darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?” Great Terrors Peter tells us (2Peter 3:10) that the Day of Yah will come with ‘a great noise’ [one definition of great: loud], heavens will pass away and the earth will melt…. But Yah has said in this passage that next to creation, the formation of Israel is the greatest thing our Elohim has ever done. If 7 represents completion and fulfillment, and if the 1st Exodus is a pattern for the 2nd, and Elohim ‘sevened’ Himself then, then we can expect Him to do the same at the second Exodus. He will take us out of all the nations and places we have been driven and He will do this by ‘sevening’ Himself,-- by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors. He will take us out to bring us in to the Land. (break us off to graft us in – redeem us) He is covenanting with us and we know His Word will stand forever. We need to go back to Creation to understand how it will all be accomplished in the end. If you think about it, no wonder the 2nd Exodus will be so great that the 1st will no longer come to mind. Multiply Yah bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt with trials, signs, wonders, war, a strong hand and outstretched arm and great terrors a hundredfold or maybe a thousandfold, as He brings this nation that has been split in two and scattered to the four corners of the earth, -- as He brings us out of all the places where He scattered us – from all over the world – by manifesting Himself in these 7 ways [trials, signs, wonders, war, a strong hand and outstretched arm and great terrors]. It will rival Creation in scope as Yah takes His nation from the midst of not one nation but every nation – in such a way as to show the whole earth without a doubt Who He is. “You have been shown it, to know that Yah Himself is Elohim; there is no one beside Him.” Covenants are made of Words. Elohim deals with us through His Covenants/His Word. To understand Yah, we must understand His Word/His Covenant. One last observation: The men who are named in these Covenants all carry a characteristic or trait essential to be Israel. Adam: like a child - Matthew 18:3 “…Truly, I say to you unless you turn and become as little children, you shall by no means enter into the reign of the heavens.” Noah: was obedient and found grace in the eyes of Adoni Genesis 6:22,“And Noah did according to all that Elohim commanded him, so he did. -with Genesis 6:8 “..Noah found grace in the eyes of Yah.” When we’re obedient, Yah gives us grace. But His grace does not do away with being obedient. Abraham: Had a faith so strong that nothing could shake it. He believed Yah would give him a son from his own body, make his descendents as the stars of the heavens, even though he was ‘as good as dead’. He believed Yah would keep His promise regarding the land and inheritance, even though in this life, he never saw it. His faith was such that it was reckoned to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6) Moses: Moses was the most humble of men. Numbers 12:3 “And the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.” In Isaiah 57:15 Yah declares He dwells with and revives the humble. Job states Yah shall save the humble. (Job 22:29) In Psalms, David states that Yah will not forget the humble (Psalms 9:12) and both James and Peter tell us that Yah will give ‘grace’ to the humble (James 4:6 & 1Peter 5:5) (as well as to the obedient). Ephraim has it right. Grace is essential but it is given to the humble and the obedient. Levitical: zealousness for Elohim – Phinehas turned back the wrath of Elohim because of his zealousness and was given Yah’s Covenant of Peace - for him and his descendents forever because of his zealousness for his Adoni thereby making atonement for the children of Israel. This Covenant of Peace is the eighth Covenant representing eternity. (maybe comparable to the Feast of the 8th Day?) Davidic: David is known in his writings for his love and praise of Elohim and his intimate relationship with Yah, described as a man after Yah’s own heart. We are told Yah is love. Out of Faith, hope, and love - the greatest is love.” We are told to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.” Yahusha said that if we loved Him, we would keep His commandments (Covenant). The fruit of the Spirit is love. (Ro. 13:10, “…Love is the completion of the Torah.” Love covers a multitude of transgressions of the Torah) Messianic: Yah tells us in a number of places, “Be ye holy for I am holy” (Num. 16:5) Moses told Qorah that Yah would make known who is His and who is holy, the one whom He chooses. In Numbers 15: 39-40 in the passage about wearing the tzitzi, it is about remembering all the commands (Covenant) of Yah and doing them and that makes us holy unto Elohim. Isaiah 42:6 makes it clear that Yahusha , Who is holy, is The Covenant. “I, Yah, have called You (Yahusha) in righteousness, and I take hold of Your hand and guard You, and give You for a covenant to a people, for a light to the gentiles,…” Yah speaks or breathes life into Israel, just as He did in the beginning. That life is His Words. “These are not worthless words for you because it is your life, and by this Word you prolong your days on the soil which you pass over the Jordan to possess.” (Deu. 32:47) What are the words that will prolong our days on the land? (Deu 4:40) “And you shall guard His laws and His commands which I command you today, so that it is well with you and with your children after you, and so that you prolong your days on the soil which Yah your Elohim is giving you for all time.” His Word is His Covenant. His Covenant is life. Yahusha is His Covenant . Yahusha is our life. Elohim gave Him for a covenant to a people. “Because in Him were created all that are in the heavens and that are on earth, visible and invisible, …all have been created through Him and for Him………….Because in Him all the completeness (seven - covenant) was well pleased to dwell.” Psalms 40:8b “…Your Torah (Covenant) is within my heart.”(in Him) “The secret which has been hidden from ages and from generations, [Day 3, the secret of Messiah hidden among the people] but now has been revealed to His set-apart or holy ones, to whom Elohim desired to make known ……….. this secret among the gentiles: which is Messiah in you, (Messiah is the Covenant so His Covenant in us ….is ) the hope of glory…. in order to present every man perfect (holy) in Messiah Yahusha.” (7th millennium day) (Colossians 1:16,19,26,27,28) *We are to be like an adoring child towards his loving Father , like Adam – in TRIALS Yah says he punishes every son whom He receives “My son, do not despise the discipline of Yah, and do not loathe His reproof; For whom Yah loves He reproves, As a father the son whom he delights in.” (Prov.3:11-12) *We are to be obedient in the face of opposition and all rational like Noah – SIGNS are given for obedience *We are to have a faith that never wavers in spite of what our logic may tell us like Abraham – faith can do wondrous things – faith can move mountains, -- nothing is impossible with Yah, if we will just believe *We are to be humble, like Moses - In WAR, we are to Stand still and see the deliverance of Yah. He will fight for us – we are not to trust in horses and chariots of Egypt – but move forward at Yah’s Word/Command. *We are to be zealous/passionate for our Elohim and His Word (Covenant), like priests with a STRONG HAND Yah gives us power and direction to do His will. * We are to be full of His love, like David - In His OUTSTRETCHED ARM He carries us – Isaiah 40:11 “He feeds His flock like a shepherd, He gathers the lambs with His arm, and carries them in His bosom, gently leading those who are with young.” We are to love our Elohim and to love our fellowman. *Thereby becoming holy, as He is holy, like Messiah – GREAT TERROR – “It is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living El.” Reverence and Terror are closely related. We are told to trust in Him at all times, ….Elohim is a refuge for us.” Ps. 60:8 Isaiah 12:2 “See, El is my deliverance, I trust and am not afraid. Yet, He says: Deuteronomy 4:10 “…Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.” (both His Words and to fear Him) Just as the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) has seven manifestations, so does the Covenant – yet they are One. These traits or characteristics define Israel as she is being transformed into the very image of Yahusha HaMasheiach – in completion, perfection. Yah brings us out of the world (Egypt) by His Covenant. (He has sevened Himself) He brings us into the Land by His Covenant. (He has sworn by Himself) He gives us life by His Covenant (Messiah). Israel is defined by His Covenant, which was set in place at Creation and reconfirmed at least seven times. To be Israel, to be Elohim’s people, is to be bound or ‘sevened’ or covenanted to Him, as Elohim ‘sevened’ or covenanted Himself to Israel. (1Peter 1:25, Isaiah 40:8) “The Word (or Covenant) of Elohim remains (stands) forever. This is the Word (Covenant), Peter said, announced as Good News (Besorah/Gospel) to you.” The Covenant is the Gospel or Good News announced to us from Creation. It is everlasting so will go into eternity. To go with it, we have to be a part of it. Israel is a new Creation in Covenant with Messiah (Who is the Gospel/Good News). An everlasting covenant to an everlasting people from an everlasting Elohim = Good News/Gospel Yah has ‘sevened’ Himself.
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