| News & Events | Regularly Scheduled Services |
|
When Brothers Dwell Together by Fran Regan
08/21/2010
Deuteronomy 25:5-10
“When brothers (251) dwell together, (3162) and one of them has died, and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not become a stranger’s (2114) outside (2351). Her husband’s brother does go in to her, and shall take her as his wife, and perform the duty (2292) of a husband’s brother to her. And it shall be that the first-born son which she bears does rise up for the name of his dead brother, so that his name is not blotted out of Israel, But if the man (the brother) does not desire to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate to the elders, and say, ‘my husband’s brother refuses to raise up a name to his brother in Israel, he does not agree to perform the duty (2992) of my husband’s brother. The elders of his city shall then call him and speak to him, and he shall stand and say, ‘I have no desire to take her,’ Then his brother’s wife shall come to him (to the brother) in the presence of the elders, and remove his sandal from his foot, and shall spit in his face, and answer and say, ‘Thus it is done to the man (brother) who does not build up (1129) his brother’s house.’ And in Israel his name shall be called, ‘The house of him (the brother) who had his sandal (5275) removed (2502).’” Brothers: 251 – ach – chet, alef – brother literally or affinity or resemblance, like another, kindred Together - 3162 – yachad – dalet, chet, yud,– a unit, unitedly, alike, at once, both altogether – from 3161 – to be or become one, join, unite Stranger’s – 2114 – zuwr – resh, vav, tzade – to turn aside, foreign, strange, profane, to commit adultery Outside – 2351 – chuwts – tzade, vav, chet – to sever, separate by a wall, outside Perform the duty – 2992 – yabam – mem, beit, yud – root of doubtful meaning used only with brother-in-law or husband’s brother, to marry a deceased brother’s widow Build up – 1129 – banan – chet, nun, beit – to build, obtain children Sandal – 5275 – na’al – lamed, ayin, nun – a sandal as a symbol of occupancy, refusal to marry from 5274 – to fasten, inclose, shut up Removed – 2502 – tzade, lamed, chet – to pull off, to strip, to depart, take away, withdraw self “When brothers dwell together…” Judah and Ephraim are brothers, representing all Israel – in the beginning they dwelt together – but then something goes terribly wrong…. “…and one of them has died….” (death/sickness is a symbol of the exile) Ephraim turns from Yah and follows the nations and so is in exile among the nations, having died to Yah’s Ways “…and has no son…” Ephraim loses his identity in the nations and so his inheritance in Israel – He becomes like one of them “…the widow of the dead man…” The widow knows she’s in exile; recognizes both brothers and recognizes that her husband, the one she is identified with/was married to, is in exile (as she obviously recognizes that he is dead). She also recognizes that she is in a very vulnerable situation as she is no longer totally a part of either (Judaism or Christianity?). Could the wife be the believing remnant of Israel? “…shall not become a stranger’s outside.” Should not lose her place in the family - to force her to a stranger would be to force her to commit adultery and sever her from her family forever The word ‘yabam’, for ‘performing the duty of a husband’s brother’, is only used when referring to raising up a name for the deceased (exiled) brother. Based on this and the fact that Yah gives direct commands about incest and a brother not going in to his brother’s wife (Lev 18:16; 20:21) – obviously this is speaking of something other than normal relationships. For Israel to be split and in exile is not a normal condition. In order for Ephraim not to have his name blotted out forever, (as he is ‘dead’, i.e., in exile with no son) his brother (Judah) must unite with him, to raise up a name for him again in Israel. We see an example of this in Ruth 4:4-10. The kinsman redeemer voluntarily gives his shoe to Boaz. He had his duty explained, recognized it, had opportunity, but did not want “to ruin his own inheritance” and so refused. “Own inheritance” could represent religious systems/traditions – not wanting to believe in or have a part in the Good News of the restoration of all Israel because that would impact his ‘world’ negatively. Does this sound familiar? But Boaz also was of the House of Judah. Ruth was a foreigner who attached herself to Naomi, who was married to an Ephrathite (Ruth 1:2). It was when the two came together and became one that the grandfather of David, from whose lineage the Messiah came in the flesh, was born. It was the reuniting of the two houses that brought the Messiah – who truly sprang from both Judah and Ephraim and the nations. A thought: Will it take the reuniting of both houses to bring Him the second time? In Mark 12:20-27 it states: “There were seven brothers (who were also seven sons) and the first took a wife…” This passage goes on through all seven brothers taking the same wife and none of them having a child. Seven represents completion so seven brothers represents the whole house of Israel – Judah and Ephraim – Judaism and Christianity, as the main components. Religious systems and traditions, whether of Judaism or Christianity, are represented by the seven brothers, as they are of man – not El. Notice, they ALL remained childless. This is because the Child is the Messiah. He is not a part of Judaism or Christianity – so they are both childless. Judaism and Christianity reject one of the two aspects of the Gospel/Good News, which is a fatal flaw. It needs two to make a child. It takes both Torah and the witness of Yeshua to have the Messiah. Isaiah 8:20 “To the Torah and to the witness! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because they have no light in them.” Christianity rejects the Light of the Torah; Judaism rejects the witness of Yeshua, the Light of the world, so there is no light in them. Neither have the Messiah in completeness. Psalms 119:130 “The opening up of Your Words give light.” (Torah) John 8:12 “I am the Light of the world.” (Witness of Yeshua) “And it shall be that the first-born son which she (remnant of true Israel) bears (Reminds of the woman in Revelation 12 which was giving birth to a Son. She was clad with the sun – what is Christianity/Ephraim so ‘wrapped up’ in but sun worship and … the moon under her feet – Judah trying to observe/follow the new moon/festivals – but in their own way and with their own changes ((under her feet showing their belief of Yah’s laws being in subjection to their rules)). But what did she wear on her head? A crown of 12 stars – Abraham’s seed (all Israel) is compared to the stars of the heavens) does rise up for the name of his dead brother, so that his name is not blotted out of Israel,…” This firstborn Son is Yeshua. Judah (as a whole) may be willing for Ephraim’s name to be blotted out, as evidenced by the unnamed redeemer in Ruth, but Yeshua is not willing that ‘any should perish’ as He came for ‘the lost sheep of the House of Israel’. In this way, Boaz, who was also of the House of Judah, was representative of the Redeemer/ Messiah. Matthew 1:23/Isaiah 7:14 “A maiden shall conceive (obviously a firstborn) and she shall give birth to a Son and you shall call His Name Immanuel, which means “El with us.” Remember the firstborn has a double portion: Judah and Ephraim? (Isaiah 54:5-6) This again, seems to emphasizes that the Redeemer came from both Judah and Ephraim as well as for both Judah and Ephraim. Yeshua has come as the ‘firstborn’ Son and our Kinsman-Redeemer, to restore life and inheritance to His people Israel, to build up and restore both houses of Israel (His double portion), to raise up a name for Israel in exile so that we are not blotted out forever. Messiah’s shoe could not be removed. In fact, His strap could not even be loosened. John the Immerser proclaimed the true Messiah with both parts of His mission: Regather/build up – to regather/restore the whole House of Israel by saying that there was One coming whose shoe strap he was not worthy to loosen and, (Mark 1:7) Deliverance – by identifying Yeshua as ‘the Lamb of Elohim that takes away the sins of the world’ (John 1:29) However, without knowing Torah, the first part of His mission as proclaimed by John the Immerser, falls on deaf ears. ‘Not worthy to loosen the straps of His sandals’ really didn’t mean a whole lot other than showing deference to the Messiah. Now we know John was speaking of the restoration of the House of Israel. Mark 1:14 “And after Yohanan was delivered up, Yeshua came to Galil, proclaiming the Good News (Gospel) of the reign of Elohim (the restoration of all 12 Tribes of the House of Israel).” 15 – “and saying, “The time has been filled, and the reign of Elohim (the restoration of Israel) has come near. Repent, and believe in the Good News/believe in the Gospel which is to believe in the restoration of all Israel.” If the Gospel or Good News Yeshua was proclaiming was the restoration of the whole House of Israel (ALL 12 Tribes), we (generally speaking as a whole – Judah or Ephraim) have not believed this Good News. We (Ephraim) have believed in the deliverance of Yeshua but not His mission, whereas, Judah has believed His mission but not been able to see in Yeshua a fulfillment of it. We are to repent of our wanderings and going astray and come home (as the Prodical Son). The first thing Yeshua does, after His wilderness experience, is gather ‘fishers of men’ to go after His sheep, emphasizing His mission to regather and restore. (Mark 1:17) Isaiah 8:14 tells us” “And He (Yeshua) shall be……a stone of stumbling and a rock that makes for falling to both the houses of Israel….” We can clearly see that today. Consider this verse in Isaiah 26:19 “Let Your dead live, (Israel in exile waking up) together with my dead body (Yeshua’s death paving the way to bring back the exiles, to live with Him), let them arise (wake up, realize who they are and come home). Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; (we who live in the wilderness (dust) of the nations) for your dew (covering) is a dew (covering) of light (To the Torah (Light) and to the Witness! (Light)) and let the earth give birth to the departed spirits.” (All Israel will be restored!) Our covering is the Torah – written and living! “….our covering (dew) is a covering (dew) of light….” “O Yah, the expectation of Israel, all who forsake You are put to shame. “Those who depart from Me (“… the departed spirits.”) shall be written in the earth, (“…you who dwell in the dust…”) because they have forsaken Yah, the fountain of living waters.” (and therefore gone into exile) Jeremiah 17:13 ‘shall be written in the dust’ is also a term for exile, as is ‘put to shame’, because by forsaking Yah, their destiny is ‘written’ among the nations/in the dust. But Yah is the hope of ALL Israel and one day the earth/nations will give birth to the ‘departed or exiled spirits’ and they will come home. To further add to this meaning of the exiles coming home, Jeremiah 3: 14-15, was referenced in Isaiah 26:19 and says: “Return, O backsliding children,” declares Yah, “for I shall rule over you and shall take you, one from a city and two from a clan, and shall bring you to Zion. And I shall give you shepherds according to My heart and they shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” And in vs 18 “In those days the house of Judah shall go to (or walk with) the house of Israel and they shall come together (brothers united – ‘Can two walk together except they be agreed? Amos 3:3’) out of the land of the north to the land that I have given as an inheritance to your fathers.” And what is this land Yah is bringing us to? Isaiah 7:15 says: He (Yeshua) eats curds (or milk) and honey when He knows to refuse evil and choose the good. Curds (or milk) and honey represents Torah! ‘to eat’ is a Hebraism for ‘to receive knowledge’ – Ezekiel 2:7-3:3; Psalms 119:103, Revelations 10:8-11 Yah gives us a land flowing with milk and honey or flowing with Torah! Yeshau is our example. It is by the Torah He received His knowledge and lived. Just as with Yeshua, Torah teaches us how to recognize and thus refuse evil and choose the good or ….. how to live! Choose life! Choose what is good! Choose Torah! And brothers will again dwell together – Yah’s Kingdom restored!
|
Please contact me if you would like me to come and share with your congregation the many insights the Torah has to teach us about your roots in the Olive tree. |