from the Torah and the third reading from
the book of Deuteronomy is named Ekev (עקב),
a word from the first verse of the portion.
Deuteronomy 7:12 says, “Then it shall come about, because (Ekev, עקב) you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that YHVH your Elohim will keep with you His covenant and His
lovingkindness which He swore to your forefathers.”
Usually the word Ekev means “heel.”
In fact, this word shares the same three-letter root as the name
Jacob (Yaakov, יעקב), whose name actually means “heel.”
He was born holding on to Esau’s heel.
However, in Deuteronomy 7:12, the word Ekev
means “on the heels of" or “because of.”
This portion of Deuteronomy speaks of the rewards that will come to Israel on the heels of keeping YHVH’s covenant and commandments.
I found 3 main things that are very,
very interesting about this Torah Portion.
What's that you may ask? Well, 1st of all, when Moses is talking to the children of Israel, He's tells them many things. But 1 thing He keeps saying
over and Over and OVER again is this:
Guard, Remember, Bless, Fear, Serve, Love, Obey,
and Lay up YHVH's and His Words(Commands).
He isn't like He says it once or twice.
He says these words 20 TIMES in the portion!!!!
Something tells me Moses is trying to get a point across here(:'D).
He is clearly telling Israel, "Do NOT forget YHVH's commands!".
For Moses to say it this many times just shows how stiff-necked(Deut. 9:6) they were and how often they forgot. He reminded them over and OVER again so that the remembrance got ingrained in their mind.
That is why they obeyed YHVH so well when they 1st got into the land.
They couldn't think about anything else other then to obey YHVH.
Once they did forget, it went downhill from there.
Here are the verses in which Moses states this:
Guard: Deut. 7:12, 8:1, 6, 10:13, 11:8, 11:22
Remember: Deut. 7:18, 8:2, 18
Bless: Deut. 8:10
Fear: Deut. 10:12, 20
Serve: Deut. 10:12, 20, 11:13
Love: Deut. 11:1, 13, 22
Obey: Deut. 11:13
Lay up: Deut. 11:18
The 2nd thing that is very interesting here is how much YHVH loves His people. He wants to bless us beyond our imagination IF we love and obey Him. Just look at all the times in this portion He gives us blessings IF we do what He says.
Deutoronomy:
1. 7:12-16,
2.19-24,
3. 8:1,
4. 8:7-10,
5. 11:8-12,
6. 14-15,
7. 21,
8. 23-25
Isn't it amazing? He isn't and never was a mean,
un-loving El in the Tanach(Old Testament) like the church puts Him as.
He always loves us, and He will bless us without fail IF we obey.
Of course though, He is also a Elohim that keeps His people safe.
And this was the 3rd very interesting thing. He doesn't give blessings to those who are against Him, against His Torah, and/or against His people.
He must punish them or else they will infiltrate the camp and defile it,
like in the case of the daughters of Moab(Numbers 25:1-9).
He must get rid of the evil as quickly as possible,
for light cannot shine with darkness.
If Phinehas did not kill that evil, the rest
of Israel would have been hurt by the plague.
We must keep ourselves set-apart as best as we can so that
we can be with YHVH and not be gotten rid of. It's as simple as that.
YHVH loves us, but He judges us for our actions and punishes us for our disobedience quickly so that others do not get hurt.
He shows His love and mercy, always.
This week's interesting verse:
Deuteronomy 8:3
And He humbled you, and let you suffer hunger, and fed you
with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know,
to make you know that man does not live by bread alone,
but by every Word that comes from the mouth of YHVH.
Hmm... this verse is very familiar, I wonder where else this verse is?
Oh wait, I know!
Matthew 4:4
But He answering, said, “It has been written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of YHVH."
It's the SAME thing!! This isn't a New Testament concept,
this is clearly Torah. In both cases He was making a point.
Neither would survive in this time of hunger without YHVH.
Israel would have NEVER made it without YHVH and Yahshua
made it though the time of fasting because He is YHVH!!
It just shows again that we need to read ourselves and not just
listen to our pastors and elders and think that is the final word.
In closing, YHVH is a loving El, but He must protect His set-apart people from the ones that are against Him, His Torah, and/or His people.
That is why He must punish the disobedient ones.
Not because He is evil but because He loves the ones who DO
obey and will give His life for us, like He did 2,000 years ago.
He tells us over and Over and OVER again not to mix and mingle.
Let us not disobey Him, but rather show that we love Him by OBEYING Him and keeping His commands(John 14:15).
If we do we are promised blessings.
Remember:
Faith= Eternal Life
BUT
Obedience= Peace, Safety, Comfort, Abundance,
and SO MUCH MORE!!
Shalom!
Christian Montanez Dodd
Servant and Emissary of Yahshua, Child of YHVH
HalleluYAH!!