This morning while I was teaching my children God’s commandments, statutes, and judgments (aka the 613 commandments or the Torah), I was led off on a bunny trail to Deuteronomy 26. Now before I go further, someone reading this needs to be told not to get their panties in a twist. Despite what many western churches declare from the pulpit and liberal Bible colleges from their classrooms, God’s law is still very much relevant today. We are STILL to obey God’s commandments today.
What many get tripped up over is that they have SEEN orthodox Jews wearing their paraphernalia or HEARD all the hoops they have to jump through and think that’s God’s commandments when it isn’t. Now, anyone who desires to practice various cultural attire out of honor, go for it. Canadian Mounties in their uniforms and horses are a handsome symbol of honor. Just don’t go confusing culture with obedience to God’s commandments. The majority of observant Jews are following the Talmud, which includes fence laws upon fence laws adding man’s boundaries on top of God’s. God warns in His word that those who add to God’s word will have the plagues written about in God’s word added to them (Rev 22:18). Now the liberals don’t get off Scott free, either. God also warns those who REMOVE anything from God’s word will be removed from the book of life as well as the blessings contained within God’s word (Rev 22:19)! Wearing a kippa/yarmulke (the little skullcap Jewish men wear) is a tradition of men that I have found nowhere in the Torah. Anyone can flip a kippa on top of their head, as any man who has visited the Western Wall can attest to. But not everyone can obey God’s commandments FROM their heart. It requires the Holy Spirit writing God’s laws upon their heart (Jer 31:33; Ez 36:26-27) which ironically is the new covenant that many western churches claim to be a part of while in the same breath declaring God’s commandments are irrelevant for today “because we have Jesus!”
Same for a phylactery (the box they tie on their forehead). In fact, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for trying to outdo each other with a bigger phylactery than the next guy, as if the size of visible box was a true representation of what was in their heart – they wanted to be seen by men. (Matt 23:5) Contrary to the bantering in a locker room, the size of your parts does not determine your ability to wield it. We are to wield God’s word like a double-edged sword (with skill and precision without killing ourselves or our fellow soldier) and with authority, not keep it locked up on a box hidden from sight. What it DOES say is in Deut 11:18 – Therefore shall ye lay up these my words IN your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.” If we are to lay up the words of the LORD IN our heart, which is spiritual, the frontlets must also be spiritual. We are to look at the world through the frame and perception of Jesus, The Word that became flesh. In other words, we are to have Jesus-glasses instead of rose-colored glasses.
A third example that is often taken out of context is the Tzitzit – the fridges some display in religious pride (Job’s sin that gave the devil a landing pad to devour) for all to see on their clothing as per Numbers 15:38-40. If our covering is truly a piece of clothing, then yes, the literal fringe would make sense. However, our covering is the Most High God and His covenant with us – a spiritual covenant with a spiritual people whose spirits have been born again. Jesus is our covering, through his shed blood. God’s covenant with us is our covering, our “kanaph”, our wing. The laws are the feathers attached to the wing mentioned in Ps 91. We are to adorn that covering with obedience to God’s commandments if we desire to rise up in our lives instead of coming under the curses contained within that covenant. A featherless wing won’t get flight, and a bag full of feathers is good for nothing beyond a pillow fight. Notice we aren’t covered by our works but by faith in what Jesus Christ has purchased. Yet faith without works is dead. Salvation by works is no salvation at all, it’s payment. Being dressed up in fringes is breezy and provides no protection from the elements, as we are watching unfold in devout areas of Israel as drought and wildfires, God’s modus operandi for judgments, devours entire communities that claim to be His.
I just got another ah-ha about Matt 16:19 – “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt BIND on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” I’ve heard people throwing around the keys of heaven, which are binding and loosing, with the understanding that it’s referring to binding demons and casting them out. Sometimes it DOES work, but only for a short period of time. However, if we understand Matt 16:19 in the light of Deut 11:18, binding God’s commandments to our hearts and losing any ungodly thinking/actions from our lives may give us more success over the kingdom of darkness than what we’ve been manifesting thus far. Matt 5:19 seems to confirm this fresh understanding – “So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Also, Deut 7:9-11 – “9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; 10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face. 11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.”
The joys of bunny trails! John 3:8 (Berean)- The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” Now to get back to the tidbits that leapt out from Deuteronomy 26.
1) Deut 26:2 – we are to bring the first fruit tithes to the “place with the LORD thy God shall choose to place His name there.” It doesn’t say bring it to the temple, or to tabernacle or sanctuary or even church building, although it could be! Ever think that the PLACE God has chosen to place His name could actually be a person who has God’s mark written upon His forehead? Failure to bring the first fruits and remember the bondage we were freed from as per the required prayer to go with the first fruits (vs 3-10) will result in a failure to honor the precious freedom that we now have which will lead back into bondage. A material gift can protect us from spiritual bondage!
2) Failure to give tithes with the right heart attitude AND without obedience to His commandments, statutes, and judgments is essentially a waste of a financial offering. Keeping hallowed tithes within your house will result in a cursed house. (Vs. 12-19)
3) I’ve heard it preached from the New Testament passages (Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9) that we are a “peculiar people” but how often do preachers point out, as per Deut 26:18 that the WAY to become His peculiar people is to keep ALL His commandments listed in the Old Testament and not merely the New Testament scriptures, which by the way the New Testament church didn’t actually have yet? This is why believers are very much the tail and a mockery throughout the nations and not high above all nations. We wonder why we struggle with our jobs, with being outcasts in society, with being ridiculed in the media, with hitting a brass ceiling in the prayer closet. This is why – as a whole, those who declare they are followers of Christ simply aren’t followers of Christ, because He was without sin and we very much like our sin, our flesh. The majority of churches no longer teach on the totality of what sin and lawlessness is because it’s offensive. Leaders no longer rebuke with all authority. (Titus 2:14 -15 – He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. 15Speak these things as you encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.…) It’s considered not “tolerant” or “loving” nor does it tickle the ears to get people to come back the next service and put money in the offering plate to pay their salaries and hefty mortgages. The banner over us IS love (Song of Solomon 2:4), When the enemy comes in like a flood, the LORD will raise a standard against him, for those who fear His name. (Isaiah 59:19) Another way to put that verse is “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the LORD will NOT raise a standard against those who DO NOT fear His name.”
The banner or standard (“Degel”) is the military flag that declared which division, which nation under which the soldiers fought with. The thing that identifies us as God’s chosen people when they look at us is His commandments working out in our lives. For example, when I was in the military, I wouldn’t be over with the infantry unit. I would be with my medical unit, standing with the officer’s shoulder to shoulder and at attention forward when the brigadier general would present himself. It was the Canadian flag on our uniforms under which we fought but we all had our separate divisions. All working together with unity even though it wasn’t all the same duty.
So, the question that came to mind – are we truly fighting under the flag of the LORD by obeying His commandments, or did we simply buy our fatigues from the surplus store? Are we pretending to be Bonafide soldiers without the bootcamp training, dog tags, an ID card, and commissioning documents to prove our validity? God has a verse for that. Matt 7:15 – 15 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Now cross-reference that with Deuteronomy 13 to know HOW to identify a false prophet. Deut 13:1-4 – “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.”
God’s love for us in unquestionable. Can people question YOUR love for God? John 14:15 – “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” John 13:35 – ” By this all men shall know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
No responses yet