דְּבָרִים   Devarim ~ The Words
Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22
HafTorah Portion ~ Isaiah 1:1-27
Brit Chadasha~ 1 Timothy 3:1-7
      This Sabbath we begin Devarim/Words, the book of Deuteronomy, which reads like a farewell speech to the children of Israel from Moshe. Devarim 1:1 starts out with “These are the words which Moses spoke ….” Hebrew for Deuteronomy is Devarim, meaning “words,” which is the plural form of devar, meaning “word, speech, a matter or thing, a commandment, a report, a message, or promise.” 
    The Greek word used for devar/word is logos, which is used in John 1:1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim.” 
     These words devar/logos prove that Yeshua is the Word of both the Torah and the Brit Chadasha. He is the message of the entire Bible.
     Farewells follow a pattern. As a father gathers his children, so do the spiritual leaders in the Scriptures, announcing that they are about to die and encouraging the people to be strong and courageous. They often predict future events, trials and tribulations, but in the end, there will be joy.   
     Moshe says in Deuteronomy 31:6 ‘Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”  As Joshua in Joshua 1:6-9 ‘Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth…’
     King David to his son Solomon in 1 Kings 2:1-3 ‘Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: 2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 3 And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn..’
     Yeshua says in John 14:27 ‘Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’  John 16:33. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
       In chapter 2, Moses recaps instructions regarding the descendants of Esau, the tribe of Moab, and the people of Ammon.  With each case, the instructions are to: ‘not harass, contend or meddle with.’ Harass / to plot, to pester, annoy.  Meddle / to interfere, tamper with, intrude.  Contend is also used/ Strongs #1624 garah – to grate, to meddle, to stir up, to cause strife, to get involved with. 
     For each of the three instructions, God gave His ‘why’ – Concerning Esau ‘…for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as one footstep, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession.’ Concerning Moab ‘…for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.’ And concerning Ammon ‘for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the descendants of Lot as a possession.’   God’s words are rightly spoken.
     This Torah portion ends with the remembrance of words that encouraged; ‘And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings; so will the Lord do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. 22 You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you.’ Deuteronomy 3:21-22. 
     Balak and Balaam tried to use words for destruction and curses, but God put in words of blessings. Korach used words to puff himself up and turn renowned Israelites against Moshe. Miriam spouted words to slander. Cain’s words were of anger and rage, then murder. Absolom used his words to anoint himself.  Jezebel used words to distort and steal. Ananias and Saphira’s words were lies. The brothers of Joseph used their words to fabricate and deceive.  The 10 spies used their words to intimate and frighten. Deliah used her words to seduce, take and conquer. HaSatan uses words to confuse, flatter, delude, and discredit. 
      David wrote words of praise and love for God in the Psalms.  Solomon used his words to ask for wisdom. Hannah uttered words for a child.  Caleb and Joshua used words to edify and encourage. Rabbi Shau’l at first used his words for death, then used his words for life. The Apostles used their words for edification, truth and love. Yocanan used his words for the future as did Ezekiel. Jeremiah used his words for warnings. Hosea and Obidiah used their words for prophecy. Haggai and Malachi used words to express an allegiance to Torah. Elijah and Elisha used words for miracles, and Yocanan the Immerser (John the Baptist) used his words to prepare the ‘way’.  And God created the universe with His Words. 
    Yeshua is The Word, not a word, or some words, but The Word. He is The Word of God, and no man can come to Abba Father but through Him – The Word. 
    Our words will launch us forward or bring us down into a stagnant nonproductive season.     In Numbers 14:34 God specifically states that they will wander for "a year for each of the forty days" that the spies explored the land of Canaan as a consequence of their lack of faith. This was due to the words that the 10 spies spoke to discourage God’s people; Numbers 32:6-12. The Israelites were stagnant for 40 years. Words have consequences; for the spoken and the heard.  May our words be seasoned with salt. Colossians 4:6 ‘‘Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.’ 

‘The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.’ Psalm 46:6

 

   דְּבָרִים
Devarim ~ The Words
Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22
HafTorah Portion ~ Isaiah 1:1-27
Brit Chadasha~ Acts 9:1-21 

     This Shabbat we begin D’varim / Words.  D’varim comes from the Hebrew in the opening verse: “Eleh ha d’varim…” “these are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness…” Deuteronomy 1:1.
    D’varim reveals much about the attributes of God and is quoted over 40 times in the Brit Chadasha.  Deuteronomy states that YHVH is the Only One God and that He is jealous, faithful, loving, merciful, and true and does not tolerate sin, which is transgressing His instructions.
      The sages originally called D’varim Mishneh Torah, a “second law”. Hence the Latin name Deuteronomy.   It is the final book of Torah and is about a covenant, a brit between God and the people, the nation of Israel.  Every Israelite, as we read in Exodus and will read throughout Deuteronomy, is party to the covenant, and co-responsible with the people as a whole for the keeping of this covenant. This is the idea of Kol Yisrael arevin zeh lazeh, “all Israelis are responsible for one another”. We are to know Torah and teach it to our children.
        Moses repeats the history of the Israelites, reinstating the covenant because there is a major change of circumstance about to happen. They are about to change from a group of nomads – wonderers in the wilderness of Sinai to dwellers and workers in the land. (Now with oppositions of weeds as we are told in Genesis 3:17-19).
     They had the tabernacle of God with them in the center of the camp. God dwelled with them through the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. They will now spread to a much larger territory and the Tabernacle will be stationary.  
     The words that God speaks are His Divine words of covenant. These are the words of life. Words we speak and words we hear have great influence in and over our lives.  If we change His words (misperceptions), we change the imparting of blessings, rendering them void. 
     Hebrews 4:12 ‘For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
     Matthew 4:4 ‘But he answered, ‘It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ For in His Word is life, choose life.
Proverbs 30:5-6  ‘Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.’
   What about our choice of words?
    Proverbs 18:21 ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.’
   Ephesians 4:29 ‘Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.’
  Matthew 12:36 ‘But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.’
  Proverbs 15:4  ‘The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.’
  Ephesians 5:4 ‘Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.’
          Words are seeds planted.  Some will devour the seeds and they will germinate inside them.  We need to be careful with advice we give, is the seed we offer constructive or destructive. Is it in accordance with God’s teaching - the Torah? What could be the ripple effect down the road?  How much pain will I cause by giving the wrong counsel?
     Spreading seeds of God’s truth should be our goal without personal agenda. Some will digest the seeds of truth and bear fruit and they will look inside themselves. Some will judge the seeds and look outside themselves. It is important to quit looking at the speaker, the sender of the seed and look at the seed. Is it His truth?  
     Do we take the seed and let it germinate into good fruit in humility or do we analyze the seed?  Do we take the seeds, set it among other seeds, organize and compare them, study them, and categorize them. Compare, study, criticize, yet never look inwards, having pride in ourselves that we are always learning about the seeds but meanwhile never learning from the seeds. 2 Timothy 3:7.