Lesson date: 3/17/5854AA

Why study Deuteronomy? Why study Torah? Deuteronomy is the most quoted book in the B’rit Hadasha (NT). If it was good enough for Yeshua, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Sha’ul and the rest it is good enough for me. Since we read Deuteronomy for the sabbatical year it has been my favorite book of Torah because it encapsulates the other 4 books. People often forget that when the writers of the B’rit Hadasha were writing their letters Torah was the authority: Timotiyos Bět/2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed by Elohim and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for setting straight, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of Elohim might be fitted, equipped for every good work.”

Nowhere in the B’ritHadasha does anyone claim “divine right”, with the single exception of Revelation, to write what they did. It was not until the Niceaen Council did the writings of the B’rit Hadasha take on the status of “scripture”.

So, let’s look at these Debarim: mirbd This is the ancient pictographic Hebrew symbols that Mosheh would have employed to write Debarim.

The Tent door = d
The Tent = b
The Head = r
The Right Hand = I
Water/Chaos/Nations = m

“At the Door of the Tent, our Head (Yeshua) pulled us out of the Nations/Chaos”.  If this is not “grace” I do not know what is.

Why did Mosheh write Deuteronomy? Because the qahal (congregation) in front of him were under 20 years of age when the spies brought back the evil report. And, with the exceptions of Joshua and Caleb all the others had died out as punishment for not having enough faith in יְהֹוָה to go into and possess the land. So, before they go into the land Mosheh recounts their history up to this point. Also, remember that the males had not yet been circumcised in accordance with the covenant (b’rit).

Before we actually get into Debarim, compare the breakdown of Debarim to Torah: erft

The sign of the Covenant = t

The Tent stake = f

The Head = r

Behold = e

Remember you can use the “behold’ at the beginning or the end of the phrase: “the sign of the covenant is secured by our Head (Yeshua), Behold! (Eph. 4:15)

Verse 1 uses several phrases that we are now familiar with;  1 – The Hebrew word for ‘in the wilderness’ is בְּמִדְּבַר – ‘Bemiḏbar’, from the root word – מִדְּבָר miḏbar – Strong’s H4057 meaning, ‘wilderness, desert’ and can also mean ‘mouth’. This word comes from the primitive root – דָבַר

daḇar – Strong’s H1696 meaning, ‘to speak, command, counsel, declare, proclaimed, converse, warn, threaten, promise’; and a derivative of this word is also translated as ‘speech, word, commandment/s, message’.

The meaning of Bemiḏbar, as mentioned, means ‘in the wilderness’ and the literal meaning of this actually carries the concept of ‘The place of words’ or ‘The place of speaking’. What we learn straight away from the setting of this Book is simply this: ‘IT IS TIME TO LISTEN!’ It is here, in the wilderness, where Yisra’ĕl learned to hear the ‘voice’ of יהוה and be in the necessary place to listen to what was spoken through Mosheh.

2 – The Hebrew word for ‘in the desert plain’ is בָעֲרָבָה – ‘ba’araḇah’, from the word עֲרָבָה araḇah – Strong’s H6160 meaning, ‘desert, desert plain, wilderness’, and comes from the word עָָּרַב araḇ – Strong’s H6150 meaning, ‘to become evening, grow dark’.

As the days get ‘darker’ so to speak, יהוה sets and places us the Wilderness – the place of hearing for it is time to listen!

3 – The Hebrew word סוּף Suph – Strong’s H5489 which means, ‘reed, sea weed’ and in its primitive root form it means, ‘to come to an end, cease’. Don’t forget that the KJV incorrectly translates this as “Red Sea”.

What we can figuratively learn from this is that as the days are getting darker and we are coming to the ‘end times’ we have to make a very clear choice of whether we want to enter into the Promised Land or not and whether we will be obedient to guard His commands and shine the Light of His Truth in the dark place we are sojourning in!

Kěpha Aleph/2 Peter 1:19 “And we have the prophetic word made more certain, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts”

Let us look at the ‘choices’ we are to make, so to speak:

“Between” – PARAN and TOPHEL and LAḆAN and ḤATSĔROTH, and DI ZAHAḆ,

To begin with, we will look at the first 3 mentioned here:

1 – PARAN – פָארָן – Strong’s H6290 meaning, ‘place of caverns’ and comes from the primitive root word פָאַר pa’ar – Strong’s H6286 which has the meaning, ‘to beautify, adorn, become boastful’

2 – TOPHEL – תֹּּפֶל – Strong’s H8603 meaning, ‘white’ which comes from the same as תָּפֵל taphel – Strong’s H8602 meaning, ‘whitewash, tasteless, unseasoned, foolish’.

3 – LAḆAN – לָבָן – Strong’s H3837 meaning, ‘white’ from לָבֵן laḇen – Strong’s H3835 which means, ‘to be white, become white, purify’ and the word as a verb is לָבַן laḇan which carries the meaning, ‘to make bricks’

When we look at these three places and understand that we are called to be a bride that has made herself ready and adorned with the Truth, we must choose to hear these words of the Torah and follow them and be adorned in the righteousness of Messiah, as we diligently guard to do all that is commanded, for those who disregard these very clear words of Mosheh may be found to simply be ‘whitewashed fools’ who try to claim the appearance of righteousness yet disregard the Torah and walk in lawlessness as they refuse to submit under the guidance of the light yoke of the Torah of Messiah, while they hold fast to the heavy ‘plastered’ yoke of man’s traditions and dogmas!

We see this word תָּפֵל taphel being used to describe ‘folly’, as seen in: Ěḵah/Lamentations 2:14 “Your prophets have seen Falsehood and folly for you, and have not shown you your crookedness, to turn back your captivity. But their visions for you are false and misleading messages.”

As the days are getting darker many will sadly listen to the folly of false prophets and fake and deceptive teachers who only tickle the ears of their hearers and ‘whitewash’ them with a twisted lie that gives them a sense of being clothed in righteousness while there is no Torah upon their hearts – they are dead inside!

Look at the warning of יהושע in:

Mattithyahu/Matthew 23:27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly indeed look well, but inside are filled with dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”

We have a choice – to be adorned as a beautiful bride or be whitewashed! We who are adorned with the clear instructions of righteousness through the Torah and overcome are the True living stones that are being built up, whereas the whitewashed walls will be broken down:

Ḥazon/Revelation 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I shall give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I shall give him a white stone, and on the stone a renewed Name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”

A cavern, cave or tunnel is a grave in the Hebrew mindset, so a whitewashed tomb is a stone that has been painted white and covers the mouth of the cave:  Mat 28:2  And see, there was a great earthquake, for a messenger of יהוה came down out of heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

Mat 28:3  And his appearance was like lightning, and his garments as white as snow.

Mar 16:3  And they said among themselves, “Who shall roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb for us?”

Mar 16:4  And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, for it was extremely large.

Mar 16:5  And having entered into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right, wearing a white robe, and they were greatly astonished.

Luk 24:1  And on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared,

Luk 24:2  and they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.

Luk 24:3  And having entered, they did not find the body of the Master יהושע.

Luk 24:4  And it came to be, as they were perplexed about this, that see, two men stood by them in glittering garments.

Luk 24:5  And becoming frightened and bowing their faces to the earth, these said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?

As I have said so many times you are probably tired of hearing it, if you cannot find Yeshua in Torah you are not reading it correctly. He is Torah (John 1)!!!

Now let us look at the ‘difference’ between ḤATSĔROTH, and DI ZAHAḆ

1 – ḤATSĔROTH – חֲצֵרוֹת – Strong’s H2698 meaning, ‘settlement, enclosure’ and can also picture for us in Hebrew a trumpet shaped enclosure for sheep

2 – DI ZAHAḆ – דִי זָָּהָב – Strong’s H1774 meaning, ‘enough gold’ as it comes from the two words: דַי day – Strong’s H1767 meaning, ‘sufficiency, enough’ and זָהָב Zahaḇ – Strong’s H2091 meaning, ‘gold’.

Once again, as we approach the darker end-times, we must ask ourselves – are we gathering sheep or are we simply amassing wealth for ourselves? By that I mean, ‘Are you interested in making disciples as our Master commanded or are you more interested in chasing wealth and success for yourself?’

Are you storing up ‘treasure in heaven’ where moth and rust cannot destroy or are you chasing riches here on earth – riches and possessions and wealth that will be destroyed by moth and rust!

Mattithyahu/Matthew 6:19-20 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

And, NO! We do not need $54 million for a new jet!

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Lesson date: 5/27/5857AA

We have just finished Bemidbar – “in the Wilderness” – from the root word “dabar” which means word. We talked about how the Children of Yisra’el went into the Wilderness looking for the Word and now we have the testimony of Mosheh telling us the Words – debarim – (from the same root word dabar) – which they have found and learned.

As Matt showed us in our study of Timotiyos: 2Ti_3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The most quoted book of Scripture in the B’rit Hadasha is Debarim, quoted directly 85 times and alluded to 110 more times. Psalms is second with about 68 quotes. Among the Dead Sea scrolls there were 27 copies of Psalms and 24 copies of Deuteronomy, indicating the importance of Debarim within the Qumran community.

Something we fail to consider, or adequately discuss, is the fact that Mosheh was seen on Mt. Hermon at the transfiguration of Yeshu’a, indicating that Yeshu’a was the fulfillment of Mosheh’s prophecy found in Debarim: Deu_18:15 “יהוה your Elohim shall raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brothers. Listen to Him,

and YHVH declared: Deu_18:18 I shall raise up for them a Prophet like you out of the midst of their brothers. And I shall put My Words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.

Mosheh’s presence at the transfiguration not only fulfilled the need for 2 witnesses but, also showed that Yeshu’a was taking up the completion of the Torah work begun by Mosheh. The presence of Eliyahu was to show that Yeshu’a had come to continue the work of Eliyahu: Rev_19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “See, do not do it! I am your fellow servant, and of your brothers who possess the witness of יהושע. Worship Elohim! For the witness of יהושע is the spirit of prophecy.”

The spirit of prophecy was now available to all true believers through the outpouring of the Ruach Hakodesh in the name of Yeshu’a: Joh_14:26 “But the Helper, the Set-apart Spirit, whom the Father shall send in My Name, He shall teach you all, and remind you of all that I said to you.

1Co 14:5 Now I wish you all spoke with tongues, but rather that you might prophesy, for he who is prophesying is greater than he who is speaking with tongues, unless he interprets, so that the assembly might receive upbuilding.

If I don’t talk about this enough, I apologize. If you think I talk about it too much, you’ll get over it. Okay, let’s talk about what Debarim is: מִשְּנֵה הַתּוֹרָה הַזאֹּת עַל־סֵפֶר – ‘mishneh hatorah hazoth al sepher’.

This exact phrase is found in Debarim 17:18 Deu_17:18 “And it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his reign, that he shall write for himself a copy of this Torah in a book, from the one before the priests, the Lěwites.

Let me guess, this does not apply to us, right? What did Sha’ul say? Rom_8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Yep, I left it in the KJV for a purpose. Name a few conquerors in history. You are more than they were, okay.

The first thing I have to do is to clarify what Mishneh means so you will not think that I am talking about THE MISHNEH, okay? H4932 – משׁנה – mishneh – BDB Definition: 1) double, copy, second, repetition 1a) double 1b) copy (of law) 1c) second (in order) 1c1) second rank 1c2) second in age

1d) second quarter or district Part of Speech: noun masculine. Where is this found? Gen. 41:43; 43:12; 43:15; Exo 16:5; 22; Deu. 15:18; 17:18;

Well now, isn’t this interesting, we are supposed to reproduce, copy, duplicate, repeat, double this book of Torah if, you believe we are more than conquerors. How about it? Bet you didn’t see that one coming, huh?

H8451 – תּרה / תּורה – tôrâh – BDB Definition: 1) law, direction, instruction 1a) instruction, direction (human or divine)

t tav sign of the covenant, covenant, crossed sticks

f vav nail, peg, tent peg, to attach, secure or affix

r resh head, beginning, head of a man, chief, top

e hey behold, take notice, look reveal, sigh

The Sign of the Covenant was Secured to Our Head, Behold! Exo_13:9 “And it shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes, that the Torah of יהוה is to be in your mouth, for with a strong hand יהוה has brought you out of Mitsrayim.

Deu_11:18 And you shall lay up these Words of Mine in your heart and in your being, and shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

Verse 1 – In the desert plain – בָעֲרָבָ ה ba’araḇah, – H6160 – ‘arabah – desert plain, dessert, wilderness – which comes from H6150 – עָרַב  – ‘araḇ – to grow dark, to darkened, dusky. Think about it, the word goes from meaning “desert plain” to “to grow dark”. Could it be that YHVH placed the Children of Yisra’el on this desert plain because the days ahead are going to darken? Because they are about to lose the only leader they have known for these past 40 years? Have you ever reached a dark place in your life and felt like you were deserted, by everyone,  including YHVH? I have. No matter what the sky looks like it always appears to look like a dingy gray from the dark place you are hiding.

H5489- סוּף – sûph – BDB Definition: Suph = “sea weed”, reed, Reed Sea,

H6290 – פּארן – pâ’rân – BDB Definition: Paran = “place of caverns”

H8603 – תּפל – tôphel – BDB Definition: Tophel = “white”, whitewash, tasteless, foolish

H3837 – לבן – lâbân – BDB Definition: Laban = “white”, white rock, white brick, purify become white

H2698 – חצרות  –  chătsêrôth – BDB Definition: Hazeroth = “settlement”, enclosure, (for sheep)

H1774 – דּי זהב – dı̂y zâhâb – BDB Definition: Dizahab = “enough gold”

Here are in the dark days (of a desert plain), with our backs to the Reed Sea, where we have seen so many miracles of YHVH, looking upon whitewashed sepulchres (burial caves) ((Mat. 23:27)) or, are we striving for the white stone ((Rev. 2:17)). We must chose between Bemidbar, being a sojourner in the wilderness where we can hear the Word and, living in this safe enclosed settlement called life laying up enough gold (treasure) in this world so we feel safe? ((Mat. 6:19-20)) Must be a coincidence.

Verses 2-3 – This is where people run into a lot of trouble counting the years that the Children of Yisra’el spent in the wilderness. Verse 3 mentions the fortieth year. This is the 40^th year of being in the wilderness but the 40^th year after they were cursed for their unbelief. ((Num. 10:11)) They did not leave Mt. Sinai until the 20^th day of the 2^nd month of the 2^nd year. Verse 2 is literally telling us that it is just an 11 day journey from Mt. Sinai (Horeb) to Qadesh Barnea but it took them 40 years because of their unbelief and disobedience. ((Please note Ez. 1:1 & 4:6))

Here is something that will surprise you and I will let you do the math but if the journey is an 11 day journey and it took the 40 years to make it because of their unbelief and disobedience then it took them 1,300 times longer than it should have and they could have made the trip 650 times in 40 years. Maybe it is just me but I think there is a lesson to be learned here, at least there is for me. Is my journey to come to a closer relationship with our Creator taking me longer because I am disobedient and unbelieving? Could I have made this journey in 11 days, or 650 times quicker, if I had just surrender my will and taken up His Desire for me? Probably.

Here is another way of looking at it Horeb – Mt. Seir – Qadesh Barnea = Desolate – rough occupant – Set-Apart. To go from being a desolate empty entity to a rough cut or diamond in the rough to being a Set-Apart believer in the Most High Elohim of Yisra’el.

Verse 5 – There is hidden jewel here: Mosheh “to declare (H874) (H853) this Torah” –

Mosheh began to expound upon, to clarify to make plain the Aleph Tav (Rev. 1:8) of Torah.

Verse 6 – YHVH is telling the Children of Yisra’el that they have dwelt “too long” at the mountain. It was time to grow and to go on to be fruitful. ((Hebrews 12:18-24)) ((Mat. 7:24)) ((James 1:22-25))

Verse 7 – Turn and set out on your way! Turn from the useless traditions of men and the mysteries of Egypt and Babylon and set out on your way: Psa_5:8 O יהוה, lead me in Your righteousness because of those watching me; Make Your way straight before my face.

Psa_143:8 Let me hear Your loving-commitment in the morning, For in You I have put my trust; Let me know the way in which I should walk, For I have lifted up my being to You.

Verse 8 – “Go in and possess the land” – if we are obedient to His Commands it is just that simple.

Verses 9-17 – The problems of the encampment were too much for Mosheh alone so wise and understanding men were chosen to judge righteously and show no partiality among the people.

Col 2:16 Let no one therefore judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths –

Col 2:17 which are a shadow of what is to come – but the Body of the Messiah.

These two verses are not saying that people won’t judge us because of how and what we eat, drink, obey the commands and celebrate YHVH’s Appointed Times. They do and they will but rather, don’t let that judgement influence your decision to keep the commands of Elohim because we now know that by doing do we are seeing and understanding the Full Gospel of Elohim and the Messiah Yeshu’a.

Verses 22-27 – recounts the tale of the spies being sent into the land and 10 of them bringing back and evil report. The people could have chosen to believe Yehoshua and Kaleb but instead chose to believe the evil report. Isa_5:20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Verse 28 – H4549 – מסס – mâsas – BDB Definition: 1) to dissolve, melt 1a) (Qal) to waste away

((Our brothers have made our hearts melt))

Joshua 23: 3 “And you, you have seen all that יהוה your Elohim has done to all these nations because of you, for יהוה your Elohim is He who was fighting for you.”

Joshua 23:6 “And you shall be very strong to guard and to do all that is written in the Book of the Torah of Mosheh, so as not to turn aside from it right or left.”

Joshua 23:8 “But cling to יהוה your Elohim, as you have done to this day.”

Joshua 23:10 “One man of you put a thousand to flight, for יהוה your Elohim is He who is fighting for you, as He has promised you.”

Joshua 23:11 “And you shall diligently guard yourselves, to love יהוה your Elohim.”

Verses 32-38 – Only those that truly believed would live to inherit the Promise of YHVH in His Covenant with Abraham. The other 10 spies and all those 20 years old and older died without seeing the Promise fulfilled.

Verse 39 – We must examine this “dualism”: And your little ones and your children, who you say are for a prey, who today have no knowledge of good and evil,

Your children, who you are using as an excuse, they have no knowledge of good and evil. Do you see it? Gen 2:16 And יהוה Elohim commanded the man, saying, “Eat of every tree of the garden,

Gen 2:17 but do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it you shall certainly die.”

The knowledge of good and evil resulted in Adam being expelled from the Garden of Eden but having no knowledge of good and evil will allow the faithful to enter the Promised Land. Children OBEY their parents, not out of a knowledge of good and evil but because they want to earn the love of their parents. Had the Children of Yisra’el simply obeyed YHVH’s commands they would have inherited the Promise 40 years sooner but because they grew fearful (knowledge of good and evil) of the giants they did not obey.

Verses 41-43 – Rebellion, in Yah’s Name, is still not right. Notice the steps that took place here: They grew fearful, they rebelled, YHVH rebuked them, then they used His Name to justify their rebellion and took up their own armor, not the full armor of Elohim, and tried to fight the battle with their own might: Eph 6:13 Because of this, take up the complete armour of Elohim, so that you have power to withstand in the wicked day, and having done all, to stand.

Eph 6:14 Stand, then, having girded your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

Eph 6:15 and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace;

Eph 6:16 above all, having taken up the shield of belief with which you shall have power to quench all the burning arrows of the wicked one.

Eph 6:17 Take also the helmet of deliverance, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of Elohim,

Verse 44-46 – Driven back from Se’ir to Hormah: Se’ir – shaggy, ragged, rough – to – Hormah – devoted. And dwell in Qadesh – Set-Apart – for many days.

Ahavah,