Lesson date: 6/13/5854AA

Verse 1 – Debarim Chapter 15 and Wayyiqra 25 have changed my life the most since I became a believer. Why? Because these two chapters have shown me that YHVH does not count using a decimal or ten-based numbering system but rather a 7 based system: 7 colors of the rainbow, 7 musical notes, 7 days of the week/Creation, 7 days of Sukkot, 7 days of Unleavened Bread, 7×7 weeks of Shavuot, 7 lights of the Menorah, 7 pairs of clean animals in the ark, 7 visible moving celestial bodies, 7 seas, 7 continents and the first verse of scripture contains 7 Hebrew words.

בראשׁית ברא אלהים את השׁמים ואת הארץ׃ – Genesis 1:1

Let’s take a look at the word for seven (7): H7651 – שׁבעה / שׁבע – sheba‛ / shib‛âh – BDB Definition: 1) seven (cardinal number) 1a) as ordinal number 1b) in combination – 17, 700 etc

Now compare it to Shabbat (Sabbath): H7676 – שׁבּת – shabbâth – BDB Definition: 1) Sabbath 1a) sabbath 1b) day of atonement 1c) sabbath year 1d) week 1e) produce (in sabbath year)

Now the word for oath: H7621 – שׁבוּעה – shebû‛âh – BDB Definition: 1) oath, curse 1a) oath 1a1) attesting of innocence 1a2) curse 1b) oath (of Jehovah)

Now the word for swear: H7650 – שָׁבַע – shâba‛ – shaw-bah’ – A primitive root; properly to be complete, but used only as a denominative from H7651; to seven oneself, that is, swear (as if by repeating a declaration seven times): – adjure, charge (by an oath, with an oath), feed to the full [by mistake for H7646], take an oath, X straitly, (cause to, make to) swear.

Do you see how closely related each of the words are? When we worship YHVH on Shabbat we are swearing (Sevening ourselves) or reconfirming our oath to YHVH and He is reconfirming His oath (covenant) with us: Exo_31:13  “And you, speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘My Sabbaths you are to guard, by all means, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, to know that I, יהוה, am setting you apart.

Eze 20:12  “And I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, to know that I am יהוה who sets them apart.

Eze 20:20  ‘And set apart My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, to know that I am יהוה your Elohim.’

When you see seven being used in scripture it takes on the significance of an oath, promise, covenant.

E o b s

s to chew, devour, destroy meditate
b tent, house, tabernacle
o to see, understand, enlightenment
e behold,hey, surely, Lo!

Meditating on (or at) His Tent (Tabernacle) brings understanding, Behold!

The word used for ‘release’ is: H8059 – שְׁמִטָּה – shemiṭṭâh – shem-it-taw’  From H8058; remission (of debt) or suspension (of labor): – release.

This word was made famous a few years ago by Pastor Jonathan Cahn. Unfortunately, he kept the wrong year, month and day and hyped it as a financial or economic milestone when that is very far from the truth. It is spiritual and it applies to His people: Deu 31:10  And Mosheh commanded them, saying, “At the end of seven years, at the appointed time, the year of release, at the Festival of Booths,

Deu 31:11  when all Yisra’ĕl comes to appear before יהוה your Elohim in the place which He chooses, read this Torah before all Yisra’ĕl in their hearing.

Deu 31:12  “Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and your sojourner who is within your gates, so that they hear, and so that they learn to fear יהוה your Elohim and guard to do all the Words of this Torah.

At no time did I ever hear Pastor Cahn mention reading the Torah before the whole congregation. I do not know how many more times I will, if ever, get to do that again but reading Torah (Debarim) in front of the town was absolutely one of the best times of my life and I could not pick a finer group of people to read it with. Thank you.

Just want to note that there is no word for ‘debt’, it is there because it is implied. I believe it would have been better to use the word obligations.

Verse 2 – release = H8059 which is only used in scriptures 4 times. Three of which occur right here in Debarim 15. The fourth one occurs in Deut. 31:10. If this word is used so infrequently can I assume that it is not of great importance? The release of the sabbatical year was very important in YHVH’s plan for the prosperity of His chosen nation.

Verse 3 – Shows us that it was okay to loan to a foreigner for a period of time greater than 7 years or that the debt was not cancelled during the sabbatical year. It also reinforces the fact that our countrymen’s debt was wiped clean.

Verse 4 – esplains why it was done and that was to eliminate a perpetual ‘poverty’ class or poor class.

Verse 5 – shows us how to make all of this happen and that is to guard all of the commands that YHVH has given us. He is telling us “it is for your own good.”

Verse 6 – is the final part of the blessing of the release that as a nation we never borrow money but rather, we lend to other nations. This was the strategy employed by the United States for several decades.

Verses 7-11 – shows the proper treatment and attitude toward the poor and how our relationship with the poor to a degree determines the blessing we receive in life.

1Jn 3:16  By this we have known love, because He laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

1Jn 3:17  But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his tender affections from him, how does the love of Elohim stay in him?

1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

Verse 12-15 – Once again we see an example how Hebrew, like all Semitic languages is gender specific by masculine dominant. “Your brother… Hebrew man or Hebrew woman”. People mistaking believe that there is no slavery today. We do have slavery and that is what YHVH is trying to teach us in this chapter. Whenever you work to fulfill an obligation, such as mortgage or a car loan, you are a slave to the institution from which you borrow the money. In other words, you can’t quit your job if you have to make a mortgage payment or a car loan payment. You work, because if you don’t, you lose everything. This is called debt slavery and America has the highest per capita rate of debt per household. Only two things can happen in an environment such as this: declare a Jubilee and cancel all debt or national bankruptcy.

Rom 1:1  Sha’ul, a servant of יהושע Messiah, a called emissary, separated to the Good News of Elohim,

Tit_1:1  Sha’ul, a servant of Elohim and an emissary of יהושע Messiah, according to the belief of Elohim’s chosen ones and knowledge of the truth according to reverence,

Jas_1:1  Yaʽaqob, a servant of Elohim and of the Master יהושע Messiah, to the twelve tribes who are in the dispersion: Greetings.

2Pe_1:1  Shimʽon Kĕpha, a servant and emissary of יהושע Messiah, to those who have obtained a belief as precious as ours by the righteousness of our Elohim and Saviour יהושע Messiah:

Jud_1:1  Yehudah, a servant of יהושע Messiah, and brother of Yaʽaqoḇ, to those who are called, set-apart by Elohim the Father, and preserved in יהושע Messiah:

Rev_1:1  Revelation of יהושע Messiah, which Elohim gave Him to show His servants what has to take place with speed. And He signified it by sending His messenger to His servant Yohanan,

These were great men and they did not lift themselves up but rather referred to themselves as servants.

Just think of how Ya’aqob have introduced himself: I am Ya’aqob, half brother of Yeshua Messiah. I am the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Jerusalem and I am the authority to which all serious theological problems are brought to, in the manner of Moses and my word is final.

The same could be said of Yehudah, also a half brother of the Messiah. John could have started out, “I am the beloved apostle” but he didn’t. What about Peter? “I am the only apostle to have walked on water, as did our Messiah.” In fact, I don’t even see a single Ph. D. in the group anywhere. They were humble men whose only ambition in life was to aspire to the high office of servant.

Verse 16-18 – What happens when you have a slave that you have shown kindness to and they choose not to leave you? This is a very good analogy for our relationship with our Father.

Verses 19-23 – Gives us the ruling on how to set apart the first born. Notice verse 21 makes it plan that the first born with defects are not to be offered as a sacrifice because they are unfit or unclean as a sacrifice but they can be eaten.

Ahavah vberakhot,

---

Lesson date: 9/21/5857AA

Chapter 15 is a very short chapter but like my title suggests it contains the Keys for a prosperous life and also how to have a prosperous nation. Unfortunately, many modern “Messianic” pastors promoted the Shemittah Year first, in the wrong year by using the Hillel calendar and two, as a promise of prosperity where “God” has to His promises. Nothing was ever mentioned about repentance or keeping YHVH’s Covenant by keeping and guarding His Torah.

Verse 1 – The word for 7 is H7651 – sheba – seven, sevenfold. But it takes on the meaning of completeness, completion especially in relation to an oath (H7650 = shaba). It came to be associated with swearing an oath or fulfilling an oath through the ancient practice of cutting oneself 7 times to swear an oath to another person or god.

It was used in the manner of sevenfold in Sabbatical Year of 2015/16 according to the Hillel II Calendar. One pastor, who has a nationwide or even worldwide venue, promoted the blessing that America would receive in the Sabbatical year beginning on the first day of the seventh month of 2015. Coincidentally, according to the Jewish calendar, we entered another sabbatical year the first day of the Seventh month of 2021, which equates to the year 5782 on the Jewish Calendar.

The Hebrew word Shemittah – H8059 – is only used 5 times in Scripture and 4 of those times are in Debarim 15. The fifth time is found in Deabarim 31:10. Please notice in the ISR Scriptures Debarim 15:1 that the words of debts are Italisized to show this was not actually found in Scripture but the translator added those words for clarity in the translation. Shemittah can mean a release of debt or obligation, such as labor or servitude: Mat 6:9 “This, then, is the way you should pray: ‘Our Father who is in the heavens, let Your Name be set-apart,

Mat 6:10 let Your reign come, let Your desire be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Mat 6:11 Give us today our daily bread.

Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Yeshua taught about the forgiveness of debts in more than one parable. Being able to forgive debts owed to us is a necessary part of our relationship with our Creator. If we cannot forgive our debtors how can we expect our Father to forgive us?

As for myself, I am anxiously awaiting the coming of the next Sabbatical Year in the spring of 2023. The amazing things that we, Von and I, experienced that year were truly beyond explanation. The most amazing thing, in my view, was when we read this book of Torah before the whole town: Deu 31:9 And Mosheh wrote this Torah and gave it to the priests, the sons of Lěwi, who bore the ark of the covenant of יהוה, and to all the elders of Yisra’ěl.

Deu 31:10 And Mosheh commanded them, saying, “At the end of seven years, at the appointed time, the year of release, at the Festival of Sukkot,

Deu 31:11 when all Yisra’ěl comes to appear before יהוה your Elohim in the place which He chooses, read this Torah before all Yisra’ěl in their hearing.

It was while reading the Book of Debarim, openly and in public, that I realized the vitality and everlasting applicability of Yah’s Word. Our world worships a god for which they do not know His Name nor do they have any idea of what He expects from us in order to have a healthy and intimate relationship with Him and His Word.

I think everyone in our qahal is familiar with the Sabbatical Year and our responsibilities within that year so, I will skip much of the instructions contained herein.

Verses 5-6 – “Only” and “if” are two very important words in English. This adverbially phrase, which also shows conjunctionality, is a very important phrase legally, especially in a performance contract or bond situation. In a performance contract or bond situation you are legally and morally bound to complete your “obligation” or conditions of the contract in order to receive your final payment. It is very restricting and limiting only to those who do not want to perform as stated in the contract or want to “cut corners” because final payment will only be made if you have performed as stated in the contract and the “work” has been inspected and approved by the inspector: 1Co 3:11 For no one is able to lay any other foundation except that which is laid, which is יהושע Messiah.

1Co 3:12 And if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

1Co 3:13 each one’s work shall be revealed, for the day shall show it up, because it is revealed by fire. And the fire shall prove the work of each one, what sort it is.

1Co 3:14 If anyone’s work remains, which he has built on, he shall receive a reward.

1Co 3:15 If anyone’s work is burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, but so as through fire.

Here is your performance contract. Our Chief Inspector is known as  יהושע Messiah. I’ll call Him Yeshu’a for our purposes. Yeshu’a has the Authority to inspect our work and He uses a technique known as Destructive Testing or Inspection. Destructive Testing is most often used in the testing of metals to find the point and which they are destroyed or fatigued to the point of failure. This methods is used to test the ability of welders and the quality of their work to hold together under the specified pressure parameters. Destructive testing is also used to test the quality of metals being used in a particular manner or application. In His testing Yeshu’a will use intense heat which will consume anything but the desired quality of metal. Everything less than the specified quality will be reduced to ash. If He Inspects my work(s) and finds that it was of a suitable quality I will receive the final payment as specified in the contract.

Where is our contract and where do we find out the conditions of the contract and obligations? Also, what are the conditions that are binding upon the Creator of the contract? In dealing with contracts and blueprints and design specifications the elements that never change are called what?

Therefore, a nice legal term, if we want the rewards of the contract “יהוה your Elohim shall bless you as He promised” then we must fulfill the “performance” clause in the contract, “only if you diligently obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim, to guard to do all these commands which I am commanding you today”.

Rev 22:12 “And see, I am coming speedily, and My reward is with Me, to give to each according to his work.

Rev 22:14 “Blessed are those doing His commands, so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city.

Remember in Debarim 15:5 He promised to “Bless” you and in Rev. 22:14 He reiterates the testing criteria “to do His Commands”. Simple.

Verse 9 – A severe warning is given to us to not us the Sabbatical Year for profit, gain and/or to mistreat our brothers and sisters. Beliya’al is used as a superlative for doing evil.

Verses 16-17 – Yes, I have skipped a lot but this is a very beautiful Scripture for me and I want to explore it a little. What is so important about the ear”: Deu_5:1 And Mosheh called all Yisra’ěl, and said to them, “Hear, O Yisra’ěl, the laws and right-rulings which I speak in your hearing today. And you shall learn them, and guard to do them.

Deu_6:3 “And you shall hear, O Yisra’ěl, and shall guard to do, that it might be well with you, and that you increase greatly as יהוה Elohim of your fathers has spoken to you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

Deu_6:4 “Hear, O Yisra’ěl: יהוה our Elohim, יהוה is one!

Right! With our ears we HEAR the word of YHVH. But, in Hebrew the word “Shema” means to “show me you hear me by doing what I am telling you”. Show me by your obedience. Simple.

The Children of Yisra’el asked YHVH to amend the contract that He made with them: Exo 20:18 And all the people saw the thunders, the lightning flashes, the voice of the shophar, and the mountain smoking. And the people saw it, and they trembled and stood at a distance,

Exo 20:19 and said to Mosheh, “You speak with us and we hear, but let not Elohim speak with us, lest we die.”

From that point on the Children of Yisra’el had to have a priest or prophet relay the Word of Elohim to the people in order to call them back to repentence. But, one day, something changed all of that: Act 2:16 “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Yo’ěl:

Act 2:17 ‘And it shall be in the last days, says Elohim, that I shall pour out of My Spirit on all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams,

Act 2:18 and also on My male servants and on My female servants I shall pour out My Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.

Act 2:19 ‘And I shall show wonders in the heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapour of smoke.

Act 2:20 ‘The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and splendid day of יהוה.

Act 2:21 ‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the Name of יהוה shall be saved.’

YHVH poured out His Spirit upon all mankind. No longer was it necessary to have a High Priest or a Prophet to tell us the Word of Elohim. We now have access to it if we choose to use it.

Rev_2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I shall give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of Elohim.”

Rev_2:11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes shall by no means be harmed by the second death.” ’

Rev_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.” ’

Rev_2:29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.” ’

Rev_3:6 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.” ’

Rev_3:13 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.” ‘

Rev_3:22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.” ’ ”

Rev_13:9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

Our Chief Inspector, Yeshu’a, also uses this very same terminology many times in the gospel accounts. The phrase it “Lishmoah shamah” which is just two different uses of the same word “Shema” to prove you heard by being obedient.”

We were warned about this very phenomenon: 2Ti_4:3 For there shall be a time when they shall not bear sound teaching, but according to their own desires, they shall heap up for themselves teachers tickling the ear,

But, and this is a big but, if we truly love our Master because He has given us everything in our lives and has blessed us because of our obedience and we do not want to leave Him, then He will bring us to the doorpost of His House, the same doorpost where He spread the Blood of the Lamb, and He will pierce our ear so that we can hear – Shema – His Spirit and obey His Commands.

Verses 19-23 – People who do not understand what is being spoken of here often try use it to me that we can eat unclean meat as food and that simply is not the case. It is talking about setting apart the first born and also the acceptability of a sacrifice. If there is any defect in the animal it is an unclean sacrifice and should never be given to YHVH as a sacrifice but it is still clean meat and can be eaten. Both the deer and gazelle are clean meats and can be eaten, that is why they are given as an example of what to eat, clean meat. Clean meat = food. Unclean meat is never called unclean food. It is called unclean meat and is therefore never food.

Ahavah,